It was a night of fulfillment and fortune for the latest Indomie’s heroes, who courtesy of Dufil Prima Foods,  are heading for a new glorious phase of life.
 The event officially kicked off with gorgeously dressed dignitaries strolling down the red carpet which added to the glamour of the event.
 As guests found their way to the Marquee hall of the prestigious Federal Palace Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos which was filled to the brim, their expectation was to catch a glimpse of the celebrated heroes.
 The colourful event was made brighter with striking musical and comedy performances from A-list artistes, cultural presentations, musical instruments and many more.
 With the guests immersed in the ecstasy and other attractions of the programme, Managing Director, Dufil Prima Foods, Mr. Deepak Singhal, mounted the podium to remind the crowd of the purpose of the August gathering.
 “The Indomie Independence Day Award, IIDA, is part of our corporate social responsibility initiatives which is  specifically designed to extol and support the exemplary accomplishments of children who have shown courage and determination in situations that ordinarily would bring fear.
 “For 10 years, we have recognised and celebrated exemplary acts displayed by our children and we will not stop doing this. Gladly, IIDA is 10 and to commemorate this significant milestone, we have decided to increase the number of our winners to 10 instead of the usual three.
 “As we unveil our 10 heroes, selected from the designed categories of physical, social and Intellectual bravery, we implore our children and youth to live a life the society and even the world we be proud of,†he said.
 The statement heralded the award presentation, which commenced with a solo performance from Ego Ihenacho Ogbaro, as the crowd anxiously looked forward to catch a glimpse of the lucky winners.
 Few minutes before 9pm, the expectant audience heaved a sigh of relief as the compere came forward with the list of the fortunate 10.
 On the list of intellectual bravery winners  were 13-year-old Paul David from Markurdi who invented a radio station; Emmanuel Adebisi who exhibited various inventions and 14-year-old Joel Clement from Kano who constructed Incubator for hatching eggs.
 Winners for physical bravery category were 14-year-old Zulka Mohammed from Adamawa who saved a group of children from terrorist attack; 14-year-old Ubong Akpan from Akwa Ibom saved the life of a nursing mother and Adejorin Oluwatobiloba, 15-year-old, rescued a young girl from the hands of kidnappers.
 Winners that emerged from the social bravery bracket included: 15-year-old Olarenwaju Oluwafemi from Ibadan who organises football competitions to campaign against crimes; 12-year-old John Blessing from Ogun advocates against child abuse at the grassroots while eight year-old  Wealth John from Nasarawa saved a girl from child marriage. All the winners were honoured with millions of naira worth of scholarship.
The event got to a climax with the announcement of the most outstanding bravery act for the year .This went to Chibuoyim Nnakwe, an 11year-old lad who saved his mother from impending death. He was appreciated with a whooping N1.5 million, supported with additional N1 million from an anonymous donor.
Addressing the heroes after the cheque presentation, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan, commended and congratulated the organisers on what she described as a rare initiative. She urged winners to make good use of the scholarship and implore them not to desist from doing good as well as being creative.
Also speaking, Chief Operating Officer of Dufil Prima Foods Plc, Girish Sharma said, “A significant part of our CSR initiatives is our engagement with the publics. The success of IIDA’s philosophy remains true today, and is evident in the many and varied selfless effort and commitment we have taken at ensuring the success of the project over the past 9 years. By celebrating 10 winners, Nigerians can better understand the capabilities and how valuable these exceptional children mean to usâ€.
 The event was graced by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina; President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chief Dr. Mrs. Nike Akande; former First Lady of Lagos State, Dame Abimbola Fashola; former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Femi Pedro; First Lady of Edo State, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki alongside captains of Industry, government functionaries, and dignitaries from all works of life.
