The maiden edition of the Arewa festival was held in Lagos last week with various activities like dance, songs and cultural display to showcase the beauty of the Arewa people.
The ideal of Arewa Festival & Awards [AFA], is hinged on the virtues of ethno-religious cum socio-cultural mutual tolerance, as the foundation for national peace, unity, and prosperity. The festival is said to be a yearly event to celebrate the history and cultures of the Arewa people in Nigeria and more importantly to reaffirm her sustained loyalty to the Lagos State Government and the Yorubas being her host which have also provided a settlement cum economic success to the Arewa people.
The Arewa Festival was held in three different phases; The Press Conference & The Unveiling which took place on the 7th Dec, 2018, The Festival held on the 5th Of January 2019, while the Dinner and Award took place on the 6th January, 2019 at Raddison Blue, Ikeja.
The efforts of the Arewa community in Lagos to set themselves apart as the preferred strategic developmental partner to the state government may have paid off eventually, as Unity Bank, one of Nigeria’s leading banks plans some community based financial support for their socio – economic needs.
The bank’s interest in working with the Arewa group is borne out of the group’s capacity demonstrated at mobilizing their members across the length and breadth of Lagos state to organize the historic Arewa Festival and that of their intentions to keep the community together as one body towards greater developments across board.
Unity Bank made their desire to work with Arewa community known during the 2019 (maiden edition) of the Arewa Festival Awards. According to the bank’s representative, Unity Bank plans to work with the group in the area of Youth Empowerment, they plan to bridge the gap for financial inclusion and support the micro economic scale in the different Arewa communities across Lagos state. In essence, the bank is planning its Social Banking presence in these communities.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of awards to dignitaries that have contributed immensely to Nigeria home and abroad. The awards centered on Arewa and non Arewa Professionals, Successful Business Moguls, Designers, Government Administrators, Politicians and others.
Some of the awardees include, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a political strategist and a former Executive Governor of Lagos State; Jailanu Aliyu, Nigeria’s world-renowned Automobile designer who designed the Chevy Volt for Chevrolet Automobiles in the USA. He received Arewa Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Others are Balarabe Musa,a former Governor of Kaduna State. He won Aminu Kano Award For Selfless Service; Hadiza Mohammed Bala, Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA)
The rest of the awardees are Henry Ajumole who Won Arewa Special recognition Award and Maryam Mohammed Babanaya, CEO HBG Company, won Arewa Business Woman Of The Year.
Tony Tetuilla, a Nigeria renowned artiste thrilled the guests at the event. Other performers are Sunshine, Koroso, and some of the Arewa Local Troop.