Cross River State: United States Embassy opens Information Centre for Students

A one-stop information hub for students with vested interested in studying in the United States of America, otherwise known as ‘EducationUSA Centre’, has opened in Cross River State.

The centre, located at the American Space in Calabar, the state’s capital which was officially opened by officials of the United States Embassy and the Cross River State Government would offer students access to accurate up to date information about educational institutions in the US.

Promoting Education

Aruna Amirthanayagam, the Country Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital said, “EducationUSA is the arm of the US government that promotes education in the United States. We have about 4,500 educational institutions of tertiary education in the US and we believe its one of the greatest educational systems in the world.”

“We really want to have more Nigerians come and take part in our educational system. We already have 14,000 Nigerians studying in America; we want that number to be even more. We want more representation from Cross River, which is why we have opened this EducationUSA centre in our American Corner in Calabar,” stated Amirthanayagam.

He said that the US Government would support Cross River teachers gain access to free information on scholarships, grants and fellowships for advanced training.

Deepening Ties

Stephen Ibelli, the Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Lagos, south-west Nigeria, commended the Cross River Ministries of Education and ICT as well as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Professor Florence Obi for partnering with the centre.

Ibelli stated that education was strengthening the relationship between Nigeria and the United States, noting “It is important to show the ties between the two countries. The growing ties between the two countries you have also seen in the Grammy Awards – Congratulations to Burna Boy and Wiz Kid.” 

On establishing the centre in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, Ibelli said, “You also see many Nigerians living in the United States coming back to invest in Nigeria. We think that the number of Nigerians studying in the US can actually grow higher and this is where the American Space comes in.”

“We chose Calabar specifically because there is a great market here for USA students. We have a wonderful American Space here and encourage everyone to visit, learn about the United States and study opportunities. We have an opportunity fund that sponsors students, who want to study in the US. Last year, thirty students got over $1.7 million in scholarships and so we really look forward to this relationship deepening, strengthening and growing,” he explained.

He added that to provide students greater access to the services of EducationUSA Centre and American Space, the U.S. Government was opening “Smaller venues in some other cities such as Benin City, Awka, and Enugu to be able to provide this information to the people so children do not have to travel all the way to Lagos or these big cities to get that information.” 

Dr Godwin Amanke, the Commissioner for Education and Mr. Joe Abang, the Commissioner for ICT as well as Professor Obi, the UNICAL Vice-Chancellor urged students to take advantage of the free services offered at the centre to advance their study.

PIAK