…As Succulent Prizes Await Winning Brand, Elements Designers
By Clifford Agugoesi, Editor-in-Chief
To celebrate Nigeria’s Diamond Jubilee, which comes up on October 1, 2020, the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, has approved an inclusive National Independence Celebration programme in line with COVID-19 protocols and guidelines, with a challenge to local innovators to ensure the thematic and creative aspects of the event are designed by Nigerians for Nigeria. The theme of the celebration is “Together at 60.”
An Interministerial Committee has been set up to ensure the celebrations pan out inclusive and successful and Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has been tapped to chair the Diamond/Innovation/Change Sub-Committee, and to demonstrate his response-activity to matters of innovation and change towards the country’s match towards a digital economy, has invited Nigerians to use their creativity to brand the celebrations and proudly own them.
Stated Pantami: “As the saying goes, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. The Federal Government therefore wants to use this opportunity to celebrate our strength as one indivisible country. Also provide opportunity for Nigerians to choose their brand and harness the power of our creative minds to create other elements that will form the Brand of the Anniversary. The Sub Committee of the Interministerial Committee came up with a challenge in which they are looking for talented, critical thinking and creative individuals or teams to produce the slogan, photograph, and a poem for Nigerians to mark the country’s 60th Anniversary, from 1st October 2020 to 30th December 2021.”
Already, a special portal dedicated to Nigeria At 60: https://www.nigeriaat60.gov.ng has gone live and is pretty functional as at the time of this report. To vote for the best brand and participate in the challenge, interested parties are to visit the challenge portal: https://nigeriaAt60.gov.ng.
The best brand and concept will be presented to President Muhammadu Buhari and will be used in celebrating Nigeria’s 60th Anniversary. The winners will also receive prizes, in addition to being part of the epoch-making event.
Other than the Slogan, Poem and Photograph, there are four logo options on display at the event site and one needs to be selected.
The selected logo will be used during the 60th Anniversary celebrations and will also be used in the Naira currency notes and postal stamps in addition to being used as design merchandise by manufacturers.
The Winner will smile home with ₦3,000,000(US$7,860), an Award Plaque and Certificate of Accomplishment while the first runner up will go home with ₦1,500,000, an Award Plaque and certificate of accomplishment and the second runner up will go home with ₦1,000,000, an Award Plaque and Certificate of Accomplishment.
Pantami Commented: “As part of the efforts to make Nigeria a digital economy and inline with the current COVID-19 crisis, the entire event with the exception of the demo day will be done remotely via an online portal. This ensures safer, faster, transparent and more effective execution.”
Minister for Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said: “The new brand must be impactful both at the national level postering unity and at international level improving positive impression of the country.”
As the country eagerly awaits the unveiling of the winning brand and other elements of the celebration, October 1, 2020, proper, is a day that reminds every citizen about the dawn of the nation we call our country, a diverse nation with resilient and hardworking people, who have gone far and wide, impacting their communities and the world at large.
