The British High Commission has installed a replica of the London telephone box at Terminal Two of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA2) to mark the kick-off of its ‘JollofandTea’ campaign in Lagos.

The Commission’s Communications Officer, Mrs. Aseosa Uwagboe, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the campaign was aimed at supporting cultural and creative ties between the United Kingdom and Nigeria.

She said the campaign included a physical activation of iconic British telephone boxes designed to showcase the links between the United Kingdom and Nigeria in various fields such as art, fashion, sports, education and transport.

Other payphones to be launched in Lagos and Abuja

According to her, the rest of the phone booths will be launched in other popular locations in Lagos and Abuja.

“We are very happy to be here today to launch the first phone box for Jollof and Tea. This is our new campaign to support the UK-Nigeria link, from our education to transport obviously.

“We are very pleased to work with the airport to make this happen today. We really encourage everyone to find our stalls located around Lagos and Abuja,” said Uwagboe.

Explaining the reasons behind the designs on the stand, she said:

“We really want people to appreciate and feel the stand when they pass one, and if you take a look, you will see some of the iconic means of transport of Lagos or Nigeria.

“Specifically, we have the third bridge on the continent, also underground, just to show the different connections between our countries.

“We encourage people to find the stalls around Lagos and Abuja. Tag “JollofandTea” when you share on your social media and follow UK Nigeria,” she said.

Partnership with Bi-Courtney

On the partnership with MMA2, the Acting Chief Operating Officer/Head of Aeronautics at Bi-Courtney Aviation Services, Mr. Remi Jibodu, said it would further the culture of both countries.

• According to him, the installation creates an opportunity for people in terms of history to be able to know the type of relationship the two countries have.

• He also described it as a very strategic positioning for Bi-Courtney, being Nigeria’s premier airport, which caters to a mix of passengers.

“For us, it’s one of those things that we like to have in terms of collaboration. We have a mix of people who come here, which is why we see MMA2 as more than a terminal,” Jibodu said.

History

The JollofandTea campaign was launched on November 4 by British Deputy High Commissioner Jonny Baxter.

• Baxter had said the campaign aimed to showcase the partnership between the UK and Nigeria, particularly in the creative and cultural sectors.
• According to him, this will help raise awareness of the existing ties between the United Kingdom and Nigeria and deepen the two countries’ ongoing efforts to strengthen people-to-people ties.