Nigerians In South
Africa Honoured
Tony Ekata,
Johannesburg
Twenty-seven
Nigerians have been honoured for their excellent contributions to the growth of
South Africa in their fields of endeavour, by the Nigeria High Commission in
Pretoria, South Africa.
The award
categories are in the academics, medicine, business, creative arts, public
service, ICT, community development, engineering, entrepreneurship and youth
development.
They were given
recognition at the maiden edition of the Nigeria Achievement Awards (South
Africa). The Awards, an initiative of Nigeria High Commissioner to South Africa,
Ambassador Buba Marwa, seek to identify and project achievers within the
Nigerian community to the host community and encourage Nigerians living in South
Africa to strive for honour and excellence.
The South
Africa-Nigeria Friendship Association (SANFA) has also been launched at the
event, at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand.
SANFA is designed
to foster closer ties among Nigerians and South Africans at the civil society
level and its launch holds a special significance, coming during the tenth
anniversary of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission.
The Vice President
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and his South African
counterpart, Mr Kgalema Motlanthe, are Special Guests at the awards ceremony.
Former
Commonwealth Secretary General, Nigeria’s Chief Emeka Anyaoku received the High
Commission’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Chief Anyaoku has previously been
honoured by the South African government with the Order of the Supreme
Companions, the highest honour for a non-South African.
He was so
recognised for his exceptional contributions to the liberation of South Africa
from apartheid rule.
Yinka
