London’s Covent Garden was the stylish setting for this year’s Yoruba Foundation Gala Evening and Enterprise Awards celebration, which ushered in Black History Month.

Around 250 representatives from Nigeria’s UK Diaspora came in full native costume to this celebration of difference and achievement that is sponsored annually by London Metropolitan University.

Alumnus and Chairman of the Foundation, Dele Ogun, introduced an inspired choice for the role of Keynote Speaker, reigning Commonwealth Light-Welterweight Boxing Champion, Olusegun Ajose.

With the rainbow coloured belt complementing his beige brocade, the Champion gave a straight-from-the-heart speech on how he, as a professional pugilist, rises to challenges. Abstention from ‘womanising’ was the tip that drew the loudest reaction from the mixed audience.

The theme of rising to challenges led seamlessly to the presentation of the Yoruba Foundation Enterprise Awards. The successful enterprises included BMac Food Processing Ltd, Queens Park Real Estates, Obalende Suya Restaurant and Ogun@Law Solicits led by Dele.

In his address, Director of Student Recruitment and International Development, Mark Bickerton, showed that although he hasn’t yet reached the stage of wearing his Nigerian attire in Covent Garden or of coming to terms with Lagos traffic, he can ‘get to grips with his pepper soup and pounded yam’.

The evening was rounded off with intense dancing until 2am with the sounds of Ebenezer Obey and Fela.


10 October 2007