President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described the late Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, as a global cultural icon whose influence transcended music and reshaped the conscience of generations, following his posthumous recognition with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
In a statement released by the State House, President Tinubu said the world of music had rightly honoured “a giant whose voice refused to be silenced.”
“Fela Anikulapo Kuti was more than a musician,” the President said. “He was a fearless voice of the people, a philosopher of freedom, and a revolutionary force whose music confronted injustice and reshaped global sound.”
The President noted that Fela’s courage and originality placed him in a rare class of artists whose work remains timeless.
“His courage, creativity and conviction defined a generation and continue to inspire the world,” Tinubu said. “In Yoruba cosmology, Fela has transcended to a higher plane as an Orisa. He is now eternal.”
President Tinubu described the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, conferred by the Recording Academy of the United States, as a historic milestone for Africa.
“By receiving the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Fela Anikulapo Kuti has once again blazed a trail, becoming the first African to receive this honour, even though posthumously,” he said.
According to the President, the award affirms Fela’s enduring global relevance and Africa’s profound contribution to modern music.
“This recognition is an affirmation of Fela’s lasting global influence and the foundational role he played in shaping modern music and amplifying Africa’s voice on the world stage,” Tinubu said.
President Tinubu further noted that Fela’s legacy lives on through generations of musicians across continents.
“He defined Afrobeat, and his influence can be heard and seen in generations of Nigerian musicians, in Afrobeats, and far beyond our shores,” he said.
The President concluded by affirming the timelessness of Fela’s spirit and message.
“Fela lives,” Tinubu declared.
