When the year began in January, receiving an award at the iconic Black Star Square in Ghana alongside African American Hon. Millie Tucker, Minister at the State Department of the State of the African Diaspora (SOAD), and Ghana’s HRM Patience Asante of the SOAD Royal Chamber, on behalf of the State of the African Diaspora (SOAD), through the African Diaspora Support Association, felt surreal. The award from the diaspora organization was a collective honor—it reaffirmed that the work being done across continents carries weight, and that the efforts toward a united global Black race are respected, recognized, and honored. He felt deeply humbled to be part of something larger than himself.
In April, he received another award from the creative ecosystem—specifically from the Mzansi South African film industry—for his contributions toward integrating the African film industry as a cultural diplomat, his representation, and his role as a mouthpiece for the African film industry in diplomacy. Film, he maintains, remains a vital soft-power tool for shaping and controlling the African narrative.
July brought another defining moment that still gives him goosebumps: his induction as a UN Peace Ambassador at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly alongside top diplomats, royals, politicians, and entrepreneurs. This milestone further validated his growing global reputation. Swearing to uphold peace, dialogue, and reconciliation is one thing; living it daily, particularly in a divided world, is another. It is a responsibility he carries with humility and unwavering determination, fully aware that peace is imperative for growth and development.
As Head of the Azania Filmmakers Association (Pan-Africa), he has survived multiple coups and sustained attempts by colleagues within the African film industry to forcibly remove him from his chairmanship position since 2021. Many of those involved were once close associates—members of his Board of Trustees, executive team, and general membership—who struggled to accept his growing influence and impact as a young key stakeholder. The ring leaders were individuals older than him, ranging from their forties to fifties, sixties, and even a seventy-plus veteran from Zimbabwe. They orchestrated smear campaigns aimed at sabotaging his work, reputation, brand, and image, particularly after he removed an interim chairman who later emerged as the chief instigator and formed a coordinated group that even included his ex-fiancée. Despite it all, he endured. Today, he remains at the helm and is widely referred to by African media as a “Pan-African cultural icon” at 39.
This recognition followed his conferment with an honorary doctorate in Creative Arts and Culture at 38 by the global institution ElRoi London University, where he was also appointed Global Ambassador. The institution’s Chancellor is His Royal Majesty Edmund K. Silva Jr., King of Hawaii, while the Vice-Chancellor is Nigerian-British Professor Oluwafemi Esan, a diplomatic colleague from the State of the African Diaspora (SOAD), from which he later resigned while remaining affiliated. He remains grateful to the leadership of SOAD—particularly the Prime Minister, Dr. Louis Georges-Tin, his mentor; the 1st Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Reparations, Queen Kethurah Amoako; the 2nd Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Hugh Johnson; as well as his many diplomatic colleagues, ministers, and ambassadors.
When he transitioned into diplomacy in 2022 from the creative arts and culture ecosystem—following his first diplomatic appointment as Apex “West African Youth Ambassador” by the ECOWAS Youth Council—he never imagined he would rise so quickly within the diplomatic space. Being regarded as a “star cultural diplomat” still humbles him. His long-standing status as a Nollywood and African film publicist and administrator, combined with over 15 years in the creative arts and culture ecosystem, played a significant role. He also leveraged his strengths in communication, public relations, and promotions, which continue to serve him well in public and cultural diplomacy—his core area of specialization.
Even before his transition into diplomacy, he successfully spearheaded the formal integration of the African film industry under the Azania Filmmakers Association (Pan-Africa) umbrella as a committed Pan-Africanist. This initiative created access to visibility, collaboration, partnerships, opportunities, professional relationships, and employment for filmmakers across Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, Sierra Leone, and the United Kingdom—opportunities many previously lacked.
He firmly believes filmmakers mirror society through the stories they tell. For this reason, he advocates strongly for the use of film, arts, and culture to control the African narrative and tell authentic African stories. He maintains that Africa must build its own media platforms free from neo-colonial influence, including its own streaming services, rather than relying solely on external platforms, if true narrative sovereignty is to be achieved. Every collective or individual victory, no matter how small, remains a win for the African creative ecosystem, which has become a powerful brand ambassador for the continent.
Another significant chapter of his journey has been his involvement with the World’s Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC Africa Festival). Serving as an ambassador since early 2024 through the State of the African Diaspora (SOAD), and coordinating the FESTACWOOD film and cinema session in 2024 while working with the Ministry of Culture, was a celebration of the culture that fuels Africa. Witnessing thousands of artists, activists, and visionaries gather annually since the festival’s revival—particularly at this year’s edition in Accra, Ghana, under the banner of African art renaissance—reaffirmed the purpose: to inspire, heal, unite, and further strengthen cultural diplomacy as a soft-power tool. It has been deeply fulfilling to see Black people from across the world converge under one roof in celebration of their culture, while warmly welcoming people of other races who seek to experience it.
The journey has not been without challenges. Navigating the bureaucracy of international diplomacy while remaining a voice for the African film industry, the broader creative arts and culture ecosystem, and African youth taught him patience he did not know he possessed. Balancing diplomatic responsibilities with the creative chaos of the industry required refined priorities and reliance on a committed team that shares his vision. Enduring a deeply personal pain that struck in November, and navigating it alongside his family, further demonstrated resilience and strength.
Looking back, gratitude stands out—for the mentors who guided him, the collaborators who trusted his instincts, his diplomatic corps colleagues, his Pan-Africanist comrades across all walks of life, his media and industry peers, and the audiences who continue to receive African stories with open hearts. While proud of what has been built collectively, he recognizes this is only the beginning. He continues to appeal for greater opportunities to serve the continent and the world, to create pathways for creatives and youth, and to further empower the creative arts and culture ecosystem that has brought immense pride and visibility to Africa.
As he looks toward 2026 and beyond, the focus remains clear: more cultural diplomacy, humanitarian service, youth advocacy and empowerment, stories told, bridges built, and moments that make the journey worthwhile.
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