Second African Heritage Awards to Hold in Lagos

The second African Heritage Awards (AHA) 2024 earlier slated to hold in Johannesburg, South Africa, has now been affirmed to hold Lagos, Nigeria.

A statement issued yesterday by the organisers, Heritage Times HT, stated that the decision to change the event location is “due to unavoidable bottlenecks encountered.”

The event is now slated to in  Ikeja, Lagos, on April 13, 2024 (same date as earlier scheduled). The choice of Lagos State for the AHA 2024 according to the organisers, “is strategic, being that Lagos is the entertainment hub of Africa, and the vibrant city known for its high appetite for global events, with the pedigree to give the prestigious event a pan-African footprint, in line with the objectives of the organisers.”

Earlier, the organisers had disclosed that those nominated include African-American billionaire and philanthropist, Robert. F. Smith, Chairman/CEO of Vista Equity Partners, Texas, United States; Dr. George Weah, former President of Liberia; John Dramani Mahama, former President of Ghana; Mama Rachael Ruto, First Lady of the Republic of Kenya and Founder of Mama Doing Good Organisation; and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director-general of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Others nominated for honours are: Mr. and Mrs. Strive Masiyiwa, founder and executive chairman of International Technology Groups, Econet Global and Cassava Technologies; Adebayo Ogunlesi, chairman/managing partner, Global Infrastructure Partners; Professor Thulisile Nomkhosi Madonsela, founder of the Thuli Madonsela Foundation; Victoire Tomegah Dogbe, prime minister of Togo; Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija, managing director of the Rose of Sharon Group and executive vice chairman of Famfa Oil Limited; Othman Benjelloun, co-chair of BMCE Bank Foundation, and Madam Graca Machel, founder of Graca Machel Trust.

The pan-African event which is a sequel to the inaugural edition held on April 1, 2023, in Kigali, Rwanda, is a gathering strategically organised to celebrate and recognise outstanding global accomplishments of Africans within the continent and in the Diaspora in areas of Business, Politics, Philanthropy, Entertainment and Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, and Social Innovation.

The organisers said this year’s AHA would be chaired by Sir Seretse Khama Ian Khama, former president of Botswana, and will be attended by former Heads of States and captains of industries across the African continent.

They added that the recognition and awards have become imperative to sustainably foster the African culture of excellence, promote Afrocentrism, and create an ecosystem that will further retell the true African story towards the advancement of the continent’s full potential.