Wednesday 16 April 2014

Nigerian Centenary Awards UK organisers commence receiving nominations for June 27 dinner






Organisers of the Nigerian Centenary Awards United Kingdom (UK) have begun receiving nominations for the most outstanding 100 diasporans in the UK over the last century who will be honoured at a special gala dinner at Waltham Forest Town Hall on June 27.

Tagged the Nigerian Centenary Awards UK, the event is billed to be the diasporan awards ceremony of the year. Expected to attract 450 guests including the Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK Dr Dalhatu Tafida and Councillor Chris Robbins, the leader of Waltham Forest Council, the ceremony will involve plaques and certificates given out to awardees.

Put together by a group of 30 community leaders, the event, which will kick off at 7pm, comes with entertainment, stand-up comedy and music. Organisers have started receiving nominations on their website www.nigeriancentenaryawardsuk.com and are calling on the public to enthusiastically come forward with suggestions.

The event’s committee chairman, Ayo Akinfe, said: "There are a lot of unsung heroes within the UK diaspora who toil away day and night without any recognition and these are the people we want to honour. We are trying to break away from the discredited practice of people paying to get honoured, so are asking the public to only forward the names of people they believe are genuinely deserving of the honour.

"On the night, we shall put together the best event the UK diaspora has ever seen, as apart from the handing out of awards, there will also be a lot of fun and entertainment. Our event has been received enthusiastically by everyone who has heard about it and has been endorsed by the high commission, the numerous diaspora organisations and several prominent Nigerians who will be coming over to grace the event."

Ronke Udofia, the chair of the awards sub-committee, added: "For us, ensuring the integrity of the awards is paramount, so we want the process to be as transparent as possible. We will painstakingly go through the nominations and ensure that only those who meet our set down criteria are honoured on the night.

"Nominations opened on April 2 and will close by midnight on Sunday May 18, after which we will sit down and check the validity of each entry. We will then write to nominees informing them about the fact that they have been nominated. Many of the committee members are deserving of the recognition in their own right but they are all prepared to sacrifice being nominated and recognised to enhance the integrity of the awards."

Among the prominent Nigerians who have said they will try to come for the event include Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka; Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the chair of the House of Representatives Diaspora Committee; AIT news presenter Lara Owoeye-Wise; Nigerian Idol judge Yinka Davies and lawyer Bamidele Aturu. Several more are expected to confirm their attendance over the coming weeks.

Dayo Olomu, the chair of the programmes sub-committee, added: "A lot of hard work has gone into the planning of this event to ensure that it has everything. Not only will the awards ceremony itself be slick and smooth but our guests will also be entertained with a variety of treats including live music, stand-up comedy, exotic Nigerian cuisine and dancing."

DJ Abass Tijani, the chair of the marketing and branding sub-committee, added: "Now that we have the website up and running, we hope to get all our nominations through it. People can also buy their tickets through the site and we would recommend they do that as early online purchases will help with organisation on the day."

Committee secretary Jumoke Ariyo, said that tickets will be selling for £30 per head and although they are available online, there will also be a facility to purchase at the door on the day. She added that already, Waltham Forest Council has purchased 30 tickets which it plans to allocate to elderly Nigerians in the borough.

Ms Ariyo added that anyone requiring more information about the event can either visit the website at www.nigeriancentenaryawardsuk.com or email info@nigeriancentenaryawardsuk.com. Alternatively, they can ring 07866 164 300 or 07529 982 313.

Former Waltham Forest mayor Councillor Anna Mbachu, who serves as the committee's assistant secretary, added that all the diasporan groups including the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK, the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation, the Nigerian Women in Diaspora Leadership Forum, the Nigerian Council of Elders, the National Association of Nigerian Communities UK and the Nigerian Students Union UK are backing the event. According to Councillor Mbachu, Waltham Forest Town Hall with its serene setting will help make the event a memorable one.

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