After several months of meetings and consultations by the International Committee of the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), they have decided that Ghana will no longer host the 2019 and 2020 editions of AFRIMA.

Although the country entered into an obligation on July 12, 2018, to retain hosting rights of the biggest music event in Africa, AFRIMA, has discovered that they lack both financial and contractual capacity to fulfil the obligation.

During the numerous times the body met with relevant stakeholders to remedy the situation with the expectation that Ghana would provide concrete assurances and guarantees to discharge its contractual obligations for hosting the 2019 and 2020 editions of AFRIMA, the committee was disappointed to note that Ghana was not prepared, even after its disappointing performance on the contract during the 2018 edition of the awards held in Accra between November 21 and 24.

The decision of the African Union (AU) and AFRIMA to award a three-term hosting right (2018-2020) of the awards to Ghana followed the May 21, 2018 declaration of President Nana Akufo Addo of his desire to host the AFRIMA Awards in Ghana during the AFRIMA 2018 Calendar Unveiling Ceremony held in Accra.

The International Advisor of AFRIMA, Rikki Stein, while thanking the young people and the media in Ghana said: “It was a hard decision for us to withdraw the awards hosting rights for the next two years (2019 and 2020 editions) from the Republic of Ghana. As awards owned for the African people, it is structured to travel around the continent giving the people the true African experience.”