UK To Partner With Burna Boy For Next Lagos Show

After being inspired by the success of Burna Boy’s “Lagos Loves Damini” concert on January 1, the UK government has begun speaking with the event’s organizers in an effort to establish a connection that may boost Nigeria’s entertainment sector. The partnership’s initial steps began with a meeting held on Friday at the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos.

The meeting was attended by Chim Chalemera, the country director for the UK Department for International Trade, as well as Mr. Kaycee Kennedy of Creative Economy Catalyst Ltd., the show’s principal promoter. Kennedy listed the advantages of the occasion, such as how it was the first African performance to be included on Burna Boy’s official website and tickets.

With over 30,000 participants, he said, it was the biggest outdoor music festival. He said, “It was also the first single source online ticketing by wallet, and there were over 11,000 cars parked there, which was a record for an event. Another big bonus was the absence of any reported fatalities, theft, sexual assault, or sexual harassment. Kennedy pointed out that despite the advantages, there were certain challenges and lessons to be learned.

He said that in order to address the significant issues and shortcomings encountered at the Lagos expo, a trip to the British Deputy High Commission to engage with the UK Department for International Trade was necessary. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that there was a protracted discussion about the issue of insufficient power supply and the power surge that caused an outage and destroyed a significant amount of equipment.

The need for logistical support in infrastructure-related areas—which includes equipment rental and standardization of such equipment to fulfill minimum international standards—was also discussed.

The meeting also covered sourcing and vendor management. It was also indicated that assistance with garbage removal from concerts and other significant events may be available. After the catastrophe, it was agreed that protecting the ecosystem and complying to accepted global biodisposal and environmental standards required establishing an adequate waste recycling infrastructure.

Chalemera said in her contribution that she was happy to provide the necessary help, such as introductions and matching to relevant UK companies for cooperation with the event producers. The cooperation, according to her, will ensure that next performances are held to the highest standards possible.

NAN reports that in November 2022, 18 UK companies participating in the £20 million Round 10 Energy Catalyst for sustainable energy would go on a trade trip coordinated by the UK Department for International Trade. At the invitation of Creative Economy Catalyst Ltd., they visited Eko Energy City, the venue for the “Lagos Loves Damini” performance.

In light of this, the Friday follow-up meeting was a significant step toward forming a collaboration between Creative Economy Catalyst and the Department for International Trade right before the upcoming round of international performances and concerts slated for 2023 at Eko Energy City, Lagos.

An excited Chalemera expressed happiness about the potential benefits of the partnership.

“The UK is very happy to support the Creative Economy Catalyst team as part of our extensive engagement with the Nigerian Creative Industry.

“The UK has much to offer in terms of expertise when it comes to the delivery of large-scale entertainment events such as concerts and festivals.

“We look forward to seeing how this expertise can be applied for future events,” she said.

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