Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has declared Lagos State’s readiness to host the 2025 edition of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), reaffirming the state’s position as Africa’s creative and cultural capital.
The governor made this known on Tuesday when he received a high-powered delegation from the African Union and the AFRIMA international committee at his office in Alausa.
Sanwo-Olu said the state was fully prepared to welcome the rest of Africa for the prestigious music awards ceremony.
“Lagos is more than prepared to roll out the red carpet,” he said.
“One of the key pillars of our administration’s development agenda is the creative industry. Since I took office, we’ve been intentional about building a vibrant creative ecosystem supporting film, music, fashion, photography, and cultural tourism.”
Highlighting ongoing initiatives, the governor mentioned that Lagos would be participating in the Cannes Film Festival and would also host the E1 World Championship in October 2025 — Africa’s first international water sports event.
“We are happy to receive the AFRIMA team; we will do it, and we will be part of this. This is one initiative we are proud to accommodate,” Sanwo-Olu stated.
He also praised the diversity of the visiting AFRIMA delegation, which included representatives from countries like Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Morocco and South Africa.
Angela Martins, head of culture and acting director for social development at the African Union Commission, commended Lagos for its continued support of the arts.
“Lagos has played a major role in the success of AFRIMA in the past. Each edition hosted here has left a lasting impression,” she said.
“We are here again not just to visit, but to officially seek Lagos’ partnership to host AFRIMA 2025 because Lagos is at the heart of Africa’s creative industry.”
AFRIMA president and executive producer Mike Dada also praised the Sanwo-Olu-led administration for its support of the creative sector, saying the upcoming awards would significantly benefit Lagos.
“AFRIMA is not just about music. We’ve seen dreams come true, careers launched, and global narratives about Africa being reshaped. Lagos won’t just host an event — the one-week festival will open doors for tourism, hospitality, and economic opportunities,” Dada said.
He revealed that the 2025 edition would attract over 1,600 nominees and team members, 1,100 production crew, and more than 400 million global viewers.
Moroccan singer Ahmed Soultan, a past winner of AFRIMA’s Best Male Artist in Northern Africa, said winning the award in 2014 helped elevate his music career and led to collaborations with the likes of Femi Kuti, the late Sound Sultan and Waje.
Other members of the AFRIMA delegation included South Africa’s Matlou Tsotetsi, Nigeria’s Adenrele Niyi and Kenny Ogungbe, Ghana’s Francis Doku, Cote d’Ivoire’s Edwidge Goli, Australia-Kenya’s Mike John Strano and Victoria Nkong from Nigeria.
The African Union and the AFRIMA International Committee will officially announce and present the certificate to the host city on May 13 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
