The International Committee of the All Africa Music Awards, (AFRIMA) has withdrawn the hosting rights from the Republic of Ghana for the 2019 and 2020 editions of the festival, over lack of capacity by the host country to meet the financial and contractual obligations entered to on July 12, 2018.
The decision was reached on July 15, 2019 after several meetings and consultations with relevant stakeholders to remedy the situation with the expectation that Ghana would provide concrete assurances and guarantees to discharge its obligations for hosting the 2019 and 2020 editions of AFRIMA after its disappointing performance on the contract during the 2018 edition of the Awards held in Accra from November 21-24, 2018.
While thanking the young people and the media in Ghana, Rikki Stein, the international advisor to AFRIMA, said; “It was a hard decision for us to withdraw the awards hosting rights for the next two years (2019 and 2020 editions) from the Republic of Ghana. As an awards owned for the African people, it is structured to travel around the continent giving the people the true African experience.”
Stein added that AFRIMA is geared to increase the tourism and entertainment equity of a host country as the host receives an influx of international and Africa dignitaries, AFRIMA nominees, music stars and executives who attend the four-day programme of activities. AFRIMA further offers benefits that would help in raising the continental and international profile of the host country, including an opportunity to tap into the millions of participants and followers of the growing African music.
The African Union had enjoyed a successful and effective hosting partnership with the Federal Republic of Nigeria that won the right to host the four editions of AFRIMA –from 2014-2017.
However, the International Committee of AFRIMA has said it is working to determine a new host country for the 6th edition of the annual festival, and that this would be announced in August 2019.
It would be recalled that decision of the African Union (AU) and AFRIMA to award a three-term hosting right (2018-2020) of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) to Ghana followed the declaration of Nana Akufo Addo, president of Ghana, to host the AFRIMA in Ghana on May 21, 2018 during the AFRIMA 2018 Calendar Unveiling Ceremony held in Accra.
After initially complying to some of the host country responsibilities, Ghana’s hosting rights for the 5th AFRIMA was publicly announced by the African Union at the African Union Secretariat Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on September 5, 2018. A letter signed by the Commissioner of Social Affairs, African Union, Amira El Fadil dated September 13, 2018 to effect the hosting rights was dispatched to the Government of the Republic of Ghana through the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture, Ghana.
OBINNA EMELIKE
