THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
Nollywood Film Festival Germany, NFFG, was one of the big winners at the first AfroNews–Ortel Mobile African Community in Germany Awards, which took place on Saturday in Frankfurt.
The NFFG, which has been holding regularly in Germany for more than 15 years, clinched the Best African Festival in Germany Award 2021.
Other big winners of the evening were Kenyan Women in Germany (KWIG) which clinched the Best African Association in Germany Award while Florence Oriwo, founder of Oriwo Design, took home the Best African Fashion Designer in Germany Award.
Deejay Aisher picked the Best African DJ in Germany Award, Rebellion The Recaller was chosen as the Best African Musician/Band in Germany and Haus Mühlenbrock took home the Best African Restaurant in Germany Award.
Mr Gregor Fränzel, the CEO of Ortel Mobile, Germany’s leading prepaid SIM cards provider for people with a migration background, was the special guest of honour at the Awards Gala Night.
He said Ortel Mobile, who are the sponsors of the event, was proud to be associated with the African community and was doing its best to enable Africans maintain contact with friends and families nationally and internationally by offering them cheap calling rates.
Fränzel presented the star prize of the evening, a 2,000-euro award to KWIG in support of the organisation’s activities.
KWIG, which was represented by Ms Rachael Ngigi and Nelly Okumu, said it would use the money for its leadership development programme. “We are grateful and humbled for this recognition,” the organisation said in its acceptance speech.
“KWIG’s mission is to promote the social and economic inclusion, advancement, and empowerment of Kenyan women in Germany through contextual support and development,” KWIG explained. “We do this through 11 working groups, which are the heart and soul of the organisation. The groups organize projects that focus on various topics of interest. Here, members use their professional know-how on a voluntary basis to realize the goals of the association.”
Isaac Izoya, founder and director of Nollywood Festival Germany, was also overjoyed over the recognition of his efforts to make the Nigerian film industry better known in Germany.
Speaking after the event, Izoya said “I feel happy. Words are not enough to explain how I feel tonight. It shows me that our humble contributions are being followed by many. It reinvigorates me to do much more in my chosen career.”
The culture entrepreneur expressed his gratitude to the organizers of the award. “I thank the organizers – AfroNews.de and Ortel Mobile, the event sponsors, members of Nollywood Practitioners Europe and back home in Nigeria, my numerous fans across the world that made this possible by voting for us massively. God bless you all”.”
Sola Jolaoso
