Emmanuel Macron, President of France, will on Tuesday visit the New Afrika Shrine founded by Nigerian music icon Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
The shrine, located in Ikeja, capital city of Lagos, replaced Anikulapo-Kuti’s original club that burnt down in 1977.
It serves as the host location of the annual Felabration music festival.
Macron, who is visiting the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott to attend the AU summit on Sunday, will join President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja to discuss issues on security and terrorism, after which he will head for Lagos.
Macron had trained as a senior civil servant at the French embassy in Lagos in 2004.
“The Shrine is a must-see place,” said Olivier Laouchez, head, TRACE media and entertainment group and organiser of the event Macron will attend.
The evening will feature concerts, fashion shows by leading African designers and a meeting with stars from Nigeria’s Nollywood film industry.
“There is clearly something abuzz in Lagos, with auctions mushrooming, and this will explode,” said contemporary art specialist Marie-Cecile Zinsou.
“The idea is to show the richness and diversity of African cultures.
“Europe does not know Africa or at least its cultural dimension.”
Afrika Shrine showcases photo galleries of Anikulapo-Kuti’ and features weekly shows by his son Femi Kuti, and sometimes Seun, thus making it a tourist attraction
