An Islamic Group in Nigeria, Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society in collaboration with the Embassy of the United States have flagged off an educational summit for teenagers and youths geared towards equipping them with practical knowledge of how to “explore educational opportunities in the United States of America.”
Declaring the 10-day educational summit open in the Epitome Model Islamic School Mararaba, Nasarawa state, Ambassador Ridhwan Mustapha the chairman of the Al-Habibiyyah Enlightenment and Dawah (Propagation) said the workshop was aimed at giving youths the right information about education in the US, to stem illegal migration.
“This is very important today because many of those migrating illegally are doing so because they do not know the right channels to actualise their dreams of studying in the US. With the right information, they will now make the right choices,” he said.
Ms. Folashade Adebayo, an Education Advising Supervisor in the US Embassy in Abuja, took the teenagers through different steps with which young Nigerians can explore to get admissions into universities in the US at undergraduate and post graduates’ levels; as well as get scholarships.
“It is important to score very high marks and be consistent in your grades. It is equally important to be engaged in other activities like being a prefect in school, being volunteer and other impactful extra-curricular activities will enhance your chances of getting scholarships,”
“It is people to people partnership and we believe in educating young Nigerians which is our core mission goals,“ she said.
In addition to providing educational opportunities to teenagers, the National Chief Imam Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society Fuad Adeyemi, said the program is also to equip teenagers to skills and competencies they will be requiring as they enter the adult world.
“If you see the way the world is going now with the kinds of social media, bad things, drugs, crime, etc. We are determined to change things.”
Imam Adeyemi said in line with the theme of the programme ‘LIVING POSITIVELY DIFFERENT’ the young children will be exposed to moral discipline to be able to do things right.
That, he said, is the reason for the MOU with the US Embassy’s Education Department to “expose them to scholarship opportunities in the United States, so that we do not only keep them to pray but also but also make them better citizens.”
The 10-day Teenagers workshop is sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation.
