Stakeholders within the music industry are urging President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the proposed collaboration between the Nigerian and American Grammy Awards, aimed at establishing an African version of the prestigious ceremony.
Concerns have been voiced by industry insiders who fear that such a partnership might compromise the hard-earned progress and distinctive cultural identity of African music.
Reportedly, Minister of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, is in the final stages of negotiating a deal with the American Grammy Awards to utilize its platform for the envisioned African Grammy Awards, with Nigeria set to host the inaugural edition.
Despite these developments, industry figures, including Segun Ogunjimi, CEO of Trending Musik, are cautioning against the move, citing potential risks to the autonomy and growth trajectory of the African music industry.
Ogunjimi emphasized Nigeria’s remarkable strides in gaining global recognition and acceptance without significant government or foreign support, expressing concern that the proposed Grammy partnership could undermine the industry’s progress over the past two decades.
Stakeholders are also apprehensive that the African Grammy Awards might overshadow existing continental music accolades and platforms.
Ogunjimi stressed the importance of preserving and promoting African music on its own terms, cautioning against adopting foreign models that may not align with the continent’s cultural heritage and artistic direction.
“This is a clear case of misplaced priorities. It’s shocking how the minister could endorse the adoption of an award by an entity that doesn’t understand our culture and heritage.
It reeks of neo-colonialism, and many of us in the industry see it as a perpetuation of a culture of waste that could harm our economy.”
