The African Union, in partnership with the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), has confirmed Lagos, Nigeria, as the host city for the 2025 edition of the awards.Angela Martins, Head of Culture at the African Union, made the announcement at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The event is set for November 25 to 30, 2025, and will feature various activities, including the Music Village Festival. Martins described the theme “Unstoppable Africa” and said Lagos was chosen for its energetic cultural landscape and embodiment of contemporary African music.
“Music is not merely sound, it is a strategy. From Dar es Salaam to Accra and other parts of the world, music flows like a river through our culture, and it connects, heals, and moves us forward,” Martins noted, reaffirming the AU’s collaboration with AFRIMA.
The 2025 awards process begins with a call for entries on May 20, welcoming submissions from artists across the continent and diaspora in various categories and genres. The awards are aligned with Agenda 2063, which underscores culture as central to Africa’s development.
AFRIMA President, Mike Dada, emphasized the awards’ unifying role across the continent. “This is to ensure we have an enduring platform called AFRIMA to be used as a rallying point to integrate the continent, for peace, job creation, and for telling our own stories,” he said.
The build-up to AFRIMA 2025 will include events in countries such as Morocco, Tanzania, and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as international stops in London and Paris. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu affirmed Lagos State’s readiness to host the event, highlighting the creative and tourism sectors as key parts of the state’s development agenda. “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,” he said.
He also assured the visiting AFRIMA and AU teams of full cooperation, stating, “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. Our team will work together with your team to action this. We thank the African Union and the AFRIMA Committee for trusting Lagos.”
Source :https://tribuneonlineng.com/
