US urges global exposure for Nigerian students

The United States Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, Lee Satterfield, has encouraged the Nigerian government to support students in acquiring education globally.

She said this would help students in the US and Nigeria to partner, share ideas, and solve the world’s challenges.

Satterfield said this on Wednesday at the University of Lagos, where she presented a foreign policy speech to discuss the partnership between the US and UNILAG on educational and cultural affairs.

She told the Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, that through the Fulbright Programme and the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Nigerian students could pursue new opportunities to expand further into the creative industries and technology and innovation.

Her speech highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s renewed focus on Africa following the US Africa Leaders Summit in 2022.

Satterfield encouraged the Nigerian government to provide easy access for its students to study around the world, saying, “I think access to studying in other places around the world will allow our students both in the United States and in Nigeria and across the continent of Africa to have more exposure, the students will know about other cultures and share ideas. It’s going to make the world a better place and it’s going to make us stronger independently on our career paths but also, we are going to solve the world’s global challenges by coming together and sharing ideas for finding solutions.”

She revealed that another important part of the partnership with the UNILAG was the ‘The Window on America’ hub,” adding that it had been a strategic educational partner to the US, and home to scores of Nigerian Fulbright alumni and a reciprocal host which had welcomed more than 30 US Fulbright scholars over the years.

“I had the privilege of joining the VC and Consul General, Will Stevens, at a meeting where the United States and the University of Lagos agreed to open a ‘Window on America’ a hub right here on campus that will be open to all.  The centre will offer information about studying in the United States, opportunities to participate in workforce development training and experience American culture, as well as access to fast and free Internet to university students and faculty.”

In her remarks, UNILAG VC, Ogunsola, “You know for us in the education sector, it is all about opening minds of our learners so we are always about connecting with other people so that there will be mind and ideas exchange. The only way we do that is by meeting with others and having an American hub here, is a culture of space for interactions because as a university we should be engaging everywhere globally so this kind of engagement helps us to make our students globally inclined, this is because we are not training students just for Nigeria we are training them for the world. We want students to have an idea and not think that it is only their father’s farm that is big. They need to get out and even if they can’t this hub will give them information and knowledge.”