Nigerians all over the U.S. are gearing up for the 2018 edition of the Nigerian Independence Day Parade and Carnival, which will hold on Saturday in New York.
The annual event, which is the largest gathering of Nigerians outside of the homeland, started in 1991, and is being held annually since then.
The event is being organised by the Organisation for the Advancement of Nigerians (OAN) Inc. and Nigeria Independence Day Committee,to commemorate Nigeria’s 58th independence anniversary
The committee is a coalition of Nigerian cultural, religious, professional, business, and civic groups, committed to preserving, presenting and celebrating Nigeria’s rich history and culture.
Chairman, Organising Committee, Mr Yinka Dansalami, said the annual celebration of Nigeria’s independence anniversary through parade and carnival, had been contributing to the rich and diverse culture of New York City.
“The Nigerian Independence Day Parade will hold on Saturday,from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., while the official independence day party will hold from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Sunday,” he said.
He said the occasion, known as the largest celebration of Nigeria outside of the homeland, would parade the very best of Nigeria’s food, culture, music, and people.
“The route will end at Nigeria House, and will be followed by the Independence Day Festival at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza near the United Nations Headquarters,” Dansalami told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
NAN reports that the Parade route begins at Second Avenue and E. 54th Street and ends at E. 44th Street in New York City.