The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism
and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, on Wednesday received a Guinness
World Record certificate from 15-year-old autistic artist and cyclist,
Kanyeyachukwu Tagbo-Okeke, following his 686-mile cycling expedition from Enugu
to Lagos.
The presentation took place in Abuja,
where the minister described the teenager as an inspiration to Nigeria and the
global autism community.
According to a statement issued on
Thursday by Nneka Anibeze, the Special Adviser to the minister, Musawa praised
Kanye’s resilience, creativity and determination, while commending his family
for supporting and nurturing his talents.
“Kanye is the personification of what
makes us want to be better human beings. He continues to break every single
glass ceiling and surpass every expectation,” the minister said.
She added, “When the world talks about
the greats, and the likes of Mandela, I have no doubt that somewhere, the name
Kanye will be there. I even believe that one day, he may be considered for the
Nobel Peace Prize. That is something I feel in my spirit.”
Earlier, Kanye’s mother, Silvia
Tagbo-Okeke, formally presented the certificate to the minister and thanked her
for supporting the teenager’s advocacy and artistic projects over the years.
“This second Guinness World Record is
for cycling. He cycled from Enugu to Lagos, and it was also a tourism journey,
captured along the way with community engagements and receptions in various
states,” she said.
“We are here to officially present the
record to our ‘Mummy’ because you have always supported us and our exhibitions
over the years,” she added.
Dr Tagbo-Okeke also disclosed that Kanye
is scheduled to hold an art exhibition at the United Nations headquarters in
New York from May 20 to August 25, 2026.
Kanye, accompanied by his family and
support team, completed the cycling expedition between March 19 and April 2,
2026, travelling across several states from Enugu to Lagos.
The journey, which promoted autism
awareness and tourism, featured community engagements and official receptions
showcasing Nigeria’s culture, heritage and landscapes.
The feat also established him as the
youngest person to cycle more than 100 miles, surpassing the benchmark with a
total distance of 686 miles covered during the expedition.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment