THE African Union Commission (AUC) has unveiled plan to honour All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu with the “Pillar of Art and Culture in Africa” award.
The award will be bestowed on Tinubu at the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) 2015, scheduled to hold on November 15, in Lagos.
The International Committee of AFRIMA made this known in Lagos while unveiling the activities for the award.
On why Tinubu is being honoured, the committee said: “He’s known to have stimulated conversations among Africans and between Africa and the rest of the globe about the potentials and values of the African culture and artistic legacy for the purpose of creating jobs, reducing poverty, inspiring social change and development, calling attention of world leaders to Africa and promoting the positive image of Africa to the world for global competitiveness.
“A staunch supporter of arts, culture and creative initiatives for social change for decades, he supported “Fela on Broadway” to be staged for the first time in Africa in Lagos in 2011.”
The honour has been made known to Tinubu in separate letters from AFRIMA and the AU signed by Commissioner for Social Affairs, AU, Dr. Mustapha Sidiki Kaloko. The organisers said the former Lagos State governor was selected among “a pool of hundreds of illustrious sons and daughters of Africa considered for the award, who are lovers of arts and culture for social change”.
In his acceptance letter, Tinubu said: “I accept this honour and look forward to the award. I identify with the mandate of AFRIMA working through the instrumentality of the African Union to showcase, preserve and globalise Africa’s rich heritage in the aspects of music and culture.”
AFRIMA is a music and cultural initiative designed to celebrate, reward and showcase the rich musical heritage of African race.
The event, which is being organised in partnership with the AU Commission, is expected to be broadcast live to over 80 countries globally.
African superstars are billed to perform.
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