John Legend headlines Africa tour to sort out poverty

World Citizen, the worldwide advocacy organisation on a mission to finish excessive poverty, has picked multiplatinum artist and producer, John Legend, because the headline artist for the subsequent version of Transfer Afrika, the first-of-its-kind music touring circuit headlined by worldwide artists.

In accordance with an announcement on Wednesday, the subsequent tour will broaden from East to West Africa, with Nigeria becoming a member of Rwanda as host international locations.

Transfer Afrika is a long-term, large-scale effort to pioneer the music touring circuit throughout Africa, driving financial funding, job creation, and supporting entrepreneurship alternatives in every host nation. Transfer Afrika is World Citizen’s initiative to deal with the world’s inequities by creating job and entrepreneurship alternatives for the continent’s rising generations by way of an annual collection of reside music occasions.

The organisers stated that the 2025 version of Transfer Afrika will drive a citizen-led advocacy marketing campaign championing sustainable growth and financial progress, with a devoted give attention to strengthening well being programs throughout Africa.

Along with marketing campaign companions, World Citizen will urge African nations to extend home well being financing, prioritise major care and sexual and reproductive well being and rights, increase international investments in well being resilience, and alleviate monetary burdens on nations to strengthen public well being.

Companions of Transfer Afrika embody pgLang and the Rwanda Improvement Board.

“I’m honoured and excited to carry out in Kigali and Lagos as a part of the Transfer Afrika tour—an initiative that not solely brings unforgettable exhibits but in addition creates entrepreneurship and job alternatives, empowering younger folks to interact with Africa’s rising music and artistic industries.

Africa has at all times been a world cultural powerhouse, and it’s an honour to be a part of the way forward for reside music on the continent,” stated John Legend.

“We’re thrilled to have John Legend, our long-time World Citizen Ambassador and good friend, headline Transfer Afrika as we broaden the tour from Rwanda to Nigeria,” stated Co-Founder/Chief Govt Officer, World Citizen, Hugh Evans.

“As Transfer Afrika grows yr over yr, our purpose is to equip and encourage Africa’s dynamic, younger inhabitants to take part within the reside music and artistic industries whereas investing in its future with lasting infrastructure that can imply the continent not must be excluded from the worldwide touring circuit.”

“World Citizen and Transfer Afrika’s return to Rwanda in February 2025 underscores our shared dedication to showcasing Africa’s inventive expertise and leveraging the worldwide leisure business to deal with the continent’s growth priorities,” stated Francis Gatare, Chief Govt Officer, Rwanda Improvement Board.

“Collectively, we intention to place Rwanda as an leisure hub that advantages all African international locations, together with by creating youth-focused employment and income-generating alternatives,” he added.

The primary Transfer Afrika occasion, Transfer Afrika: Rwanda, held in Kigali in December 2023, was headlined by Grammy Award, Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Kendrick Lamar, and prioritised job creation, talent coaching, and youth entrepreneurship alongside the way in which.

The 2025 version of Transfer Afrika will construct on World Citizen’s earlier campaigns and occasions throughout Africa, together with Transfer Afrika: Rwanda, held on the BK Area in 2023; World Citizen Pageant: Mandela 100, which featured Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Ed Sheeran, Usher, Eddie Vedder, and Chris Martin of Coldplay in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2018; World Citizen Stay: Lagos, with performances by Davido, Femi Kuti, and Tiwa Savage at Fela Kuti’s New Afrika Shrine in 2021; and World Citizen Pageant: Accra, which introduced Usher, SZA, Stormzy, and TEMS to the Black Star Sq. in 2022.