African entertainers mourn as AMAA founder, Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, dies

The Nigerian and African entertainment industry has been thrown into mourning as Peace Anyiam-Osigwe, founder of African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), is dead.

A statement from her family confirmed this on Tuesday morning but it did not disclose the cause of her death.

The Emmanuel Onyechere Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe clan described the late filmmaker as an epitome of creative transcendence, 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 statement read.

The statement added that 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 the institutions she set up and worked for over the years with the support of the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe Foundation, other institutions and government agencies.

Peace reportedly died at St. Nicolas Hospital, Lagos after being in a coma since Saturday.

While colleagues and close friends, some of whom went to see her at hospital would not believe news of her demise, maintaining that she was merely in the ICU, notable movie maker, Zik Zulu broke the news.

“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 writes on a Nollywood platform.

She would be remembered as one of those who shaped the face of the new Nollywood

Peace Anyiam-Osigwe was not only the Founder of AMAA, she was also the President of the Association of Movie Producers and one of the most prominent figures in Nollywood.