Audu Maikori wins IYMEY award

Audu Maikori, CEO of Chocolate City, is the winner of the British Council’s International Young Music Entrepreneur (IYMEY) of the Year award 2007.

Audu, 32, is a law graduate from the University of Jos and his company, Chocolate City is an entertainment company that administers a record label, artist management, entertainment facility management, recording studio, events management and promotion as well as general consultancy work for clients. The company has won considerable success in the past two years with artists Jeremiah Gyang and Djinee (who won best artist at the Nigerian Music Awards in 2006).

Now in its second year, the British Council’s International Young Music Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2007 (IYMEY) aims to turn the spotlight on the brightest and best young creative entrepreneurs (between 25 – 35 years-old) from the music industry in emerging economies. The ten finalists who were selected represent the best of what Egypt, India, Indonesia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland and Tanzania have to offer. Over the course of a packed two-week programme, they toured the UK, forging networks with industry leaders and discovering more about the dynamics of the British music industry through visits to London, Manchester and Glastonbury festival.