FEDASH SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON EXCEPTIONAL TALENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS WITHIN THE AFRICAN COMMUNITY IN SUNDERLAND.

It was a prestigious and beautiful event as Fedash Consultancy Limited, a leading educational consulting firm in Sunderland, in collaboration with the international office at the University of Sunderland held the 2024 annual awards and dinner night to recognise and honour the hard work and dedication of students of African heritage who have excelled in their studies as well as notable personalities and organisations within the African community in Sunderland.

It was also a day of history making as the Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom; His Excellency Dr. Cyprian Terseer Heen PhD, arrived in Sunderland to witness the event. This is the first time any Nigerian Ambassador or High Commissioner will visit the city of Sunderland. The guest speaker for the event was one of the very first Nigerian Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecologist in the UK, Professor Rotimi Jaiyesimi; speeches were also given by the Sunderland Deputy Mayor, Councillor Allison Chisnall as well as the Executive Director, Fedash Group of Companies, Mrs Hannah Damilola Oyeniyi and many other dignitaries within the African community in the North-East of England.

This year’s event took place on Friday, 15th March, 2024 at the Montgomery Suite, Stadium of Light in Sunderland.  The venue was carefully selected to provide a luxurious and sophisticated ambiance, creating the perfect setting for an evening of celebration and recognition. African students who recently had a first class in their undergraduate studies as well as those with Distinction in their post graduate studies got an Academic Excellence Award from the staff of the International Office at the University of Sunderland.

The Sunderland African Business award was won by Edgerise consultancy limited, while the Community Award was won by Sunderland African Community Association after a rigorous voting contest. The highlight of the occasion was the presentation of a lifetime Fedash legendary award to Dr. John and Mrs Margaret Ameobi who have not only helped hundreds of African students but also inspirational to many young Africans. The duo of the Ameobis started and registered a charity called the Ameobi Hardship fund for International Students (AHFIS) in 2007. This charity run by a board of trustees have helped to support international students who due to no fault of their own run into financial hardship in the cause of their study or research. AHFIS has helped more than 100 deserving international students of different nationalities the tune of over £85,000. The legendary Fedash Award was well deserved and received.

The Deputy Mayor officially welcomes the Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK and explained that Sunderland is a proud diverse, multicultural city and further congratulated all the awardees on their achievements. She specifically thanked everyone at FEDASH Consultancy Limited, especially its Director, Mrs Damilola Hannah Oyeniyi for once again organising this fantastic event which has obviously taken a lot of planning and preparation. She also appreciated the University of Sunderland for their unwavering support in helping the African students feel at home here in Sunderland. 

The guest speaker, Professor Rotimi Jaiyesimi talked about the unique role of Africans in diaspora with a view to maximizing individual and collective potentials. He also congratulated Fedash consultancy limited for such a beautiful evening and encouraged them to continue to champion the cause of Africans in the city, while staying at the forefront of progress and advancement, ensuring that Africans are part of the good in this city. He further reiterated that Fedash remains Africa’s pride in Sunderland and in this region and was not surprised when Fedash became one of the first African companies to be named a finalist at the Sunderland Business Echo Awards in 2023.

The acting Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, His Excellency Dr. Cyprian Terseer Heen PhD, while speaking applauded the amazing work Fedash Consultancy Limited have put into organising this annual awards night for the African Community in Sunderland. He sang praises of the Executive Director, Mrs Hannah Damilola Oyeniyi for all her exceptional work in creating an environment that fosters a culture of growth, collaboration and excellence within the African community in Sunderland. He was also quick to congratulate all awardees and also appreciate the entertainment team of African singers and drummers as well as the staff of the international office of the University of Sunderland that welcomed him at the train station to the city of Sunderland.

While giving her remarks, the Executive Director of the award-winning company, Fedash Consultancy Limited, Mrs Damilola Hannah Oyeniyi attributes the success of the company to God, good management and outstanding partners like the University of Sunderland. She thanked all the invited guests from far and near as well as the recipients and winners of the various categories of awards. To have been nominated for an award in itself shows your amazing work in the city and whether you win or not, we do appreciate you, she said. She thanked the international office staff at the University of Sunderland especially Ian, Lorraine and Carol. She also thanked her husband, Dr. Olugbenga Samuel Oyeniyi for his unwavering and staunch support at all times.  She promised that the annual awards and dinner night will continue in 2025; and as usual it will be a colourful event to celebrate and honour the outstanding achievements and contributions of individuals and businesses in our community.

The event also saw the beautiful cultural display, African fashion parade, captivating performances, music, a lavish dinner setting and many more entertainment that added beauty and glamour to the occasion, making it an unforgettable evening.

Other dignitaries at the event include the youngest Nigerian Professor in the North-East of England, Professor Olugbenga Akinade, public health practitioner and specialist, Dr. Lawrence Nnyanzi, African Tunes presenter on Spark radio Sunderland and husband of the Fedash Director, Dr. Olugbenga Oyeniyi, the Minister Counsellor and head of Consular, Education and Welfare at the Nigerian High Commission in London, Mr. Christian Okeke, the parents (Dr and Mrs Ameobi) to the ex-Nigerian and Newcastle footballers (Shola and Sammy Ameobi), the senior Pastor of one of the most populous African church in the North-East of England, Pastor Adeniran Oladipo amidst others.