President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has paid glowing tribute to the late Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, describing him as a fearless advocate of the people whose music challenged injustice and transformed the global music landscape.
The President’s tribute, issued on Sunday, followed Fela’s posthumous recognition by the Recording Academy of America, which awarded him the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, making him the first African to receive the prestigious honour.
In a statement personally signed by the President, Tinubu celebrated Fela’s enduring relevance and revolutionary spirit.
“Fela was more than a musician. He was a fearless voice of the people, a philosopher of freedom, and a revolutionary force whose music confronted injustice and reshaped global sound,” Tinubu said.
According to the President, Fela’s legacy is defined by courage, creativity and unwavering conviction—qualities that not only shaped his era but continue to inspire generations across the world.
Tinubu said the Grammy recognition affirms Fela’s far-reaching influence and his pioneering contribution to Africa’s imprint on modern music.
“Fela Kuti has blazed the trail with the Recording Academy of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first African to receive this honour, though posthumously.
“The award is an affirmation of his enduring global influence and the foundational role he has played in the evolution and impact of Africa on modern music,” the President stated.
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Drawing from Yoruba cultural and spiritual traditions, Tinubu underscored the timelessness of Fela’s legacy.
“In Yoruba mythology, he has transcended to a higher plane as an Orisa. He is now eternal,” Tinubu said.
The President also highlighted Fela’s central role in the creation and global spread of **Afrobeat**, noting that the genre remains a powerful force in contemporary music.
“He defined Afrobeat, and you can hear and see his influence in generations of Nigerian musicians and in Afrobeats and beyond.
“Fela lives,” he added.
Fela Anikulapo Kuti received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award on Sunday, February 1, during the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, becoming the first African musician to earn the honour.
The legendary musician, who passed away in 1997, revolutionised African music by creating Afrobeat—a genre that blends traditional Yoruba rhythms with jazz, funk and highlife—and used his art as a tool of political and social resistance.
The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is among the Recording Academy’s highest distinctions, reserved for artists whose work has profoundly shaped the music industry and left an indelible cultural legacy.
