Zenith Bank has lit up Ajose Adeogun Street Roundabout, Victoria Island, Lagos, with Christmas decorations in its 15th edition of the traditional light-up ceremony.
This year’s ceremony held on Saturday, November 20 themed “Let There Be Light” comes after it was halted last year by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s ceremony signals the return of what could be described as a spectacle that has come to be recognised by not only Lagosians but Nigerians in general as an iconic place and tourist attraction because of the beautiful decorations adorning the length and breadth of Ajose Adeogun Street – home to Zenith Bank’s headquarters, during the yuletide season.
The official lighting ceremony, which was performed by the group managing director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc, Ebenezer Onyeagwu, supported by executive management, saw thousands of the bank’s staff and customers joining virtually and through the bank’s social media platforms.
Speaking during the ceremony, Mr Onyeagwu praised Quantum, the company responsible for the annual decorations, for the very outstanding, gorgeous and extremely beautiful work that they have done this year. He said, “Each year when we come in, and we see the decorations, I keep asking myself what next? Would there be something better than what we have seen and I see that at the end of every season, they come up with innovations and creativity, and they make it even far better and take it to a higher level.”
Onyeagwu expressed delight that this year’s light-up ceremony is able to hold following the cancellation of last year’s edition due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the #EndSARS protests.
He said, “Last year was a very unusual year. Covid threw a curveball at humanity, and as a result, it changed the way we engaged and the way we live; it transformed so many other things, and as a country, we had some unique challenges. As a result of those challenges, especially the #EndSARS protest, last year we couldn’t light up, not because there was no money. It was because we had to grapple with Covid-19, and again during the #EndSARS protest, the fittings that we employ in having this light-up were terribly vandalised, and it required time and resources for us to put it together. We didn’t want to have any undue exposure or create vulnerability. Therefore we had to allow time to put the fittings back, and as soon as we have put it back, here we are today.”
He also used the opportunity to remind Nigerians that the fight against COVID-19 is far from over. Onyeagwu, therefore, appealed to everyone that as “we celebrate Christmas, we should celebrate responsibly, maintain social distance, wear our masks and for those of us who haven’t been vaccinated, please take your vaccine for vaccination is saving lives.”
