Music Week Africa Set To Become The No.1 Music Platform In Africa

From Left to Right: Tori Abiola, Event Director; Henry Bassey, Director- Team Lead; Ojoma Ochai, Director, British Council Nigeria; Professor Pat Utomi; Audu Maikori, Founder/Director Music Week Africa; Oscar Onyema, CEO, Nigerian Stock Exchange; Leslie Kasumba, Director, Music Week Africa; Deji Awokoya, General Manager, Beat FM/Megalectrics and Raoul Sawhney, Director Digital at the press conference held on Friday, November 27th 2015.

Lagos, November 30, 2015. Music Week Africa (MWA) today announced the launch of an annual Pan-African week long series of events designed to explore and promote all aspects of the industry’s diverse ecosystem. Music Week Africa will provide a business networking platform for musicians, professionals and other players in the music industry as well as enlighten sector practitioners, investors and policymakers about the industry. The inaugural MWA event will be taking place in March 2016.

The theme for the 2016 launch is “The African Music business is now open for business.” MWA will focus on the three key countries which have been industry leaders in entertainment in Africa in the past decade - South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. It will be made up of exhibitions, product launches, workshops, investor clinics, product launches, county showcases and more.

Commenting on the Launch Audu Maikori, Founder MWA stated “The impact on digital marketing, promotion sales, performances and publicity is changing the way artists ,brands as well as record labels are conducting business all across the world. Africa is no different, the creatives, business of entertainment, supporting technology, music policies, trends and growth sectors are all covered by respective players in the music space across various countries in Africa and need to work together to put African entertainment businesses on a competitive level playing field and become fully integrated into the global economy.”

Raul Sawhney, Finance & Technology Director MWA further added “It is only now, aided by digital technology, that Africa’s insurmountable influence on world music is getting recognition and traction. The industry is primed for growth and MWA’s role is to provide robust knowledge of the music industry and well as create a platform that highlights the inherent opportunity and value across the African entertainment business. The combination of music, arts and entertainment and the adoption of technology now make Africa the next frontier for new talent and sound. The conditions are right, now, and the African entertainment industry is officially open for business”

The African Music Landscape has grown significantly in the past few years. Nigeria’s entertainment and media market is the fastest-expanding major market globally. By 2019, the market will be more than twice as big, with estimated total revenue of US$8.1 billion.The South Africa’s entertainment and media market continues its run of double-digit year-on-year growth, and is set to reach R176.3bn ($ value) by 2019. Kenya’s entertainment and media market is set to surpass US$3 billion in 2019. The industry has the potential to do much more and MWA will bring together key stakeholders to start the conversation about enabling sustainable growth in the entertainment industry across the continent.

Music Week Africa collaborated with over 20 partners including local and international content providers, copyright bodies, policy makers, NGOs and production houses underlying the importance of the entertainment industry as key driver of economic growth and development and the need for collaboration amongst key stakeholders in the Industry.

Lee Kasumba, Director MWA also added ‘There is a need for an international conference that will connect the African music ecosystem through a series of events, discussions and policy engagements to drive industry growth’

MEET THE MWA TEAM
AUDU MAIKORI (FOUNDER)
Audu is the founder/President Chocolate City Music Africa’s biggest urban record label. Audu is a lawyer with over 15 years’ experience in Intellectual property and public infrastructure advisory. Audu sits on several boards including the Presidential committee on Subsidy Reinvestment, Copyrights Society of Nigeria (COSON) and Zimbabwe Nigeria Chamber of Commerce. He has won several awards including the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship (2011), Entertainment Executive of the Year by the Nigerian Entertainment Awards (NEA) and was global winner of International Young Music Entrepreneur of the Year (IYMEY) by the British Council in 2007.

HENRY BASSEY (DIRECTOR - TEAM LEAD)
Henry is the CEO of DigiBrands. He is an Economist with an MBA Marketing background. With over 20 years experience he has worked with many blue chip organizations including - Emirates, Coca-Cola, British American Tobacco, Unilever, Visa, MTN, and Diageo and has designed award-winning . Henry is a member if the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK), APCON and AAAN member.

LEE KASUMBA - DIRECTOR - PROJECT COORDINATOR

Leslie “Lee” Kasumba is an Ugandan radio and TV presenter, media personality, writer, singer, and songwriter with vast Pan African experience. She worked as the Head of Channel O Africa between 2011 and 2015 where she also coordinated the Channel O Africa Music Video Awards-Africa’s biggest awards show. Leslie has worked in different Capacities with the BBC, YFM, United Nations Global Hip-hop summit, the Mandela Foundation. Her interview credits include former British P.M Tony Blair, rapper Snoop Dogg.

TORI ABIOLA - EVENT DIRECTOR
Tori has 16 years’ experience working in a variety of marketing, sales and management roles for organizations such as Euromoney Training, Terrapin, IQPC, WBR, First Conferences, Pfizer and the Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales.

Listed in August 2013 by Forbes Africa as one of Five (5) Women to know when doing business in West Africa. Tori is a volunteer for Youth Technology Foundation, an NGO dedicated to bridging the digital divide for young people in developing countries and marginalized communities in developed countries.

RAOUL SAWHNEY - FINANCE & TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR

Raoul is the CEO and Founder of Ascent, a technology and marketing services company based in Lagos. Ascent provides services to companies like Pepsi, Trace, British Council, Chivita and Airtel delivering solutions varying from Application Development and Experiential Marketing to Telecom-focused VAS. He has worked in various roles in North America and Africa was the Country Brand Manager for Pepsi Nigeria (Seven Up Bottling Company).

For Media Enquiries, please contact
The BobbyTaylor Company
[email protected]
01-4532839
07069596951