Africa Reconnect-Plus Delegation Visits Nigeria
Between October 11 – October 14, 2010, the Education USA office at the Public Affairs Section, United Consulate General in Lagos, hosted the Africa Re-Connect Plus delegation in southern Nigeria. The Re-Connect Plus program is designed to visit areas where U. S. college admissions staff do not usually travel and to increase knowledge of the U. S. higher education system and the admissions process for prospective students, their parents and teachers. The PAS Lagos Educational Advisor’s accompanied the Re-Connect delegation, which included a representative from the College Board, and U. S. college representatives from Tulane University, Wesleyan University, the University of Kansas, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, and North Hennepin Community College Minnesota. The delegation discussed study in the United States with diverse audiences on a road show highlighted by mini college fairs held in Ibadan, Ofada, Lagos Island and Lagos mainland. The mini fairs attracted over 1,500 parents and students from Ogun, Osun, Abia and Calabar. The tour included a visit to the University of Lagos where stateside representatives conducted a graduate seminar for 200 medical students, doctors and public health professionals at the Afe Babalola hall and a teachers training workshop at the Julius Berger hall. Vice Principals and Academic and Guidance Counselors from 15 public, private and religiously affiliated schools were present at the workshop. In addition, the delegation met with representatives from the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC) where Mr. Femi Oke detailed security measures currently put in place by WAEC.
Education USA Lagos 11th Annual College and Career Fair.
October 22, 2010, the Study in the USA road show continued with a school visit to Trinity International College, Ofada, Ogun State where U. S. higher education representatives spoke to 150 students. It concluded with Education USA Lagos holding its 11th Annual College and Career Fair at the American International School in Lagos on Saturday, October 23, 2010. Four hundred students drawn from 10 schools in the Lagos area attended the fair with their parents and guidance counselors. Representatives from 9 U. S. universities participated in the fair including Pennsylvania State University, Michigan State University, Amherst College, Morehouse College, West Virginia University, Calvin College, Lincoln University Missouri, HULT Business School and the University of Wisconsin Superior. The success of the fair can only be captured in the words of a parent from the Indian Language School, Mr. Deepak Bharti, who said at the 11th Annual College Fair, “thank you for the life changing opportunity you have brought to my son and his peers today by arranging this meeting with U. S. admissions officers.”
