The Governor of Anambra state has declared Tuesday, 16 November 2021, a public holiday to honour Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.
This statement was made known by Governor Willie Obiano in Awka today, where he said tomorrow is a work-free day to honour Zik of Africa.
The Governor said it would be suitable for the federal government to recognize the first president of Nigeria.
The statement, which was signed by Don Adinuba, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, states: “Tuesday, 16 November 2021, has been declared a work-free day in Anambra to honour Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s first president who was born on this day in 1904.”
“This is the 3rd consecutive year Anambra is observing the anniversary of the man who led Nigeria to independence on 1 October 1960.”
“He is popularly known as The Great Zik of Africa because of his extraordinary Pan-African vision and commitment.”
“Zik, born in Zungeru in Niger State and grew up in Calabar and Lagos, studied various disciplines in the United States and remained the most cultured, cosmopolitan and intellectually engaging of all Nigerian leaders.”
“He remains an unrivalled trailblazer, having established African Continental Bank, Nigeria’s first indigenous bank and Nigeria’s first indigenous university, the University of Nigeria at Nsukka, among other monumental and far-sighted achievements.”
He said countries like Ghana and Tanzania observes Dr Nkrumah and President Julius Nyerere’s birthday as a national holiday.
He concluded that “It is a huge national embarrassment that Nigeria has yet to declare 16 November a national holiday.”
Nnamdi Azikiwe served as the first president of Nigeria from 1963 to 1966 and was considered a force behind Nigeria’s independence.
