Virtual Remarks At The Nigerian – German Cultural Carnival On 10/09/2022

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VIRTUAL GOODWILL MESSAGE DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THE OCCASION OF THE NIGERIAN – GERMAN CULTURAL CARNIVAL ON THE 10^TH OF SEPTEMBER, 2022

PROTOCOLS

May I begin by commending and congratulating the Nigerian Consulate in Germany and Nigeria in Diaspora Organization (NIDO) for successfully putting together the first Nigerian-German Cultural Carnival. I also bring you the warm felicitations of our President, President  Muhammadu Buhari.

In a world of increasing interconnectedness, where a crisis in one corridor of the world can have a huge impact in several other places across the globe, your theme of “Peaceful Co-existence Across Multi-diverse Cultures”, couldn’t be more relevant.

Leaders across the world, in government, business, and other strata of society, are daily tasked with finding creative ways to facilitate a balance of interests between diverse communities of people. Perhaps one of the most complicated truths of human life is that what significantly enriches our world is that which we also fear – our differences, the blessings of multiple talents and perspectives hidden in contrasting cultures, languages, and races.

We have succeeded every time we have found the wisdom and courage to build connecting bridges and cooperate for our mutual benefit. And every time we have succumbed to the antics of demagogues who insist on fear and division, we have struggled and suffered.

This is why our pursuit of peaceful co-existence must remain unrelenting. And in many ways, the deployment of cultural initiatives such as this has typically succeeded where politics in the strictest sense has failed.

Culture is one of the purest expressions of the human spirit and it has always served as an effective way of demonstrating the non-threatening value we each possess. It is through the sounds and words of Bach and Beethoven and Kant that we gain a richer understanding of Germany and Germans, and how their intellectual and artistic curiosities connect to our universal aspirations and appreciation for excellence and wisdom.

It is through the acclaimed stories of Achebe and Soyinka and the trumpeting creativity of Fela Kuti that we gain a richer understanding of the beauty and depth of the human spirit and in this particular case, of the Nigerian spirit.

Today, Fela’s trumpet has morphed even further into the global phenomenon that is Afrobeat, a sound that has captivated the consciousness of the world like few cultural phenomena have done in recent times, drawing attention to a new generation of incredibly exciting male and female Nigerian geniuses in that genre.

And so as you march and dance and showcase the multifaceted culture of Nigeria in all its excellence and glory in the course of this carnival, you put the world on notice that we are much more than the challenges we face and that what will be on display in Frankfurt, is a representation of a rising African giant dealing unflinchingly with its local and national issues whilst staying open and ready to do business and tourism with the world.

There are over 50,000 Nigerians residing in Germany who will be represented at the carnival, and many millions more spread out across the globe. You are the most profound ambassadors of our dear country and you have continued to do us proud, excelling across a range of fields and forging respectful associations with your host countries.

You are a shining example of the doggedness and ingenuity of Nigerians as a whole. More importantly, your efforts will be a starter to a most delicious meal, and it will lead many in your host countries and around the world to Nigeria to enjoy the main course and desert.

On behalf of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, we wish you an enjoyable and unforgettable carnival as you fly the flag of our great country and show the world our rich heritage!

Thank you and God bless.