The President of the All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, Mr. Mike Dada, has joined global cultural and creative industry leaders to chart a new direction for Africa’s cultural sector.
This was at the 3rd Moroccan Forum of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) held in Rabat, Morocco.
The four-day forum, which ran from December 11 to 14, 2025, was organised under the High Patronage of King Mohammed VI and hosted by the HIBA Foundation, a royal-backed institution dedicated to advancing Morocco’s creative economy.
The gathering brought together policymakers, investors, academics, cultural operators and creative professionals from Africa, Europe and North America to explore strategies for strengthening cultural ecosystems and expanding the economic value of creative industries across the continent.
Representing AFRIMA and the African music sector, Dada participated in a key panel session titled “Towards a Pan-African Federation of Cultural Operators: Lessons from the past and pathways forward.”
Discussions centred on cross-border collaboration, knowledge-sharing, policy alignment and the need for sustainable investment to unlock Africa’s vast creative potential.
Dada highlighted AFRIMA’s partnership with the African Union and its role in projecting African music globally, stressing that the creative industry is emerging as a major economic driver for the continent.
He called for stronger cooperation among African countries, improved policies and structured capacity-building to create opportunities for young creatives.
“Africa’s creative industry is becoming a powerful economic force. What we need now is coordinated action, sustainable investment and stronger partnerships to fully harness its contribution to national development,” he said.
He noted that platforms such as the Moroccan Forum provide opportunities for African and global stakeholders to assess progress, identify gaps and build a shared vision for the future of African culture.
Beyond the panel discussions, Dada also attended a high-level reception hosted by the French Ambassador to Morocco, Mr. Christophe Lecourtier, where cultural leaders explored new partnership and collaboration opportunities.
AFRIMA, established in 2014 by the African Union and the International Committee AFRIMA, remains Africa’s leading global music awards platform. Its 9th edition is scheduled to hold in Lagos, Nigeria, from January 7 to 11, 2026, with live broadcasts reaching audiences in over 84 countries worldwide.