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Come Monday the 21st of September, 2026, Africa will meet and ‘Ghana Jollof’ will be there in flesh and blood! I am not talking about the lady on the Police wanted list. I am referring to real Jollof rice prepared with grandma’s recipe on a coal pot from long time ago!

I am sure you are wondering what this meeting is all about and whether you can participate? Of course you can, but let me fill you in first with the details.

Have you ever dreamt of being at a gathering with all the good food, music, fun and excitement, where palms hugged palms, ideas kissed ideas, vibes became visas, and contacts become instant contracts?

That’s what the 3fm Afro Connect is all about. And guess what? You are just in time for the 5th Edition this Monday, 21st September, 2026 from 7:00 am sharp till Africa starts yawning!

3FM AfroConnect is organized by your urban lifestyle radio station, 3fm 92.7, powered by Media General and Sponsored by Ecobank. It promises to be louder, bigger, juicier and tastier this year, under the theme: THE POWER OF AFRICAN NETWORKS. Trust me, this network has no signal issues so feel free to connect now.

From Genesis to date

It started as a little whisper on a Sunday afternoon radio show, “Beatz Africa”. It was hosted by Miriam Osei Agyemang and produced by Maame Adowa Cann at the time. They curated and told Africa’s stories with music, history, trivia and culture – one country at a time.

The vision was simple: re-orient and glue Africans together to become a force that refuses to let the continent of Africa be a footnote on the globe. The magic worked!

So in 2022, after a few years of experimentation and concept tweaking, 3FM took Africa out of the air-conditioned studio at Adesa We – Kanda, and dropped it loud and live with a giant roar at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park as a full blown Pan-African movement.

In essence, what began as a simple radio show, metamorphosised into a a beautiful cultural cookout event that has now grown into an annual international experience to look for to and to die for.

Since then, over twenty African countries have consistently showed up with their flags, culture, tradition and pride to connect, make merry and rake in revenue.

One of the key ingredients of the entire festival is the almighty “Jollof War”. It is not a war with guns but a kitchen war with waged with utensils and ingredients. It has become an unending fantastic international culinary debate as to who cooks the best Jollof and who gets inducted either into the hall of fame or the hall of shame when all is said and done.

Year in year out, patrons come with arguments and leave with a bold Jollof decision fit for a whole year.

For me, it was at the 3fm Afro Connect festival that I saw and tasted white Jollof for the first time in my life. That Jollof was of Sierra Leonean ancestry.

The fact remains that 3fm Afro Connect is not a one-dimensional platform. It is a full bouquet with six notable pillars which combine nicely to slap like a coordinated drum solo on a well-tuned jimbe.

These pillars are culture, network entertainment, business, food and technology.

Culture

The cultural pillar showcases Africa in her best heritage, diverse cultures and traditions, art, fashion and unique identity. Everybody comes out looking their best and as flamboyant as possible to suit the occasion. Patrons get a chance to learn about other cultures and to even adopt new names from other countries, etc.

Entertainment

The entertainment pillar has always featured the crème de la crème of musicians, poets and crafts men and women who display with great felicity of style and glamour. The cultural troupes have also become an integral part of the experience.

The unique nature of another striking feature — the Osagyefo Night, and the energy it oozes makes the drums and bells talk for the guitars to cry to create rhythms that make patrons allow their feet and waists to betray them in dances they never planned.

Food

The food pillar is two-faced. The first face is where patrons enjoy the boiled, fried, roasted or baked goodies up for sale by vendors. The second face is set at the Jollof War arena where Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Gambia, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Mali and Niger defend their countries’ Jollof recipes in an open air kitchen.

The representatives come to defend their recipes from their hearts and to defend their pride on the line, as if their lives depended on it. Patrons get to taste along with judges to decide who the best cooks are.

Business

The business pillar has the Afro Market for vendors, small and medium enterprises, fashion and beauty brands, craft masters, food and beverage connoisseurs who are subsequently linked to worthy partners like, ECOBANK, the Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC) , Ghana Export Promotions Authority (GEPA), investors community, embassies and high commissions, corporate Ghana and members of the Diaspora.

Technology

Then we come to the brand new tech pillar for the 2026 edition. This is where patrons can see and step into parts of Africa through the power of technology without moving an inch. When I say technology, I mean science and technology not the “electrophysics” that you might be thinking.

Network

Finally, the network pillar
is where the music and dance gently fades to allow a rhythm of strategic conversations and consolidation of business relationships.

The 2026 menu

For the faithful patrons, if last year was a beautiful highlife, soukous and amapiano chorus for, then get ready for this year’s complete orchestra.

For those yet to be initiated, get ready to be part of history and for a swell moment that you will never forget.

Aside the live performances from both traditional and contemporary artistes, you get improved versions of all the other offerings for the price of one.

For starters, this year, culture will meet tourism and technology will take the center-stage. This is where Africans who would have originally been called ‘ashore seamen’ (because they know about every country, but have never stepped foot in any except their places of birth), will need no passports, visas, flights and queues to visit those countries.

All they need to do at the event grounds in Ghana, is to wear a headset provided by 3fm 92.7 and then instantly they could be standing in Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, Senegal, or an African country of their choice.

Now, imagine being able to literally buy some fabric in Lomè in the morning at 10:00 am, argue about Nigerian Jollof in Abuja at noon, enjoy a walk through Freetown at 2:00 pm, close a business deal in Dakar at 4:00pm, step into Kigali for some sight seeing at 5:00 pm, and return to Ghana in good time to enjoy a live performance by the ever green Trigmatic at 8:00 pm.

3fm AfroConnect also knows that the party must turn into profit at some point. That is why this year’s Afro Market returns returns with higher numbers of SMEs, who will sell, network and cash out every minute.

Later in February 2027, handshakes will pave way for the real extended business conversations, scaling up and monetization opportunities at the Afro Business Breakfast.

If the music at this year’s Osagyefo Night Concert is likened to a whole tree, then Amandzeba is the deep anchoring root, Trigmatic is the firm trunk, Abiana is the extended branch on which Kojo Blak the new flower blossoms. and Kojo Blak is a branch.

On the night, the legendary Amandzeba will show us why he is a legend. Trigmatic will dish out a harmonious cocktail of Afro genres. Abiana will serve sweet melodies and Kojo Blaq with spit some lyrical fire. Together, they will match up your energy and make your waist move in pure African glory without permission.

Why AfroConnect is different 

What separates 3fm AfroConnect from the others is that, it is a gathering of Africans who tell their own African stories in different forms without filters and foreign narrators.

The festival is not just about drums, music and dance. It is about creating compelling content with a thriving market for business growth. In 2025, AfroConnect helped businesses to export their brands to new African markets.

AfroConnect is therefore, the meeting place of Africans to connect and celebrate — through culture, food, music, technology and business.

You are warmly invited to 3fm Afro Connect, 2026.

Dial *725*2226# to grab tickets to secure entry slots GHC 100 only.

If you love Africa or you just love your jollof you know where to be on Monday, 21st September, 2026. Show up for the culture. Stay for the connection. Leave with a continent in your heart and pocket.

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