By Goodluck Ikiebe in Abuja.
As member nations prepare for the Commonwealth Games, Nigeria has emerged the first nation in Africa to receive the Queen’s Baton Relay, an iconic event which started with a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London as part of the city’s Commonwealth Day festivities.
The President, Commonwealth Games Nigeria, Engr. Habul Gumel, received the Queen’s Baton Relay on Friday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja for onward presentation to the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare who is to handover to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Engr. Gumel said that, Nigeria was the first country in Africa to receive the Queen’s Baton Relay.
According to him, “the Queen’s Baton Relay,similar to the Olympic Torch, is a relay around the world and the Baton carries a message from the Head of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II.
The Relay started in October 2021; when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II placed her message to the Commonwealth into the Baton. The Baton will then travel for 294 days, connecting communities in every corner of the Commonwealth, embracing unique cultures and sharing stories”.
Engr Gumel stated further, ”This collective journey will ignite hope, solidarity and collaboration for the next generation, with stories inspired to take on the challenges that matter most to us.”
The President, Commonwealth Games Nigeria, explained that Nigeria was the third country to receive the Queen’s Baton Relay, after which it will tour 15 other African countries before moving to Asia.
The 15 other African Countries are: Gambia (October 16), Sierra Leone (October 23), Ghana (October 26), Cameroon (October 29), Kenya (November 2), Uganda (November 5), Rwanda (November 10), Tanzania (November 13), Malawi (November 17) and Zambia (November 20).
Also, Mozambique (November 23), Mauritius (November 27), Botswana (November 30), St. Helena (December 5), South Africa (December 8), Namibia (December 14), Eswatini (December 17), Lesotho (December 20) Seychelles (December 23).
The Director, Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mohammed Manga in a statement said that Birmingham in 2022 would stage the 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay.
According to him,it an epic journey across the Commonwealth with The Queen’s Baton visiting all the 72 nations and territories, reaching Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean and the Americas.
