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Nigerian Centenary Awards UK
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A cross section of Nigerian Centenary Awards UK team members with the High Commissioner
The search has began for 100 outstanding UK-based Nigerian Diasporans over the 100 years.
The 100 Nigerians will be honoured at a Gala/Dinner tagged the Nigerian Centenary Awards UK which holds on Friday June 27 at the Waltham Forest Town Hall in East London.
The event which has been put together by over 30 Nigerian Community Leaders will attract 450 guests including Nigeria's High Commissioner to the UK - Dr Dalhatu Sarki Tafida CFR and Councillor Chris Robbins, the Leader of Waltham Forest Council.
Ayo Akinfe, Nigerian Centenary Awards UK Committee Chairman noted that: "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."
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."
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 Standard tickets are on sale for £50 per head and VIP tickets for £75 per head.
The former Mayor of Waltham Forest - Councillor Anna Mbachu, who serves as the Committee's Assistant Secretary, added that all the Diaspora 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 Mbachu, Waltham Forest Town Hall with its serene setting will help make the event a memorable one.
Further information is available at: www.nigeriancentenaryawardsuk.com or via email: info@nigeriancentenaryawardsuk.com or telephone: 07866 164 300 / 07529 982 313.