Peace Anyiam Osigwe, AMAA Founder Is Dead

By Akinwale Kasali and Uche Mbah

The Nation and African entertainment industry as a whole has once again been thrown into mourning as one of its pillars, Peace Anyiam Osigwe has died.

The founder of the African Movie Academy Awards, AMAA, passed-on Monday, 9th January, 2023, having  been in coma at St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos, since Saturday, according to reliable sources.

Veteran Actor, Zik Zulu broke the news of her demise, which has thrown the movie industry Into mourning as they are yet to come terms with the shocking news.

Zulu wrote, “ Our President, Peace, has passed. As at Saturday, she was reported to be in coma at Saint Nicholas. But now her family has confirmed her transition. May the memory of her life be a blessing. Rest in peace, dear Peace”, he had written.

Obi Emelonye, award winning producer couldn’t hold back tears as he also confirmed the transition of Osigwe on his Social Media Platform.

Her family has confirmed her death. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the family said:

“The Emmanuel Onyechere Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe clan in thanksgiving to God and in the belief that God is good and everything He does is good and in accordance with His divine will, pattern and plan, announce the passing to eternal glory of our illustrious beloved daughter, sister, aunt and great aunt Ms. Peace Maria Ogechi Anyiam-Osigwe (MFR)

“Peace, the Ada of the Anyiam-Osigwe family, was an outstanding personality, trailblazer, titan, pathfinder, go-getter, humanitarian, one-of-a-kind creative, and visionary leader in the film and television industry. Peace left indelible imprints on the sands of time.

“We as a family and clan will continue to do all that is necessary to ensure that her legacy lives on – the Africa Movie Academy Awards and the Africa Film Academy, along with their training programmes across Nigeria and the African continent will carry on seamlessly by institutions she set up and with the full support of the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation and other Institutions and Government Agencies with whom she had worked over the years.

Her numerous charities across different religious denominations and other communities will also be continued.

“We will miss the love and companionship we shared with her and we pray “that your Chi guide you on the path to God’s everlasting love into the light of his consciousness.”

“We also pray God our Father of all mercies to grant you eternal rest in his heavenly kingdom where his perpetual light will continue to shine on

“We believe you are alive in the life of God because as our father said “ALL IS LIFE AND LIFE ALONE”. And you continue to live in the hearts of all who love you.

“The family will announce the details of her rites of passage in due course.

” Meanwhile, the Family respectfully asks, at this time, for the public to respect the privacy of the family as we contemplate God’s love for his children

The late Osigwe was not only the Founder of the African Movie Academy Awards, AMAA, she was also the President of the Association of Movie Producers, AMP and one of the most prominent figures in Nollywood.

She would be sorely missed in the industry and in Africa for her role that  distinguished her as one of the pillars of the continent’s movie industry.

An industrious Woman par excellence according to colleagues, she would be remembered as one of those who shaped the face of the new Nollywood, as her contributions to the industry can not be over-emphasized.

The Late Anyiam was  born into the notable Anyiam-Osigwe family in Nkwerre, Imo State, and is a niece to Dr Paschal  Dozie, renowned Banker, businessman,  entrepreneur and founder of the defunct Diamond Bank PLC.

She was the only female in a family of eight children. She had a degree in Law and Political Science from Oxford Brookes University.

Anyiam-Osigwe founded the Africa Film Academy, a body that governs the film ceremony since 2005. The award ceremony is reputed to be one of the most recognized awards for Africans in film-making.

At the 10th edition, she stepped down as CEO of the AMAAs. In 2015, she began the AfricaOne initiative to commemorate Africans in the entertainment industry.

In 2020, she emerged as the National President of The Association of Movie Producers (AMP).

This made her the seventh to hold that post succeeding Ralph Nwadike.

Anyiam Osigwe was the Initiator of 100 Films Project aimed at improving the quality of films produced in Nigeria.

As the President, she had worked on building capacity of film producers in the country through seminars and trainings.

She was, also, an author and a poet. She had three books to her credit.

In an interview with Alana Herro, she described poetry as one of the avenues for expressing her perception and understanding of things around her.

Prior to entering the university, she published a magazine, Clicks, specifically written to accommodate the black population in England. Her works were centered on advocacy causes.

Anyiam-Osigwe’s career on television began with her discussion show, Piece off my mind, that focused on people’s reaction to societal issues that are not regularly seen in the mainstream media.

Her talk show was centered on issues of advocacy for individuals that the society usually gave little attention or neglected.

She cited the African caste system, child trafficking and women equality as areas of interest to her in film and television.

At the early stage of music duo, P-Square’s career, Anyiam-Osigwe was responsible for managing them.

In 2019, She was honoured with African Film Pioneer Award at the African Film Festival, TAFF.

Her mother, Dorothy Chinyere Anyiam-Osigwe is a recipient of the Officer of the Officer of the Order of the Niger, OON, given to her by the President, Olusegun Obasanjo for her philanthropic activities in Nigeria.