Obi Asika departs UTA

Obi Asika is stepping down from his role at United Talent Agency (UTA) to dedicate himself to his entertainment business, The Malachite Group, according to IQ Magazine. Asika joined UTA in 2021 following the acquisition of his Echo Location Talent Agency and was promoted to partner in 2022. Although stepping back, he will remain involved with UTA as part of client teams for a select group of key artists. Reflecting on his tenure, Asika shared, “I am inspired by the challenge of creating meaningful opportunities and building on the global success of events such as Afro Nation and Piano People. Expanding an existing sports portfolio which includes the NBA Africa, Basketball Africa League and the Professional Fighters League, working alongside QA Venue Solutions and creating transformative opportunities at grassroots level and upwards that will open doors for young people and help unlock the continent’s vast potential.” UTA’s co-head of global music, Sam Kirby Yoh, will continue to oversee the UK music division alongside Neil Warnock. Sam Kirby Yoh said “We wish Obi every success as he focuses on his lifelong passion and advocacy for the music and culture of Africa. We continue to experience a period of rapid growth for UTA London as we’ve expanded our team of world class agents, supporting some of the most impactful artists of our times.”