Afro Nation pulls plug on Lagos debut

The news of the latest development was made public in a statement on Tuesday, with organisers citing quality concerns.

“As event organisers, we hold ourselves to extremely high standards and it has become clear to us that it is currently not possible to deliver a show that is of the quality that Nigeria deserves in December 2023,” the statement partly reads, with organisers adding that they are fully committed to creating a worthwhile Lagos show.

“We are honoured to play our part in the Afrobeats community, providing a platform for artists to connect with fans and to create events that have such a positive impact on the culture globally. As well as launching the Afrobeats chart in the US and the UK, we have put on incredible shows in Portugal, Ghana, Puerto Rico, Miami and Detroit, but Nigeria holds a special place in our hearts, so we are heartbroken not to be able to celebrate with you this year.”

This is the second time the show, believed to be the world’s biggest Afrobeats event, traditionally held across Europe and parading the genre’s biggest names such as Wizkid, Davido and Burna Boy, is being cancelled in Africa. In 2020, following its debut in Ghana a year prior, the festival was postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, the last time the event came to West Africa, safety concerns halted the climax of the programme in Accra. Local stars including KiDi, Black Sherif, Stonebwoy, Gyakie, Kuami Eugene, Nigeria’s P-Square, Tiwa Savage and CKay, South African amapiano star Kamo Mphela and US rapper Meek Mill were among performers at the event. 

The festival’s return to Ghana this year remains uncertain, despite a five-year agreement with the government. The deal was established in 2019 following the festival’s debut at Accra’s Laboma Beach. In August, Ghana’s Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Dr Awal Mohammed, affirmed the agreement’s validity and expressed ongoing efforts to collaborate with Afro Nation.

“Afro Nation has not been taken away from Ghana,” he said. “There are certain demands they want and we are trying to look at how to collaborate.”

Afro Nation’s Lagos debut would have followed the maiden US eventsat the 40 000-capacity LoanDepot Park in Miami in May, followed by a Detroit edition in August. It would have featured multiple stages and leading artists from a wide array of genres including amapiano, Afro-house, hip hop, R&B and dancehall. Nigerians Burna Boy, Flavour and Seyi Vibez, Ghana’s Black Sherif and British-Gambian rapper J Hus had been announced as headliners.