The chairperson and CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has congratulated Councillor Abigail Marshall Katung, a British Nigerian, who is the newly appointed Lord Mayor of Leeds and the first citizen of Leeds for the term 2024-2025.
The NiDCOM boss also congratulated Tope Awotona, a Nigerian-born entrepreneur, who has officially been declared the richest Nigerian immigrant residing in the US.
Dabiri-Erewa, in a congratulatory message, through the Director of Media and Public Relations, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, described the appointment and attainment of the duo as very well deserved.
Dabiri-Erewa said she was not surprised about the appointment of Councillor Katung, going by her past achievements and records, which had positive impacts on humanity.
She prayed for a successful and impactful tenure for her and urged Nigerians in Leeds to continue to rally round and give her necessary support geared towards national development.
The Councillor Katung made history as the first elected African Councillor in Leeds in the history of the council.
She is currently the chair of the Scrutiny Board for Infrastructure, Investment and Inclusive Growth.
Katung has previously held other senior posts, including lead member for Race/BAME, and lead member for Faith and Belief amongst others.
She is also co-chair of the David Oluwale Memorial Association (DOMA) and plays a strategic leadership role for the Leeds African Communities Trust, an umbrella organisation for African communities in Leeds.
On the other hand, Tope Awotona, a 42-year-old Nigerian-born founder and CEO of the Scheduling Software Company, Calendly, has risen to become the richest Nigerian immigrant residing in the United States of America.
According to Forbes, Awotona, who relocated to the US during his teenage years, holds a net worth of $1.2 billion, while his company variation is worth over $3 billion.