US celebrates 50-year partnership between sister cities Lagos and Atlanta to deepen educational ties

Spelman College, a leading educational institution for women of African descent based in Atlanta, has signed an agreement establishing a framework for collaboration with three universities in Lagos: the University of Lagos, the Lagos State University and the Pan-Atlantic University.

The agreement, which was signed in recognition of 50 years of sister city partnership between Lagos and Atlanta, aims to strengthen educational ties between the U.S. and Nigeria and support teaching, research, and student and faculty exchanges, with a focus on women’s education, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and the creative industries.

Helene Gayle, president of Spelman College and member of the U.S. Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement, spoke at a panel discussion marking the agreement’s launch, emphasizing the importance of partnerships in higher education.

Gayle explained that one of the overarching goals of the U.S. Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement is to strengthen educational ties and exchanges between the African diaspora in the United States and African communities.

“By forging strong partnerships, we create opportunities for our students and faculty to engage in meaningful exchanges, learn from each other and co-create solutions to shared global challenges,” she said.

Gayle, together with the Vice Chancellors of the three universities, attended the signing ceremony of the partnership agreement at an event organised at the University of Lagos.

Folasade Ogunsola, Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, described the newly formed partnership as a historic event that marks the beginning of a new era of educational cooperation between the United States and Nigeria.

“It is about cooperation, not competition. As a group of universities, we will continue our agenda to cooperate in education, research and exchanges of students and teachers, which will benefit both countries,” she said.

US Consul General Will Stevens welcomed the partnership and stated that his country is committed to supporting initiatives that promote access to quality higher education and strengthen human capital for inclusive economic growth and development in Nigeria.

“This is a giant leap forward. Bringing American and Nigerian universities closer together to explore educational partnerships is one of our top mission priorities,” Stevens said.

According to the Consul General, the US mission has long been committed to supporting educational institutions and strengthening an education system that enables students to access quality education across Nigeria.

One of the academic exchanges sponsored by the US government is the Fulbright Program. This program provides Nigerian university students and faculty members the opportunity to collaborate on research at US institutions in various academic fields.

No fewer than 31 Nigerian universities are affiliated with the US Mission through the Fulbright program. In recent years, Nigeria has received more than 30 grants annually for university scholars, including Ph.D. candidates, to travel to American universities to conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared global challenges.