US Ambassador Opens First Window On America In Nigeria
The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard, on Monday, opened the first-of-its-kind Window on America in Nigeria.
Hosted at the Lekki Slum2School Innovation Hub in Lagos, the Window on America will serve as a community centre where young people develop ideas, as well as leadership and entrepreneurship skills, through programmes and workshops designed specially for them.
Ambassador Leonard explained that the Lekki Window on America is as a result of a partnership between the US Consulate General in Lagos and Slum2School Africa, founded by Otto Orondaam, a 2016 alumnus of the US government’s Mandela Washington Fellowship.
The ambassador noted that the new Window on America is open to everyone in the community offering its services, programmes and resources to the public at no cost.
“We are happy to open the very first Window on America space in Nigeria here in Lekki,” Ambassador Leonard said at the opening ceremony attended by alumni of US government exchange programmes, educational administrators, Slum2School volunteers and community representatives.
“In the next few months, we will follow with six additional new Windows on America in the South and 12 across the country. We want our Windows on America to promote mutual understanding between the United States and the people of Nigeria,” she added.
In addition to providing public programming space, the Lekki Window on America will support five core programmes: English language learning, educational advising, alumni activities, cultural programmes and information about the United States.
Twelve cities of Abeokuta, Awka, Benin, Enugu, Osogbo, Uyo, Zaria, Minna, Dutse, Makurdi, Gombe and Lafia, will also host Window on America to engage more Nigerian audiences in their local communities.
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