Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday night, in New York City, United States announced Lagos, Nigeria as the host city for the year 2020 Global Citizen Festival.
Sanwo-Olu who made the announcement during an interactive session of global leaders, activists and entertainers said the need to end extreme poverty by the year 2030, which is the aim of the Global Citizen movement must be embraced by every world leader.
He said, “I stand before you this evening to join my brothers and sisters from Nigeria to announce to you that come September 26, 2020, we would be hosting the world. We would be hosting the Global Citizen Festival in Lagos, Nigeria. We are looking forward to it. It is the beginning of greater things to happen to us as people from West Africa and indeed the entire African continent.
“I will encourage the Federal Government of Nigeria to invite leaders from countries in Africa and around the world to grace the occasion. And as Governor of one of the 36 states in Nigeria, I will invite my colleagues to come and make commitments on behalf of nearly one hundred million poorest of the poor people in Nigeria so that by the year 2030, we would be writing a different story about the situation of the poor masses in the country.”
Sanwo-Olu said, that Nigeria, which has over 200 million people, with half of the population living below the poverty line requires concerted efforts by all and sundry to ensure that more people are taken away from extreme poverty on a regular basis.
Speaking on the event, the CEO of Global Citizen, Hugh Evans, together with the CEO of Teneo, a supporting company, the historic 10 hour global broadcast event spanning five continents will reach every corner of the world.
According to them, the idea is to spread the message in a very loud and well-coordinated manner for every leader across the world to hear and for them to see the urgent need to commit their knowledge and material resources to help the poor.
The year 2019 festival will hold at the central park in New York on Saturday.
Leaders in music and entertainment, who have signed on to perform at the 2020 Global Citizen Festival in Nigeria include Usher Raymond, Pharell, D’banj, Tiwa Savage, Hold Space, Shawn Mendes among others.
The 10-hour live event will be supported by the Lagos State Government in partnership with Live Nation and Delivered Production Services, made possible by Messrs Tunde Folawiyo and Aig-imoukhuede who are co-chair of Global Citizen, Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Governor Sanwo-Olu has called on Nigerians to shun violence and continue to live in peace and harmony in order to build a better Nigeria.
The Governor made this call, on Friday, at a Special Jumat Service organized to commemorate the 59th Independence Day Celebrations at the Lagos State Secretariat Community Central Mosque, Alausa, Ikeja.
Sanwo-Olu who was represented at the event by his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, stressed that the nation cannot develop if there is violence, killing and fighting amongst its citizens. He, therefore, urged everyone with a violent disposition to have a rethink, as it is ungodly to kill anybody in Islam.
According to him, “It is clear in Islam that if you kill a soul, you have killed a nation. Whatever the grievances are, let us all sit down and resolve it, to have a nation where we will live in peace and harmony, where we will be able to fulfil Allah destiny”.
He disclosed that his dream for Nigeria is for all Nigerians to live in peace and utilize their God giving talents for a better nation which cannot be achieved when there is fighting, no peace and violence.
Speaking further, the Governor stated that Nigeria is a good country and it will be better if all citizens are upright, do what is right always and care for one another.
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