PH Embassy in Nigeria Hosts Diplomatic Reception to Celebrate 127th Philippine Independence Day
ABUJA 14 July 2025 – The Philippine Embassy in Abuja hosted the 127th Philippine Independence Day reception on 26 June 2024 at the Ladi Kwali Conference Center of the Abuja Continental Hotel, Nigeria. The event drew in more than 300 guests including officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other federal and state agencies of Nigeria, members of the diplomatic and consular corps, representatives of the business sector and the Filipino community.
The event followed the classic format of a diplomatic reception, with an exchange of remarks between Philippine Ambassador Mersole J. Mellejor and the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria followed by a toast for the success and good health of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the Philippines and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, of Nigeria and healthy relations between the two countries.
In his remarks, Ambassador Mellejor provided an overview and recent encouraging developments in the relations between the Philippines and Nigeria in all aspects of their cooperation. He highlighted the presence of Filipinos in Nigeria and their connections with local inhabitants in the country that started during Nigeria’s oil boom in the 1970s.
The program featured a live performance of the Mindanao dance Kappa Malong-Malong by dancers from the Filipino community in Abuja, a video presentation of a tinikling performance courtesy of The Bayanihan Dance Company and a video tribute for Filipinos in Nigeria.
Gift bags were handed out to the guests containing Philippine products such as Katinko mosquito sprays, roll-ons and balms, as well as a variety of consumer products from the country. The outside design of the gift bag itself featured links to the Department of Tourism’s Travel Philippines and the Board of Investments’ one-stop shop for investors.
For a second straight year, the reception featured a lucky draw with Philippine pearl jewelry as prizes to promote Philippine tourism. The buffet featured Filipino favorites such as pork lechon, pancit and beef caldereta, along with local Nigerian fare. END
For more information, visit http://www.abujape.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinNigeria/.