After a week-long process of an exciting time of intense work, the 13-man members of the International Jury for All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) were last week Monday hosted to a private dinner by AFRIMA’s newly unveiled Patron, Dr. Bisi Onasanya.
The dinner tagged, ‘Patron’s Dinner with the Jury’, held at the Eko Hotel And Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The dinner was an iconic event that recognised and celebrated the unrelenting support and service the Jury has given to AFRIMA and the African creative industry (music, arts, culture) at large.
In his address, AFRIMA’s Patron, Dr. Bisi Onasanya, who is a former Group Managing Director of First Bank Plc, said: “AFRIMA has been a gracious movement supporting the creative industry and the huge population of youths in Africa. I have an insatiable and inestimable support to the work of AFRIMA. The importance of my work is to strengthening the commercial ties between AFRIMA and corporate world. I have never been a part of failure and by God’s grace and the support of my wife, I will give my all.”
The private dinner brought together members of AFRIMA International jury – Hadja Kobele (Guinea); Robert Ekukole (Cameroon); Tabu Osusa (Kenya); Zineb Seyad (Morocco); Olisa Adibua (Nigeria); Charles Tabu (Democratic Republic of Congo); AFRIMA patron, Dr. Onasanya and his wife, Mrs. Omowunmi Onasanya; Representative of the African Union Commission, Allaa Zain Makky (Egypt) while other members of the Jury joined virtually.
Other notable guests present included the Chief Executive Officer, Kennis Music, Kenny Ogungbe and Executive Director, Kennis TV, Idowu Ogungbe , President and Executive Producer of AFRIMA, Mike Dada; Former Lagos State Commissioner of Culture and Tourism and Publisher of TCN, Mr. Steve Ayorinde; Managing Director, New Telegraph Newspaper; Ayodele Aminu, Chief EXecutive officer, Seagle Properties, Otunba Yemi Lawal as well as some African artistes from Nigeria; Praiz, Joeboy, Aramide, Lami, among others.
In her opening address, the representative of the Head of Culture, Social Affairs Division, African Union Commission, Alaa Zain Makky (Egypt) welcomed the patron on board and AUC and the creative industry in Africa appreciate the contribution and support of the person of Dr. Onasanya.
The dinner provided the perfect opportunity for meet and greet, bonding, and networking, between the patron and members of AFRIMA International Jury representing the five regions of Africa. AFRIMA Jury’s responsibility which involves screening, categorizing, assessing, grading, and selecting the nominees into the 40 different regional and continental awarding categories from the total of 8,880 works received for 2021 awards edition.
The AFRIMA patron, Dr. Onasanya retired at the apex of the banking industry, after spending over three decades, and almost immediately went straight into his passion of many years, real estate development and management industry.
All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, in partnership with the African Union Commission, AUC, is the ultimate recognition of African music globally.
