The African Union (AU), in collaboration with the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), has announced Lagos, Nigeria, as the host city for the 2025 edition of the music awards.
The announcement was made at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by Angela Martins, Head of Culture at the AU.
The 2025 AFRIMA awards ceremony, along with a series of side events — including the lively Music Village Festival — is scheduled to run from November 25 to 30, 2025.
Martins described this year’s theme, “Unstoppable Africa”, and the selection of Lagos as host city as a celebration of the energy, creativity, and global influence of African music, which Lagos epitomises.
“Music is more than just sound; it is a tool for progress. From Dar es Salaam to Accra and beyond, music flows through our identity — it unites, heals, and propels us,” Martins said, highlighting the AU’s longstanding partnership with AFRIMA.
The AFRIMA 2025 calendar officially kicks off on May 20 with a call for entries, inviting artists from across Africa and the diaspora to submit works across a range of categories and genres.
This initiative reflects the AU’s Agenda 2063, which views culture as a critical driver of Africa’s development.
AFRIMA has become a vital platform for cultural exchange and pan-African integration. AFRIMA President Mike Dada reaffirmed this mission, stating:
“AFRIMA serves as a unifying platform to promote peace, create jobs, and tell African stories — a platform Africa can continually rely on.”
The build-up to AFRIMA 2025 will include pre-events in countries like Morocco, Tanzania, and Côte d’Ivoire, with additional engagements in cities like London and Paris.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu earlier confirmed the state’s readiness to host the event when he welcomed a delegation from the AU and AFRIMA International Committee to his office.
Sanwo-Olu emphasized that hosting AFRIMA aligns with his administration’s vision to position the creative and tourism sectors as key pillars of Lagos’ development strategy.
“Since assuming office, we’ve prioritized the growth of a robust creative sector — film, music, fashion, photography, and tourism,” he said. “We’re proud to host AFRIMA 2025. Our team will work closely with yours to deliver a world-class event. Thank you to the AU and AFRIMA for trusting Lagos.
