President Samia Responds to Diamond’s Appeal, Commits $172 Million for Arena

Samia Suluhu Hassan has responded to pressure from Bongo Flava star Diamond Platnumz, agreeing to fund the construction of a modern concert arena in Tanzania.

The recent Trace Music Summit and Awards in Zanzibar exposed infrastructural shortcomings when the concert stage repeatedly collapsed, an incident Diamond lamented as an embarrassment to the host country. The event featured high-profile guests, including top international music executives, presidents of major record labels, and renowned producers.

“Trace struggled to set up the stage in Zanzibar—it kept falling apart. It was humiliating, especially given the caliber of guests in attendance,” Diamond remarked after the summit.

He further urged the government to invest in a proper arena to prevent such setbacks in the future. “We need this infrastructure to create a welcoming environment for investors. What happened with Trace might discourage them from returning,” he warned.

In response, Tanzanian government spokesman George Msigwa, who also serves as the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, Arts, and Culture, confirmed that funding had been secured for the project.

“The president recently secured a $2.5 billion soft loan from South Korea. Out of this, Tsh450 billion ($172 million) has been allocated for constructing the arena and a film village. Diamond has raised this issue with me several times, emphasizing that while the government invests in football stadiums, musicians’ needs have been overlooked,” Msigwa stated.

The debate over concert venues is also gaining momentum in Kenya, where actor and screenwriter Abel Mutua is leading calls for the government to build a facility similar to Kigali’s BK Arena, which recently hosted international acts, including American singer-songwriter John Legend.