Celebrated Nigerian dancer, Buddy Doubara Agedah has been honoured with the “Prix de Reconnaissance Culturelle” at the 12th edition of the prestigious Benin International Dance Festival (BIDAF), Cotonou, Benin Republic.
The award, inscribed in French as “En reconnaissance de votre contribution exceptionnelle et majeure dans le développement de la danse Afrolatine au Bénin et dans la sous-régio” recognizes Agedah’s contributions to the evolution and promotion of Afro-Latin dance across Francophone and Anglophone Africa.
Held yearly in Cotonou and organised by Lumiere Event, BIDAF also known in French language as Festival International de Danse du Bénin is one of Francophone Africa’s esteemed cultural platforms.
By bestowing this honour on him, the festival affirmed and acknowledged Agedah’s efforts in uniting Africa’s cultural traditions with contemporary expressions of movement.
This accolade marks his second international recognition in 2025 alone, solidifying his position as the most accomplished Afro-Latin dancer, choreographer, instructor, and promoter in West Africa today.
For over two decades, Agedah has led dance innovation in Africa, pioneering the growth and spread of Cuban Salsa, Bachata, Kizomba, Konpa, and Afro-line dances throughout Nigeria and the West African region.
Agedah’s choreography repertoire includes six widely recognised dance creations that are now essential components of dance festivals not only in Nigeria and Benin but also in countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Kenya, and South Africa. These works have become the backbone of Afro-Latin showcases in both English and French-speaking African nations.
His signature dance styles are now taught in dance studios, performed on festival stages, and celebrated at cultural summits continent-wide, evidencing a cross-border influence that few, if any, have attained.
Back home, Agedah continues to command the Afro-Latin social dance scene in Nigeria, successfully leading weekly events in Lagos and Abuja that attract over 1,200 members. His company, Dance & Art Alive, has become a lifestyle hub, nurturing dancers, promoting mental wellness, and reshaping nightlife through healthy, inclusive, and vibrant social dance gatherings.
Through his visionary programming, he has trained and employed hundreds of dance professionals, many of whom now headline international events or run their own academies. His leadership and sustainability model is studied and emulated across African creative circles.
Agedah remains the only individual in the Afro-Latin dance genre in Nigeria and the wider West African region to reach this magnitude of creative, cultural, and social impact. His work bridges linguistic, geographic, and generational divides.
His awards from Ghana and the Benin Republic further cement his legacy as a unifier and innovator across borders.
From Lagos to Lomé, Accra to Cotonou, and as far east as Nairobi and as far south as Johannesburg, the name Buddy Agedah is becoming synonymous with Afro-Latin excellence in Africa.
As Africa’s dance culture continues to evolve and capture global attention, few artists have been more central to that transformation than Buddy Agedah. His recognition in the Benin Republic is not just a personal triumph, it is a statement about the growing power of African cultural producers to shape narratives, build communities, and uplift the continent through the arts.
