​"Fela Lives": President Tinubu Celebrates Fela Kuti’s Historic Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has joined the global music community in celebrating the legendary Fela Anikulapo Kuti following his posthumous recognition with the Recording Academy’s Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. 

In a personally signed statement issued on Sunday, February 1, 2026, the President described the honour as a deserved global salute to an icon whose music and ideals have reshaped generations. With this award, Fela makes history as the first African artist to receive the prestigious honour, joining an elite group of recipients for 2026 that includes Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, and Chaka Khan.

​In his tribute, President Tinubu portrayed Fela as far more than just a musician, calling him a "fearless voice of the people" and a "philosopher of freedom" whose art challenged oppression and awakened social consciousness across continents. The President specifically highlighted Fela’s creative audacity, noting that his music confronted injustice and reshaped the global soundscape. Invoking Yoruba cultural and spiritual concepts, the President remarked that Fela has "transcended to a higher plane as an Orisa" and is now eternal, adding that while the award is posthumous, it affirms the foundational role Fela played in Africa’s impact on modern music.

​However, the President maintained that Fela’s influence remains visible today in the global rise of Afrobeats, a genre that carries Nigerian rhythms and identity to unprecedented heights. He noted that one can still hear and see Fela’s imprint in generations of Nigerian musicians who continue to draw inspiration from his sound and activism. As the award was accepted in Los Angeles by Fela’s children—Femi, Yeni, and Kunle Kuti—President Tinubu’s message served as a final, powerful declaration that "Fela lives" and remains an unyielding cultural symbol decades after his passing.