Iphie Chuks-Adizue, the Managing Director of Africa at Global Citizen, champions a collaborative approach to unlocking Africa’s creative economy. Her background in humanitarian work, including founding the Uncommon Woman Movement and authoring two books, fuels her passion for empowering women and driving positive change. Chuks-Adizue emphasizes the significance of partnerships, local talent development, and capacity building as cornerstones of Global Citizen’s strategy in Africa. This approach aligns with the organization’s broader mission to eradicate extreme poverty by mobilizing everyday activists and convening leaders across various sectors.
Global Citizen leverages the universal language of music as a potent tool for advocacy. Recognizing music’s historical role in social change, the organization employs a “pop meets policy” model, bringing together renowned artists, their vast fan bases, and global citizens to advocate for solutions that address poverty and environmental issues. This strategy effectively holds decision-makers accountable by amplifying the collective voice of concerned citizens, urging them to prioritize the well-being of current and future generations. The collaboration with artists stems from a shared desire to utilize their platform for positive global impact, inspiring their audiences to engage in meaningful action.
Move Afrika, a flagship initiative of Global Citizen, aims to revolutionize Africa’s live music scene. Chuks-Adizue highlights the historical exclusion of Africa from major world tours, hindering the potential growth of its creative economy. Move Afrika, co-created with pgLang, the creative imprint of Kendrick Lamar, seeks to establish a world-class music and entertainment circuit across the continent. This entails developing technical skills, providing essential equipment, building robust logistical frameworks, and fostering job creation and entrepreneurship opportunities within host markets. The success of Move Afrika is expected to attract both international and African artists, further boosting the continent’s creative economy.
The inaugural Move Afrika event in Kigali, Rwanda, showcased the potential of this initiative, employing over 1,000 Rwandans, with a strong emphasis on capacity development. This builds on Global Citizen’s previous successful events across Africa, including the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 in Johannesburg, Global Citizen Live: Lagos, and Global Citizen Festival: Accra. These events featured prominent artists like Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Ed Sheeran, Usher, Davido, Femi Kuti, Tiwa Savage, SZA, Stormzy, and TEMS, demonstrating the organization’s ability to mobilize large-scale events with impactful messaging.
The 2025 edition of Move Afrika expands its reach to West Africa, with concerts planned in both Kigali and Lagos, headlined by John Legend. True to Global Citizen’s “pop meets policy” approach, the concerts will be accompanied by a citizen-led advocacy campaign focused on sustainable development and economic growth, particularly strengthening health systems across Africa. This involves urging African nations to increase domestic health financing, prioritize primary healthcare and sexual and reproductive health and rights, bolster global investments in health resilience, and alleviate financial pressures on nations to improve public health. Global Citizens in the host cities can earn free tickets by actively engaging in these issues through the Global Citizen app and WhatsApp.
Addressing skepticism about the impact of international organizations, Chuks-Adizue acknowledges the complexity of ending extreme poverty, emphasizing the interconnectedness of various issues like food insecurity, climate change, education access, and job creation. She stresses the crucial role of political will, funding, private sector engagement, and sustained citizen action. The effectiveness of these efforts, she argues, hinges on a profound understanding of the local context and strong partnerships with relevant local stakeholders. Global Citizen recognizes that lasting impact requires collaborative efforts from organizations of all sizes, both local and global, powered by engaged communities and individuals. Without this combined force, local challenges will persist, hindering progress towards a more equitable and sustainable future.
For individuals wishing to contribute to Move Afrika and other Global Citizen initiatives, Chuks-Adizue encourages downloading the Global Citizen app, becoming a Global Citizen, and joining the movement of advocates passionate about creating impact. Taking action on the platform not only supports the cause but also provides opportunities to earn tickets to the Move Afrika Lagos event. Private sector engagement is equally crucial, with partnerships being a key driver in advancing the mission. Furthermore, purchasing VIP Experience Packages directly supports the development of the touring circuit across Africa, ultimately fostering opportunities for future generations within the creative economy. Chuks-Adizue’s final message is a call to action: Join the movement, make a difference, and secure your place in this transformative initiative. By working together, we can harness the power of music and collective action to build a brighter future for Africa.
