NASDAQ Bell Ringing: Presidency Apologises Over Wrong Attribution To Tinubu
BY EDMOND ODOK – In what it admits as a “deeply regretted” error, the Nigerian presidency has apologised for claiming that President Bola Tinubu is the first African leader to ring the bell at the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ).
Shortly after performing the act on Tuesday, the Special Adviser to the president on media and publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, had issued a statement indicating that Tinubu is the “first African president ever to receive the honour”.
However, in a statement released on Friday, the presidency said the error was “deeply regretted”.
According to the statement; “We inadvertently referred to President Bola Tinubu as the first African leader to ring the bell at NASDAQ on Wednesday in New York, based on the information provided by a third-party event organiser.”
“We have since found out that this information was/is incorrect as a former African leader has indeed had the privilege. This error is sincerely regretted,” the statement said.
Available reports show that contrary to Ngelale’s claims, former President of Tanzania, Jakaya Kiwete, had the honour far back in 2011 when he rang the NASDAQ closing bell.
On September 20, 2023, President Tinubu became the second African President to ring the closing bell of NASDAQ at the Times Square in New York as part of the bell ringing ceremony.
