Green-Aand-White Glamour
The first-ever Nigerian students’ awards celebrates Winnipeg community
TOPE ORIOLA STAFF
For those who thought only cities like London and New York had sizeable numbers of Nigerian students, the maiden edition of the Nigerian students’ awards clearly showed that the green and white colours of Nigeria are well represented here in Winnipeg. The show featured a number of awards that were given to deserving individuals, in categories including: best Nigerian clique, most friendly Nigerian student, best couple, best dressed, man of the year, woman of the year, most ambitious and so forth.
Everyone turned out in state-ofthe- art fashion dresses, particularly the women who added an unparalleled amount of style and class to the awards. The event kicked off with a sonorous rendition of the Nigerian national anthem, which left me wondering if I actually knew the anthem very well. That was closely followed by “Oh, Canada!” The maple leaf was very much alive!
Several performances made the night an unforgettably scintillating show. Upcoming music stars like Seun and Ndu thrilled the audience, making them forget that they were thousands of miles away from home. There was a splendid fashion show and a breathtaking performance from the group My Ebony. Consisting mainly of youngsters, I dare say that this dance group will go places along with everyone who performed on the night.
Winnipeg-based Nigerian artiste Arinze dazzled the audience with songs from his 2005 CD and beat yours truly and two other students to “Best Male Vocalist.” Arinze clearly deserved the award. He takes his music seriously.
By the time the five best-dressed men and women were showcased, the audience was completely mesmerized. At the end of the dance by Mary and Co., it was clear that some students may not need their degrees after all.
The night was a study in multiculturalism. Nigerian students came with their friends from all races and ethnicities. It was an avenue for Nigerian students to kindle dying flames of friendships and light fresh ones. Award recipient Doja Shoyoye believed the atmosphere encouraged Nigerian students from various universities within and outside Winnipeg to socialize. Little wonder, she won the award for “most friendly female student.” Award nominee Dike Ukome said the awards were “wonderful” and succeeded in “uniting all Africans under one roof.”
Chibuke Udenigwe, a student in the chemistry department at the University of Manitoba, who transferred from the master’s program to the PhD program in just one year courtesy of his record-setting academic performance, won the award for “most intelligent student.” Udenigwe described the awards as “well-organized.” However, he would like other categories recognizing excellence in literature, politics, and leadership to be created in the next edition of the awards.
Certain areas need to be improved as chief organizer Bukky Olu-George Taylor and her crew prepare for the next year’s awards. First, a more compact venue than The Connection might be considered. Certainly, the second edition can be spiced up with some of Nigeria’s diverse culture. This was clearly missing in the maiden edition.
It is germane for Nigerian students to remember the admonitions of Bode Opanuga, a Nigerian-Manitoban for 21 years: “stay together.” In all, organizers and all Nigerian students can rise to their feet and take a bow wherever they are for the success of this year’s awards. The Nigerian eagle has landed. The razzmatazz of the night will be re-enacted come 2007. Things can only get better.
