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.