African Voice UK announces winners of African Voice Leadership Awards 2015
London: Immediate Release: 9 November 2015
African Voice, Britain’s No.1 African newspaper and patrons of the annual African leadership reward system has announced the names on the 2015 Honours List.
The awards are in the areas of governance, diplomacy, business and the film industry and are aimed at encouraging excellence in service delivery, particularly in the African film industry.
The African Voice Leadership Awards recognises African leaders who have shown dedication to developing their countries, by improving the welfare of the people and investing in infrastructure for sustainable development.
The 2015 Honours List
This year’s recipients, who have won the approval of the awards screening panel of judges using the aforementioned strictly visible and measurable criteria, are three Nigerians:
Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Executive Governor of Ogun State, will be honoured for improving the welfare of the people of his state and investing in infrastructure for sustainable development;Ambassador Ahmed Umar, Nigeria’s Charge d’Affairs in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, will be honoured for his contributions to promotion of Nigeria’s image abroad and service to the Diaspora community in the UK; and
Mr. Chris Ndulue, Managing Director of Arik Air, will be honoured
for his contribution to tourism and support for the development of
the entertainment industry. The trio are winners in the categories of governance, diplomacy and business respectively.
The African Voice Leadership Awards investiture ceremony will be held as a segment of the African Film Awards 2015. The annual ceremony celebrates excellence among ‘Nollywood’ practitioners & Black British film stars and will take place this year on FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 at the historicStratford Town Hall, 29 Broadway Stratford London E15 4BQ. Time: 6.00pm prompt.
This special category of the annual awards ceremony is expected to be the high point of this year’s celebration. The presentation of African Voice leadership awards to this year’s exceptionally deserving recipients aims to encourage African leaders to build a stable continent where citizens are gainfully employed and the rush for greener pastures in Europe will be arrested.
Excellence in Entertainment
Ace comedian Julius Agwu, D’Genius and actor Ali Nuhu, representing Hausa language movies, are on the 19th African Film Awards 2015 Honours List, each receiving Special Recognition Awards. Agwu will be honoured for his contributions to the development of the entertainment industry in Nigeria and particularly for his role in nurturing and mentoring new talent. While AIi Nuhu will be honoured for his outstanding role as a Hausa actor and as an inspiration to youth to seek careers in the industry. Ali has made a successful crossover to Nollywood with movies like SITANDA and LAST FLIGHT TO ABUJA.
This year’s special celebration includes other actors from Hausa language movies, such as Adam Abdullahi Zango, Maryam Booth, Hafizu Bello and Rahamatu Sadau.
Other winners come from Black British theatre, film and television, including actors Jimmy Akingbolaand Chizzy Akindolu (Holby City), Funke Adeleke (London Afrobeat Collective) and director Niyi Towolawi (Turning Point).
Also from Nollywood UK are actors Ken Smart (Moral Conflict), Gift Boyo (Lower Cut) and Hilda Nevoh–Williams (Omo Chairman) and producer Philippa Chiedu Abraham (Basira in London),.
Africa’s most prestigious film awards is celebrating an industry that is attracting global attention and uniting diverse communities here in the United Kingdom. The gala is expected to be attended byAfrican diplomats, British politicians and business leaders based here and overseas.
Prince Mike Abiola, who founded the awards, says: “The awards from inception were intended to promote inclusiveness and cross-border collaboration among film practitioners.
“This year’s celebration is centred on the achievement of Nollywood as it embraces the power of digital motion pictures to deliver messages for the effective transformation of society.
“The awards ceremony promises to be an evening of glamour, corporate networking and rib-cracking comedy to de-stress and refresh hard working entrepreneurs. The event has a dedicated following of leading business executives and the crème de la crème of Britain’s diverse community.
“Friday 13 November is expected to record the biggest concentration of African film industry practitioners, investors and entrepreneurs under one roof to support an industry that is depending on the creative ingenuity of talented people to contribute to the economy without a legislative framework or infrastructural support.
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Editor’s note:
Nollywood, the fastest growing film industry in Africa, is attracting global attention and uniting diverse communities in the United Kingdom. It provides a great platform to project the rising profile of Africa to its Diaspora.
The African Voice Leadership Awards recognises African leaders who have shown dedication to developing their nations by improving the welfare of the people and investing in infrastructure for sustainable development.
African Voice is Britain’s No.1 African Newspaper. First published in September 2001, African Voice identified a growing population of new generation Africans in Diaspora who were dissatisfied with the mainstream media and how news was delivered to them; a generation of Africans wanting to read an African perspective to breaking news.
African Voice informs and educates its readers about issues in their community, the Diaspora and Africa as a whole. The paper acknowledges and celebrates the contributions made by Africans in Britain by providing breaking news and informative features, thereby providing a balanced view on Africa to readers.
