By Funmi Ajumobi

The United States government has opened a first-of-its-kind Window on America in Nigeria recently at the Lekki Slum2School Innovation Hub in Lagos.

Opened by the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard, in a press release made available to the media, said the Window on America will serve as a community center where young people develop their ideas, as well as their leadership and entrepreneurship skills through programs and workshops designed especially for them.

Ambassador Leonard explained that the Lekki Window on America is a result of a partnership between the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos and Slum2School Africa, founded by Otto Orondaam, a 2016 alumnus of the prestigious U.S. government’s Mandela Washington Fellowship.

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The Ambassador noted that the new Window on America is open to everyone in the community offering its services, programs, and resources to the public at no cost, saying that in the next few months, six additional new Windows on America in the south and 12 would be seen across the country.

“We want our Windows on America to promote mutual understanding between the United States and the people of Nigeria. In addition to providing public programming space, the Lekki Window on America will support five core programs: English language learning, educational advising, alumni activities, cultural programs, and information about the U.S.

‘Visitors to the window will typically include students, teachers, entrepreneurs, academics, journalists, civic organizations, government officials, and community leaders in addition to many others.

‘In addition to the Lekki Window on America, 12 more will be opened in major cities across the country, including Abeokuta, Awka, Benin City, Enugu, Osogbo, Uyo, Zaria, Minna, Dutse, Makurdi, Gombe, and Lafia, in order to engage more Nigerian audiences in their local communities

‘Windows on America are American Spaces that provide welcoming environments where visitors can learn about the United States, including its government, history, culture, and educational system through programs, lectures, books and electronic resources provided by the U.S. Government.”

In attendance were the alumni of U.S. government exchange programs, educational administrators, Slum2School volunteers, and community representatives.

Vanguard News Nigeria