MAYOR BOWSER DECLARES OCT. 1 AS NIGERIAN AMERICAN DAY IN CITY
By LAFAYETTE BARNES SR.
WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 8, 2024 — Secretary of the District of Columbia Kimberly Bassett, on behalf of D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, issued a proclamation to Gbenga Ogunjimi, founder of the Nigerian Center — located at the Anacostia Art Center in Ward 8 — declaring Oct. 1 as Nigerian American Day in Washington, D.C.
The mayor’s proclamation celebrates the work the Southeast center provides to immigrants in D.C., and uplifts the contributions of Nigerians and Nigerian Americans in the District and nationwide.
“[The proclamation] commemorates Nigeria’s Independence Day of October 1, 1960, and the shared values of liberty, strength, and hope that continues to build bridges between our respective cultures in the District of Columbia,” said Bassett.
The Nigerian Center is one example of a local program creating opportunities and bridging connections for immigrants in the District.
The Nigerian Center, Gbenga said, provides a variety of client services including its walk-in immigration support, IRS free tax counseling, Pathway to Prosperity micro-loan program, and Nigerian language training classes in collaboration with African Ancestry Inc.
Dr. Gina Paige explained that African Ancestry, a D.C.-based business, offers maternal and paternal DNA test kits to reconnect members of the African Diaspora to the countries from which their ancestors originated.
For Paige, it’s not just about knowing where one comes from, it’s about building connections.
“African Ancestry will launch its first Family Reunion in Nigeria in January 2025,” she said.
See article in The Washington Informer WIN AFRICA at https://www.washingtoninformer.com/nigerian-american-day-washington-dc/
For more information on the Nigerian Center, visit nigeriancenter.org, and to learn more about African Ancestry, visit africanancestry.com.
