Nigerian grammy award winning Burna Boy alongside Ed Sheeran will lead a group of artistes to perform at the Global Citizen live concert aimed at uniting the world, defending the planet and defeating poverty.
Global Citizen, an International advocacy organization in a statement on Wednesday said the event will be a 24-hour Live broadcast with events and performances filmed across six continents and will air on several networks and as well stream on several social media platforms.
Other top artistes and entertainers expected to perform at the September 25 event are Davido, Femi Kuti, Tiwa Savage appearing alongside Adam Lambert, Doja Cat, Coldplay, Usher, H.E.R., Angelique Kidjo, Andrea Bocelli, Billie Eilish, Demi Lovato, DJ Snake, Duran Duran, Lizzo, Lorde, Ricky Martin, The Weeknd, and more to be announced.
Global Citizen Live is powered by citizens around the world who are taking action together with governments, corporations and philanthropists to make change.
The campaign calls on businesses and philanthropists to contribute resources needed to protect and restore at least 1 billion trees by 2022 to curb climate change; and provide meals for the more than 40 million people on the brink of starvation.
The 24-hour live broadcast event will feature artists, activists, and world leaders taking the stage at iconic locations across the globe, including: live events in Central Park in New York City, and the Champ de Mars in Paris; live-crosses from London, and Los Angeles; and performances and hosted segments from Lagos, Rio de Janeiro, Seoul and Sydney. Additional locations and location-specific details will be announced in August.
“COVID-19 has drastically reversed the progress toward achieving the United Nations Global Goals, pushing upwards of 160 million people back into extreme poverty and more than 40 million to the brink of starvation. Progress on climate change has halted, as the majority of the Fortune 500 fail to set science-based carbon reduction targets. We must rectify the damage done and hold world leaders accountable for ensuring that the entire world recovers from this pandemic together. ‘Equitable recovery’ is not an act of charity – it is the only way we can ensure a fighting chance at achieving a sustainable world free from extreme poverty.” – Hugh Evans, CEO, Global Citizen said in a press release.
The release also quoted Nigeria’s minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama as saying, “As we humans spend billions of dollars in search of newer worlds in outer space, Global Citizen Live brings us back down to earth by reminding the global community that charity should begin at home and we must preserve our earth and be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. We owe it to ourselves and generations yet unborn. Space can wait!”
“I am very excited to perform at the Global Citizen Live concert this year. The timing for this call for unity couldn’t be more important,” said Angelique Kidjo. “There is an urgent need for us to work together across the globe and take action to protect our planet. Mother nature has a way of warning us. We need each other now,” Angelique Kidjo said.
Global Citizen Live and the organization’s Recovery Plan for the World are supported by a coalition of many of the world’s leading corporations including its Global Partners: Accenture, Cisco, Citi, The Coca-Cola Company, Delta Air Lines, Google, Live Nation, P&G, Verizon, and campaign partner WW International, who will work together to engage support from the 8private sector in driving new commitments toward the campaign’s policy objectives. Access Bank, will also support the Global Citizen Live campaign as a partner in Nigeria.
For the past decade, Global Citizen has championed the most pressing social and environmental issues and joined the fight to end COVID-19, most recently with VAX Live: The Concert To Reunite The World in May, which mobilized more than 26 million COVID-19 vaccine doses and $302 million to the ACT-Accelerator for equitable health access to countries most in need.
Since March 2020, Global Citizen has mobilized $2 billion in cash grants to fund global pandemic relief efforts, and over 26 million COVID-19 vaccine doses.
By Abel Ejikeme