By Atoyebi Nike
The European Union has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s creative industries and strengthening cultural collaboration across Africa.
EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, made the pledge during the Afrobeat Rebellion Exhibition in Lagos, held at the Ecobank Pan African Centre to mark the birthday of Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
The event, attended by European envoys from Poland, Finland, Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Portugal, showcased the power of art and music to inspire social change and build dialogue across borders.
Ambassador Mignot described the exhibition as “a testament to the enduring power of cultural diplomacy,” adding that the EU, under the Team Europe framework, remains committed to promoting creative industries and strengthening people-to-people ties through art, music, and education.
“Through exhibitions like Afrobeat Rebellion, we celebrate not just artistic expression but shared values of freedom, creativity, and dialogue,” he said.
Bringing together African and European artists, the exhibition features photography, sound, and multimedia installations tracing Fela’s political consciousness and Afrobeat’s global rise as a symbol of resistance and cultural pride.
The Lagos showcase marks a symbolic homecoming for Afrobeat, reaffirming its timeless message of justice, identity, and freedom.
