President Bola Tinubu has hailed the late Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Kuti, following his posthumous recognition with the Recording Academy of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award, describing the honour as a global affirmation of Fela’s enduring influence on music and culture.
The President said Fela was more than a musician, portraying him as a fearless voice of the people whose music confronted injustice, championed freedom and reshaped global sound.
In a statement made available to newsmen by his aide, Bayo Onanuga, on Sunday, he noted that Fela’s courage, creativity and conviction defined a generation and continue to inspire musicians across the world.
The statement, issued in Abuja on behalf of the Federal Government, said the Grammy honour makes Fela the first African to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Tinubu explained that the recognition reflects Fela’s foundational role in the evolution of modern music and Africa’s growing impact on the global music industry.
President Tinubu added that Fela’s influence remains evident in generations of Nigerian musicians and across Afrobeats and other global sounds, declaring that the legacy of the Afrobeat icon remains eternal.
