Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced Lagos as the host city for the year 2020 Global Citizen Festival, NAN report.
A statement signed on Friday, by the Chief Press Secretary, Mr Gboyega Akosile indicated that Sanwo-Olu made this known during an interactive session of global leaders, activists and entertainers in New York City, United States.
The governor said that the need to end extreme poverty by the year 2030, which was the aim of the Global Citizen Movement, should be embraced by every leader around the world.
He said that Nigeria, which had over 200 million people, with half of that population living below the poverty line, required concerted efforts by all and sundry, to ensure that more people were taken away from extreme poverty on a regular basis.
”I stand before you to join my brothers and sisters from Nigeria, to announce that come September 26, 2020, we would be hosting the world.
”We would be hosting the Global Citizen Festival in Lagos, Nigeria. We are looking forward to it.
”It is the beginning of greater things to happen to us as people from West Africa and indeed the entire African continent.
”I will encourage the Federal Government of Nigeria, to invite leaders from countries in Africa and around the world to grace the occasion.
”And as Governor of one of the 36 states in Nigeria, I will invite my colleagues to come and make commitments, on behalf of nearly one hundred million poorest of the poor people in Nigeria,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He said that with that commitment, by the year 2030, a different story would be written about the situation of the poor masses in the country.
Speaking on the event, the Chief Executive Officer of Global Citizen, Hugh Evans, said that the historic 10-hour global broadcast event, spanning five continents would reach every corner of the world.
Evans said that the idea was to spread the message in a very loud and well-coordinated manner, for every leader across the world to hear.
He said that the leaders must see the urgent need to commit their knowledge and material resources to help the poor.
“The year 2019 festival will hold at the central park in New York, on Saturday.
“Leaders in music and entertainment who have signed on, to perform at the year 2020 Global Citizen Festival in Nigeria included: Usher Raymond, Pharell, D’banj, Tiwa Savage, Hold Space, Shawn Mendes, among other artistes.
“The 10-hour live event will be supported by Lagos State Government, in partnership with Live Nation and Delivered Production Services, made possible by Messrs Tunde Folawiyo and Mr Aigboje Aig-imoukhuede, who are co-chair of Global Citizen, Nigeria, ” he said.
