Stakeholders of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) gathered in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on Tuesday, February 18, 2026, for the Road to the 10th Edition Media and Stakeholders’ Parley, weeks after the 9th edition was held in Lagos.
The Abidjan meeting followed the first Road to 10th AFRIMA engagement in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and marked the second stop in activities leading to the 10th edition of the awards.
Government officials, culture industry leaders, artistes and media representatives attended the parley, where Côte d’Ivoire signalled its interest in hosting a future edition of the awards.
Serge Akpatou, Deputy Director General of the Ivorian Bureau of Copyright, said, “AFRIMA adds real value to Africa’s creative ecosystem. It promotes our artistes, strengthens intellectual property awareness and connects us to the rest of the world. Abidjan has the capacity and the cultural depth to host a future edition, and we sincerely hope that opportunity will come.”
Mr Hein Sie, representative of the Minister of Culture and Francophonie, said, “Events like AFRIMA are important for our continental visibility. They celebrate African excellence, create opportunities for our creatives, and reinforce our identity. Cote d’Ivoire is proud of its artistes who have done us proud on a massive platform like AFRIMA, and we are ready to support initiatives that position our country as a creative force.”
Members of the AFRIMA International Executive Committee present included Associate Producer Victoria Nkong and International Jury Member Messie Mboukou. Mboukou said, “This gathering is not only about celebration. It is about dialogue, transparency and building stronger bridges between artistes, the media, cultural institutions, policy makers and AFRIMA. As we approach the 10th edition, continuous collaboration with Francophone Africa is vital for us not be left out in the AFRIMA movement.”
On the adjudication process, he said, “The adjudication process is thorough and structured. It is supervised by the African Union and independently audited by a globally reputable auditing firm. After nominations are decided by the 13 man AFRIMA Jury, the AFRIMA Academy of voters and public vote, and the final results are exclusively collated independently by the professional auditors. No one can manipulate the outcome.”
A highlight of the event was the presentation of the 9th AFRIMA trophy for Best Female Artiste in African Inspirational to Morijah, who missed the main ceremony for medical reasons. She said, “This award represents years of sacrifice and dedication. I am grateful to AFRIMA and Africa for recognizing my work on such a respected global African platform.”
Other winners shared their experiences. Zagba of Team Paiya said, “We did not expect to win. Being announced as winners has boosted our confidence and shown that our music can reach beyond Côte d’Ivoire.”
Didi B said, “This is not my first international award, but AFRIMA opened a wider network for me. I met artistes from different countries, collaborated on songs and even shot a music video with Qing Madi. Even if you don’t win, just being nominated gives you exposure that money cannot buy.”
DJ Moh Green said, “I was nominated at AFRIMA four times, four editions before winning. Nobody promised me anything. This victory shows that consistency and dedication pay off.”
Axel Merryl spoke about performing at the AFRIMA Music Village concert in Lagos, while Milo said performing on such a big stage inspired him to dream bigger.
The 9th AFRIMA was held from January 7 to 11, in Lagos. The programme featured the AFRIMA Music Village, industry sessions and the main awards ceremony, drawing artistes and delegates from across Africa and the diaspora. The event was broadcast live to audiences in more than 84 countries.
Established in 2010 by the International Committee of AFRIMA in partnership with the African Union, the awards platform focuses on celebrating and promoting African music globally as preparations begin for the 10th edition.
