African Union, AFRIMA Sign MoU To Strengthen Long-Standing Partnership

On Wednesday, January 29, the African Union (AU) and the All-Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) formalised its long-standing partnership in promoting Africa’s cre­ative and cultural indus­tries, particularly in the field of music. This MoU aims to strengthen the al­ready existing partnership since 2014 when AFRIMA launched its first Award ceremony that honours ex­ceptional African musical talents and the promotion of African music at the in­ternational stages.

Over the years our col­laboration has achieved enormous success togeth­er, especially in implement­ing the Revised AU Plan of Action on Cultural and Creative Industries and up­holding the principles of the Charter for African Cultur­al Renaissance; organising the 2020 “Stronger Togeth­er” online concert for the COVID-19 Response Fund; and advocating for key AU initiatives towards Agenda 2063 as Africa’s premier In­tergovernmental Organisa­tion and Africa’s premier music awards platform, respectively.

H.E. Amb. Minata Sa­mate Cessouma, Commis­sioner for Health, Human­itarian Affairs and Social Development, underscored that with the signing of this MoU, the AUC and AFRIMA reaffirm their dedication to nurturing African musical talent, expanding opportu­nities for all artistes, and le­veraging music as a tool for integration, social cohesion and economic transforma­tion. “This agreement sig­nifies a new chapter in our collaboration, ensuring that African music continues to flourish, uplift communi­ties, and contribute to the well-being of artists and the continent’s development agenda.” Amb. Cessouma stated.

Mike Dada, President and Executive Producer of AFRIMA, expressed his enthusiasm for the renewed collaboration, extending ap­preciation to current and former AU Commissioners for their visionary leader­ship, overwhelming sup­port and dedication to the course of Africa’s creative industry. “This partnership represents a significant milestone and a great step forward in our shared mis­sion to elevate African mu­sic and culture on the glob­al stage. Looking forward to the continued growth of this partnership for the benefit of our continent.” Mr. Dada indicated.