Arewa Creative Industry Heritage Vanguard urges Tinubu to host AFRIMA
BY ORJI ONYEKWERE
A culture and creative industry advocacy group, Arewa Creative Industry Heritage Vanguard, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, Hanatu Musawa, to lead efforts in securing the hosting rights for the next two editions of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), offered by the African Union Commission to Nigeria and South Africa.
They want to ensure that at least one edition of the prestigious event takes place in the northern region of Nigeria of Kaduna, Jos or Abuja to make up for the years of deliberate marginalization and deprivation of international events of this nature.
According to Dr Shehu Samadi, the President of the Vanguard, who spoke from Kaduna, they learnt that the African Union (AU) invited the governments of Nigeria and South Africa to submit bids for the hosting rights for the next editions of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA).
As such, they are imploring and advising President Tinubu not to allow South Africa beat Nigeria to the hosting rights as this will have implications on the national psyche of Nigerians and the development of the music industry.
The group called on the Honorable Minister of Art, Culture and Creative Economy, Hanatu Musawa to update Nigerians on the progress made thus far in securing the AFRIMA hosting rights.
The group, which comprises cultural enthusiasts, music industry stakeholders, and advocates for Northern Nigeria’s music heritage, recognizes the significance of AFRIMA in promoting African music and fostering cultural exchange across the continent and with the rest of the world.
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Therefore, they believe it is essential for Nigeria, especially the Northern region, to play a central role in hosting the event and showcasing the country’s rich creativity and cultural diversity from its point of expertise and cultural expression.
Samadi emphasized three significant reasons why President Tinubu should champion the course of securing the hosting rights. The group recalls with nostalgia how President Tinubu in 2015, in person received a 23.9 karat gold plated AFRIMA trophy as the pillar of Art and Culture in Africa which was presented by the African Union Commission.”
This should motivate the President to intensify efforts to secure the hosting rights having experienced the creative power and the global influence of AFRIMA personally.
The second reason is that as the Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, President Tinubu can utilize the opportunity of hosting a large-scale event like this to further his commitment towards promoting unity, economic development, and cultural diversity in the region and on the continent.
Although an event of AFRIMA’s scale can cause significant ripples across the continent and around the world, Nigeria stands a chance of benefiting the most, and we in the North hope to tap into the inherent benefits as against the past practice of marginalization where such international events are preserved for the exclusive experience of the southern part of Nigeria.
Thirdly, the Nigerian Music industry has witnessed astronomical global growth with little or no input from successive governments. Hosting an AFRIMA by this government provides an appropriate platform for the Tinubu administration to establish itself as a creative industry supportive government as well as engendering positive perception and image for Nigeria to attract tourism and foreign direct investment.
Fourthly the group believes that Northern Nigeria has the potential to become a tourism hub, and hosting events like this can help mitigate the effect of insecurity in the region. The region is eager to host an event like this because they strongly believe that it could be used to address the issues that have plagued the region, including terrorism and banditry.
By promoting peace and tranquility, the youth can embrace hope and prosperity as well promote the budding music talents in the region who require inspiration and pragmatic motivation.
The group is advocating for the cities of Abuja, Jos and Kaduna to be considered as host cities for at least one of the two editions of AFRIMA. The group believes that these cities are strategically located, culturally significant, and have vibrant music scenes, making them ideal venues for the event.
The group further expressed concern over what they perceive as a pattern of neglect in the hosting of key musical events, and they call for greater inclusivity and representation for the Northern region.
They noted that in recent years, there has been a growing sentiment among stakeholders in the Northern music industry that the region is often overlooked when it comes to hosting major international events.
