The European Union (EU) delegation to Nigeria and the ECOWAS Ambassador, Ms Samuela Isopi, on Friday lightened up the Abuja City Gate to commemorate Europe Day’s celebration.
Europe Day is a day for celebrating peace and unity among the European countries that form the EU since 1950.
The celebration to mark the 72nd-anniversary main event would hold on Monday in Abuja, and it has the theme: “Peace, Cooperation and Unity.”
Isopi said the 2022 edition would centre on peace and cooperation and emphasise the partnership between the EU and Nigeria for decades.
“The 2022 edition of the Europe Day will celebrate EU’s peace, cooperation and the partnership between EU and Nigeria.
“I’m glad and honoured to kick off this year’s celebration with this simple but very symbolic ceremony.
“So, you know we are going to light up the Abuja city gate in honour of the Europe Day and also in honour of the friendship between EU and Nigeria.
“I will like to thank the government of the Federal Capital Territory for the cooperation, and for granting the bloc the opportunity to light up the city gate.
“The city gate is a symbol here in Abuja and one of the monumental symbols dating back from when the capital was transferred from Lagos to Abuja.
“And I repeat is an honour to share in this historical moment which tonight stands as a symbol of our friendship with Nigeria,” she said.
Isopi said the exercise at Abuja city gate was the first activity of the 2022 celebration.
May 9 marks the anniversary of the historic Robert Schuman’s declaration that set out his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe.
The declaration makes war among Europe’s nations unthinkable.
Schuman’s proposal is considered to be the beginning of what is now the EU.