The High Commission of Malaysia in Abuja has been honored with an award from the Diplomatic Correspondents Association of Nigeria (DICAN) in recognition of its active and invaluable contribution towards the development of Nigeria.
The award was presented by the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, His Excellency Ubbi Bachir of the Sahrawi Republic to His Excellency Datuk Lim Juay Jin, High Commissioner of Malaysia to Nigeria during a special event held on Wednesday, 10 February 2016 in Abuja. Alongside Malaysia, similar awards were also given to the United States, China, Japan and Venezuela.
Apart from awards given to Diplomatic Missions, DICAN also presented awards to some recognized individual diplomats, who were outstanding in their contribution in the field of diplomacy, namely the Ambassador of the Sahrawi Republic, Ambassador of Indonesia, Ambassador of Lebanon, Ambassador of Libya and the Press Attaché of the Egyptian Embassy.
According to DICAN, the maiden awards night was organized to accord appropriate recognition of the active and invaluable contributions of certain Diplomatic Missions and diplomats who have made significant contribution towards developments of Nigeria. The diverse services and contributions rendered included financial assistance, building of infrastructure, scholarships offered to Nigerians, grants, rehabilitation of schools among others.
The event was well attended by foreign envoys, members of the House of Representatives and Senate, officials from MFA and journalists. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria was represented by the MFA’s spokesperson.
In response to the award, H.E. Datuk High Commissioner welcomed such initiatives as it served to promote closer ties between Nigeria and the recipients’ country and foster better understanding with local institutions. Besides, the awards were also served as a recognition to the meaningful efforts of various Diplomatic Missions in Abuja.
DICAN, an organization newly formed under the Abuja Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), consisted of journalists from all the major media houses in Nigeria and has been officially accredited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide coverage on the activities the Ministry, its agencies as well as the activities of Diplomatic Missions in Nigeria.
