Tems set to perform at Obama's Presidential Centre opening

Days after Njideka Akunyili-Crosby unveiled a portrait of Barack and Michelle Obama for the Obama Presidential Centre, another Nigerian star, Grammy-winning singer Tems, has been announced as a performer at the centre’s opening ceremony.

The centre is a community and cultural hub created by Mr Obama and his wife, located on Chicago’s South Side. It aims to celebrate leadership, public service, and community engagement while keeping the former president’s legacy alive.

The centre will showcase exhibits about Mr Obama’s life and presidency. It will also have educational spaces, top-notch museums, a public library branch, recreational facilities, and public gardens. It is designed as a place for young people to learn, connect, and develop skills to positively impact their communities.

The centre will officially open to the public on 19 June.

Tems will perform alongside Stevie Wonder, John Legend, Eddie Vedder, and Jennifer Hudson, among others, on Thursday.

Mr Obama shared the lineup in a post on his Instagram page on Wednesday.

The post included a fun chat thread confirming performers like Bono and The Edge, Bruce Springsteen, Christina Aguilera, Common, The Roots, Guitars Over Guns, the Illinois National Guard, Marc Anthony, and Uniting Voices Chicago.

American actress and producer Marsai Martin will also be part of the event. Businesswoman and former Senior Advisor to Mr Obama, Valerie Jarrett, and American businessman Marty Nesbitt will speak at the opening.

Mr Obama described the guests for the ceremony as some of today’s biggest voices and global icons.

The 64-year-old thanked everyone who contributed to making the Obama Presidential Centre a reality. He noted that he and his wife, Michelle, are grateful for the dedication and hard work that went into it over the years.

Mrs Obama said the presidential centre is very meaningful to her and her husband, especially since it opens on the South Side of Chicago.

She shared that she grew up there, Mr Obama began his journey there, and they raised their daughters there.

Mrs Obama added, “So having a place where kids from our community can see themselves, connect, and channel their hope, there’s nothing more powerful than that. Opening the presidential centre right here on the south side of Chicago, it’s truly a full circle moment.

“I mean, so much of my existence as a child into high school was driving past this very location where there was really nothing. It was a highway. It was a dangerous place. It was an unutilized park space. You know, I always wondered what was going on there. Right. But now to be a part of, you know, this amazing centre that Barack, that you built, I mean, this is your vision and you and the team have executed it superbly. This is beyond a gift.