Davido Launches Music Faculty In Uganda

Nigerian popstar Davido inaugurated the Faculty of Music and Arts at the International University of East Africa (IUEA) in Kampala, Uganda, on 28 March.

The singer disclosed the initiative in videos and pictures shared on his Instagram account. The project is part of his vision to nurture creative talent while fostering innovation in music, entertainment and new media.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by various stakeholders, including university officials, students and fans.

The IUEA is a private non-profit tertiary institution founded in 2010. In addition to its academic programmes, the new faculty will serve as a hub for collaboration, offering students opportunities to engage with industry professionals, attend workshops and showcase their talents globally. A hall at the university campus has also been named after Davido.

“We are proud to offer courses in entertainment law, music publishing, event management, influencer management and other related fields,” IUEA entertainment and sports representative Christian Kamanya said. “The groundbreaking ceremony was graced by Davido Adeleke, and I commend all parties involved. It is our collective responsibility to create more job opportunities for the youth of Africa, and through the field of entertainment, we aim to achieve this goal.”

Davido’s visit to Uganda, culminating in a concert in the capital Kampala at the weekend, adds to a growing list of his philanthropic efforts in East Africa. In 2018, while on tour in the region, the musician donated $5 000 to a music school in Rwanda.

Back in Nigeria, the three-time Grammy nominee has shown consistent generosity toward orphanages, with donations totalling ₦787m (about $600 000) under his David Adeleke Foundation, with philanthropic efforts including surgeries, COVID-19 research and student scholarships.

It also adds to Nigerian musicians’ efforts to support education and academia. Two years ago, Afrobeats artist 2Baba donated a music studio to Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, after being named a pioneer fellow of its music school in 2019.