By Aliyu DANLADI
Thousands of Nigerian adults, youths and children and their friends across the U.S. thronged the streets of New York, U.S. with Nigerian flags on Saturday to celebrate Nigeria’s 58th Independence Anniversary with parade and festival.
The largest U.S. city was painted with green-white-green insignia as Nigerians from across the U.S united for the country.
Some parts of the New York streets were partially closed for the celebration, parade and festival.
The parade, which started from the 2nd Avenue on 54th Street in Manhattan, terminated at the Nigerian House on 44th Street.
This was followed by the Independence Day Festival at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, near the United Nations Headquarters.
The New York Police Department officers were at hand to provide security along the route as joyous Nigerians frantically wave the Nigerian flags, the marching bands, the slit dancers, the cultural troupes, among other dignitaries to make the occasion colourful.
Several other nationals also joined in dancing to Nigerian music and cuisines, which pervaded the Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza.
Many Nigerian leaders joined other compatriots in the United States for the Independence Day Parade, and addressed the joyous crowd, who thronged the venue to listen to Nigerian music and savour the cuisines.
The annual celebration was to promote the cultural, social and economic of the nation and project the positive image of Nigeria in U.S.
The festival, which is also Africa’s largest parade in the U.S, was also aimed at inculcating in Nigerian youths the knowledge of Nigerian history, culture, customs; traditions, values and religion.
The celebration was funded by Patriotic Nigerians, organisations and businesses serving the Nigerian community.
Consul-General of Nigeria in New York, Benaoyagha Okoyen, commended the Organisation for the Advancement of Nigerians (OAN), organisers of the annual event, for successfully organising the parade since 1991.
Okoyen commended Nigerians in the U.S. for their laudable contributions to their host country and to their homeland.
He said, “Nigerians in the diaspora contributed positively to Nigerian economy and development of the United States of America far more than we can imagine; we have done well in various fields of human endeavours.
President of OAN, Mr Solomon Bakare, said the event had grown to be the biggest and largest celebration of Nigeria’s Independence Day outside homeland.
Bakare said that the parade has grown exponentially, since it started and has attracted many political leaders from New York City and dignitaries from Nigeria.
He said that the continued success of the celebration could not be divorced from uncommon creativity, prodigious talents and organisational acumen of Nigerian youths.
He said though the celebration had recorded great success since inception, he called for more support from Nigerians in the U.S. to make it more vibrant in the states
Chairman of the Nigeria Independence Day Parade, Mr Olayinka Dansalami, thanked the sponsors of the programme, which he said include institutions, individuals, faith base organisations and Nigerian missions among others.
The Nigerian Nurses Association of USA in a statement by its president, Dr Godgive Okoli lauded the celebration.
He said that Nigerian nurses in the U.S were making differences in their communities both in the USA and Nigeria through Health Education, Health care, Medical mission.
“We assist various communities in making health life style changes, active participation in decision making about health issues.
An American cleric and politician, Rev. David Kayode, said the celebration has helped to unite Nigerians in the U.S. socially, culturally and in all other aspects of life.
The clergy called on the Nigerians living in the U.S. to be good ambassadors of Nigeria by projecting the good image of the country wherever they found themselves.
