UK Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon David Lammy MP, has made a significant move towards stregthening cultural ties between his country and Nigeria with ‘Jollof and Tea’ soft power campaign.
The unveiling of the soft power initiative which held at the residence of the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. John Baxter, celebrated Nigeria and UK’s cultural and creative ties.
The event witnessed the presence of notable Nigerians, including Nigerian Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hon. Musawa Hannatu; British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Richard Montgomery; Chief Executive Officer, British Film Institute (BFI), Ben Roberts, and other key figures in the creative industry.
The gathering, hosted by the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Baxter, underscored the campaign’s aim to fostering cultural exchange and more between creative industries in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Speaking during the event, the UK Foreign Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, David Lammy, said, “I was determined to get here within the first 120 days in office. And let me tell you what a blessing it is to be here in Lagos and in the wonderful continent of Africa. I have of course in my own constituency in Tottenham, met in North London, many, many Nigerians. I have sampled Jollof rice on more occasions than you can possibly know. And of course you will know also that as a Brit, I’m convinced that tea makes everything better. So on this visit, I will get a flavor of our relationship in so many, many areas.”
He stated further that as a lover of art, “I’m especially excited to unveil tonight this phone booth designed by Dricky Strickman, a young man taking the visual arts world by storm. He has beautifully rebranded a British icon, of course, to reflect our country’s links which will strengthen our relationship. But this campaign isn’t just about art. It’s about music, it’s about film, it’s about sports, literature, food, of course, fashion. It’s about our flourishing creative industries in Nigeria and in the United kingdom, which comprises an overwhelming number of small and medium enterprises. And it’s about our shared ambition to see them grow even further, drawing on diverse influences and raw talent in both Britain and Nigeria. I’m grateful to everyone here for their support, particularly the honorable Minister Musawa Hannatu, who I’ve just had the pleasure of meeting and discussing what more our two countries can do together.
“We agreed it was vital to strengthen partnerships in the creative sector to benefit both of our economies. And I know the British Council, which celebrated its 80th anniversary in Nigeria this year, will play an important part, demonstrating the education opportunities, connecting people and creating opportunities. We were also talking about film and filmmakers. There’s more we can do together.”
While unveiling the first of its kind phone booth, designed by Frederick ‘Dricky’ Stickman, a young and talented Nigerian graffiti and visual artist, Foreign Secretary Lammy, reiterated the UK’s commitment to encouraging talents in Nigeria and the diaspora, pledging the UK’s support to strengthening partnerships in the creatives sector to benefit both countries’ economies.
Fredrick on his part expressed his joy over the success of his design and the story behind it, saying that through the designed phone booth, he basically brought to life some of Nigeria and the UK creativities.
Commenting on the campaign, Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Baxter, said the ‘Jollof and Tea’ campaign is designed to showcase the length and breadth of the UK – Nigeria partnership including the creative and cultural sectors. “It will help raise awareness about the existing connections between the UK and Nigeria and take forward ongoing efforts by both countries to strengthen our people-to-people links,” he added.