[dailymotion code=”x82qej9″ autoplay=”yes”]
The British Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Ben Llewellyn-Jones, has commended Nigerians for their perseverance and resilience despite the numerous challenges they have been facing in the past year.

He also stressed the importance of partnership and friendship between the Nigerian and British governments, saying that a lot could be achieved with it.

Llewellyn spoke at the Nigeria-Britain Association (N-BA) reception in honour of its newly-elected President, Abimbola Okoya, during the association’s presidential cocktail in collaboration with the British Deputy High Commission in Nigeria tagged: “The Big I.D.E.A,” held in Lagos.

He said: “Those of us here in Nigeria and friends of Nigeria have seen the incredible resilience of Nigerians but also the importance of friendship and partnership that the Nigeria-Britain Association shows and maintains. So, on my part and our part, as the British Deputy High Commission here in Lagos, and for many British businesses and British representatives and friends of Britain here present, I will like to re-affirm our commitment to that partnership and indeed to what it means now and for the future.”

Also speaking, Okoya said the N-BA would continue to strengthen ties between both countries, along with the collaborative vision of the founders of the association.

“The Nigeria-Britain Association is committed to the continued strengthening of ties between the Association and Britain in line with the collective vision of its founders to create an identity that reflects the bond of mutual understanding, cultural exchange and friendship between Nigerians, Britons and members of the Commonwealth and work towards a common good,” she said.

She further said that the vision informed the theme of the 2021 event, namely The Big I.D.E.A., which is an acronym for Inclusivity, Diversity, Empowerment, and Agility.

On his part, Marketing Director, British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN), West and Central Africa, Ademola Omitayo, felicitated with the N-BA and its new President, Okoya, whose election he described as a landmark and a demonstration of the progressive values of the association and its alignment with BATN’s core value of diversity.

Executive Director, Scib Insurance Nigeria, Mr. Solanke Ogunlana, in his goodwill message, described the emergence of the N-BA’s first female Nigerian President as special and expressed delight in the positive initiatives of the association.

In her goodwill message, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO), Eleganza Group, Mrs. Folashade Okoya, expressed delight in the recognition given to the efforts of indigenous companies in the country by the N-BA, while felicitating with the association’s new President.

She expressed confidence in the President having a successful tenure, owing to the fact that “she grew up in an industrial home where she was able to learn the spirit of hard work and integrity as well as sharpening her business acumen at an early age.”