The prestigious pan-African reward system for the motion picture practitioners, African Movie Academy Awards has found a new home in the garden city, Port Harcourt, Capital of Rivers State - following very successful nine consecutive editions in Bayelsa State, one in Abuja, Lagos and Port Elizabeth, South Africa respectively.
The Governor Nyesom Wike led state which is the headquarters of the Oil & Gas industry in Nigeria signed the hosting rights with the management of AMAA, making Rivers State the second sub-national government in Nigeria to tap into the huge potentials of AMAA for destination branding.
In a statement jointly signed by the state Commissioner of Culture & Tourism, Mrs. Tonye Briggs (on behalf of Governor Wike) and the founder of the awards organization, Ms. Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, hosting the award this year will be the beginning of a partnership that will add immense value to the people of the state and the host city in particular as the government is determined to position Port Harcourt as a destination of choice in Nigeria and West Africa.
“We are re-positioning Rivers State as a state ready for business to Nigerians and the rest of the world and our partnership with AMAA will become a veritable platform to attract tourists, global and Nigeria icons in business and the entertainment industry. We want to showcase Rivers State as a peaceful place where socio-economic activities thrive and also the hospitality of our people. There is a huge economy around entertainment and show business in Port Harcourt. While our state is known for her hydrocarbon resources, His Excellency, Governor Wike’s administration through the Ministry of Culture & Tourism (through initiatives like AMAA) wants the world to know and take advantage of the business opportunities that abound in Rivers State,” Mrs. Briggs said.
The commissioner also added that the state will soon unveil a calendar of entertainment and tourist activities that will create job opportunities for the teeming youths of the state.
Speaking on the new partnership with the state, the awards founder, Ms. Anyiam-Osigwe said that it marks the beginning of a new phase in the journey of the continental awards that started 12years ago, “We are very happy with this development and express our gratitude to Governor Wike and the good people of Rivers State. We value this partnership and we promise that it will be a rewarding one for the government and people of this great state.”
This year’s awards will now take place on Saturday 11th June, 2016 and the nomination night where nominees into the 28 categories will be announced will hold on Wednesday May 11th, 2016. The previous nomination nights had taken place in Accra, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Banjul, Lilongwe, Ouagadougou and Los Angeles.
As part of the pre-AMAA activities, the state will host a sponsorship night in conjunction with the Africa Film Academy to mobilize corporate sponsors for the awards which the organizers maintain that AMAA is the most transparent and respected rewards system for African Cinema and with the support of The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism and the River state government, while the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) has been signed on as the major broadcast partner for the awards night with a Live Telecast to over 100 million people across the globe. Other media partners include Africa Magic, OHTV UK, SABC South Africa, ONTV, Bellanaija, Naij.com, PulseNG, Rivers State Government and Arik Air.
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