The 2018 All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) annual calendar of programmes will be unveiled on Monday, May 21, 2018 by the African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with Government of the Republic of Ghana, and the International Committee of AFRIMA during a world media event and music conference scheduled for Accra, the capital city of Ghana.

Part of the agenda for the Calendar Unveiling of the fifth annual edition of AFRIMA is a Courtesy Visit to His Excellency, the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who is set to receive African delegates and music stars attending the event from around Africa including the Head of Culture, African Union, Mrs. Angela Martins; President/Executive Producer, AFRIMA, Mr. Mike Dada; Director, Brand Communications, AFRIMA; Ms. Matlou Tsotetsi; AFRIMA Regional Director; Western Africa, Mr. Don Obilor, the Ghanaian-UK AFRIMA Juror, (representing UK-Diaspora) and BBC-1 show host, Ms. Rita Ray and the AFRIMA Country Director, Ghana, Mr. Francis Doku.

Also participating at the event are past AFRIMA nominees and winners, music professionals and executives, creative/culture industry policy makers, members of the media industry and other award-winning recording artistes living in Ghana and in other African countries.

Commenting on the event in line with government’s objective to develop sustainable tourism pivoted on Ghanaian arts and culture, Ghana’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Catherine Afeku, said: “Arts and culture, as a sector, remains one of Africa’s greatest strengths.

As well as being a source of values, identity and a sense of belonging, the creative industries have become a driver of economic growth and job creation. In agreeing to host the AFRIMA 2018 Calendar Unveiling, the Government of Ghana is motivated by the need to harness the potential of the creative sector of Ghana to promote national and regional tourism. We congratulate the African Union for lending its weight behind this laudable effort”.

Hon. Afeku added, “The Government of Ghana recognizes the potential of the Creative Industries to shape and reinforce the country’s economic growth. Studies show that by the end of the first decade of this millennium, cultural activities contributed to 1.53% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of our country. Zeroing in on music industry, it is reported with some justifiable pride that that sector alone adds approximately GH¢100 million to GDP”.

Speaking on the collaborative work by the African Union and the International Committee of AFRIMA to create inventive solutions to achieving the AU Charter for African Cultural Renaissance and the Plan of Action on Cultural and Creative Industries, the Acting Director for Social Affairs, African Union Commission, Madam Mariama Cisse revealed that partnerships with member AU states such as Ghana further galvanise the achievement of the AU policy on Africa transformation through social integration.

In her statement, the Acting Director for Social Affairs, African Union, said: “The hosting by the Republic of Ghana of this unveiling event is very important given that previous events were hosted by the Federal Republic of Nigeria and it is crucial that the initiative rotates in the AU Member States to ensure broader popularization and enhance its Pan-African nature. We thus express our gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Ghana for hosting the event and call upon all musical artists to participate in the initiative by submitting their works once the call for submissions is open”.

AFRIMA, Africa’s biggest music awards property, will roll out the 2018 calendar under the theme “Africa is Music”. The calendar features back-to-back events traversing several countries in the five regions of Africa. Some of these planned events include music/culture conferences; country visits to converse with critical music/culture industry stakeholders and high-octane music concerts tagged “Turn Up Africa” which objective is to connect fans and followers of African music with their favourite Africa music stars of the traditional and contemporary genres.

In partnership with the African Union, the All Africa Music Awards is a music property that recognises and rewards the work and talent of a myriad of African artists from the old to the new generation of musicians. Through its conference, AFRIMA also stimulates conversations among Africans and between Africa and the rest of the world about the potential of the creative arts for real humanising enterprise on the continent, contributing significantly to social cohesion, national, regional and continental integration as well as sustainable development in Africa. The award show is usually broadcast to over eighty countries around the world.