Nigeria’s Parade: Against All Odds!

Nigeria at 66! The world famous and renowned largest black nation on the planet does not hold back when it comes to celebration of any kind. Well known for elaborate week long wedding feasts, glitzy Nollywood dramas with stately homes and a strong export of high achieving intellectuals in various fields. On behalf of Nigerians in diaspora, the Organization for the Advancement of Nigeria (OAN) make it a priority annually to honor its own by recognizing those who uplift the nation favorably and positively.

The Independence day is on Oct 1, however festivities commenced a day before the scheduled Oct 3 parade, with a sumptuous feast at the iconic glistening tower, the Nigerian Embassy, popularly known as the Nigeria House in New York City. The auspicious occasion of Independence Day celebration also lent itself to a great opportunity to honor and award descendants of the nation achieving the almost impossible in various fields from health, arts, technology, et.al. This year’s esteemed honorees were world renowned artist Shantell Martin, Cardiologist Dr. Oluyemi Badero, Queen Mother Delois Blakely, Afrobeat star Patoranking, and Gbenga Ogunjimi

On parade day, the joy, the excitement… You had to have been there to get a taste of the contagious, exhilarating flavor of happiness, in true Nigerian style. No amount of vocabulary articulation could describe it enough. Denizens in diaspora descended on 2nd Avenue in NYC, with high profile dignitaries such as United Nations deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed, Ambassador Abubakar Jidda, Ambassador Jimoh Ibrahim and Khalifah Sheikh Ibrahim Tahir Bauchi who came from Nigeria to help lead the way, all roared with thunderous jubilation and sheer pride down the Avenue. That very same energy cost the parade the permit to march down Madison Avenue, a much wider and longer route utilized a year prior, the same route used by just about every other ethnicity in diaspora celebrating their proud heritage in America. Apparently, an American board member of the city’s governing body who issues public event permits had a problem with the “noise” passing through her city block, which ultimately lead to the cancellation of the Madison Avenue route permit this year. The organizers of the parade, OAN, were asked to revert back to their former location on 2nd Avenue, which just reopened after years of renovation. The parade permit was granted for 10 street blocks long and half of the width of 2nd Avenue. Cars were permitted to use the other half while marchers walked along other, essentially side by side. Bicyclist could be seen riding through the parade route, nonetheless.

Few months earlier, OAN made a pitch for the Empire State Building to be lit in the nation’s colors of green and white, much like India did in celebration of their independence. Nigeria was swiftly denied the same privilege.

As the only African nation in the US with a full scale parade, annually, Nigeria pulls out all the big wigs in their well documented intellectual cabinets to ensure the parade is felt from NYC to California coastline and beyond, no matter the barriers put up against them. Several tribes and professional enclaves, clubs, communities in diaspora from far and wide, gather their members, travel to the big apple to partake in the now highly coveted slots on the parade route.

Nigeria, a region of over 250 tribes watered down to 3 main branches of Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba showed up and showed out in various distinctive attires attributed to their tribes, adding vibrant hues of colors to the landscape, collectively bringing the occasion to live and to the forefront of the world’s biggest stage. Foreign nationals from the Caribbean community came in full support dressed in their national attires and marched in the parade.

Despite several set backs the organization faced with this year”s festivities, they worked tirelessly to ensure not a drop of “rain” dampened the parade, the most “holy” of days for Nigerians in diaspora, by pulling off one of the most successful parade festivities to mark the 66th anniversary of the nation’s escape from the clutches of colonial bondage. To an outsider looking in, the festivity was flawless, attendance was bursting at the seams, packed like they’ve never seen it before, many claiming their Nigerian heritage with pride, clad in vibrant green and white attires. Little did they know the affair had a couple of glitches that almost disrupted the entire production, that would have resulted in a cancellation altogether. As if the permit debacle wasn’t enough, on D-day, just minutes before the surprise guest of honor arrived, none other than Mayor Mamdani of NYC, the electricity at the parade finale location, the Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, which had a grand stage for entertainment and dignitaries to address the crowd, failed to comply! Organizers found themselves scrambling to resolve the situation. After months of romancing the stone to get the Mayor to attend, on the heels of his non appearance at last year’s parade, this was a buzz kill! Mamdani soon showed up to a grand and deafening applause, armed with a blowhorn in hand to address the crowd. The enthusiasm of the eager crowd was so overwhelmingly visible that the pending issue of the electricity failure was hardly noticeable! The guests were overjoyed to see him standing there on the stage dropping bits of pidgin English and acknowledging the musical artists line up. Mayor Mamdani is a man who is no stranger to the music scene having had chart topping hits himself long before he took to politics to become the Mayor we know today.

Nigerian afrobeat stars Patoranking , Runtown and Bnxn (formerly Buju) blessed the affair by lighting up the event stage belting out their hit songs to a plaza full of screaming fans who sang along.

The head honcho, Chairman of OAN, Attorney Olayinka Dansalami received a very surprised and humbling award on stage during the festivities in honor of his almost 40 long years of selfless dedication to the cause of uplifting the nation in disapora.

From afrobeats, healthcare, technology, academics to commerce and everything else in between, Nigerians are well known to have been setting the pace for decades no matter where on earth they find themselves. Be it a janitor or a physician they will make sure they own the establishment or are prominently positioned at the top of the chain in command.

A few non Nigerian spectators felt the need to project vocally their single digit percentage dna claim of being a Nigerian! The euphoria from the festivities was contagious, to say the least!

Having a presence via the parade in the big apple, the world stage is of profound cultural and historical significance.

The Rollercoaster of near mishaps that almost derailed the D day further emphasized the tenacity and resilience of Nigerians, firmly believing and living their life motto of “Naija no dey carry last!” Where there’s a way, there’s always a will!

The esteemed guests and crowd were oblivious to such nuances. They were seen having superb uninterrupted fun, making connections and long lasting memories.

As the saying goes in Nigeria, “the devil is a liar!”

Now that the bar is set, we look forward to what next year brings.

Click here to watch the event’s video posted on instagram