U.S.-based Bowie University to renew exchange programme with Nigeria

The management of Bowie State University, State of Maryland, U.S., is planning to allow its students visit Nigeria to enrich their learning and character.

President of the University, Prof. Aminta Breaux, told our Correspondent that the institution was renewing its agreement with Ikun-Ekiti, Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

It was reported that the Onikun of Ikun-Ekiti, Oba David Olusola Olatunde, visited the university to seek scholarship opportunities and other areas of partnership with the university for students of Ikun-Ekiti.

“We have an agreement that we are seeking to renew and so this visit by the monarch means so much.

“Students will come from Ikun-Ekiti area to study at Bowie and so we also hope to send our students to Nigeria as well because we very much want to see it.

“That our students are enriching their educational experience and learning about the world and getting off the campus.

“Because we do live in a global economic society and it has to take us working together to look at supporting our global community,” Breaux said.

She said the university and Ikun-Ekiti shared a common bond, adding “we are very excited to have his royal majesty to visit us today”.

The university’s president lauded the monarch’s interest in the outstanding education programme that the university, a historically Black College in the U.S., founded in 1865, was providing for students.

According to her, she is “very much looking forward to having Bowie university students visit Nigeria and stay there and become more aware of the world in which they are living”.

“So that they can learn how they can contribute back to the global community. We are looking forward to having this continue.

“As the new President, it’s my honour to extend the relationship that we’ve had into the next 10 years and beyond.

“And to hear from his royal majesty that he is seeking to do that meant the world to this institution because that is something that we are striving to create – this strong partnership around the world.”

The monarch, in an interview with our correspondent, said he was visiting the university to build on their partnership and ensuring that Ikun-Ekiti students have quality education.

“We want where our children can have the opportunity to develop their potential,” the monarch said.

“Having seen the quality of the university, one is convinced that it is one of the best in the world where students can be equipped to be useful to themselves and to the community.

“The aim of establishing a good partnership is for the future of our children educationally and also to see how they would be useful to the community in the future.

“Definitely, we are looking towards seeing our children coming here, particularly from our secondary school, Amure High School.

“We are going to encourage our children to be hard working so that many of them can also benefit from the educational quality of that university,” he said.

The President of Ikun-Ekiti Descendants Union Overseas (FIDUO), U.S., Mr Jonathan Adewumi, said a three-member committee set up to work out the terms of the relationship would meet on September 11 with the university.

“Actually, the scope of this partnership is providing scholarship for students in Ikun-Ekiti community and also increasing their knowledge of the university in Ekiti,” he said.

“In addition, we are looking to do home-drive and school supplies drive as was done previously when the students of the university donated to our high school and primary school at Ekiti State.

“That was an initiative of the Students Activities Department within Bowie State University because they wanted the students to have more of understanding of community consciousness and helping out the people that are less fortunate.”

The FIDUO president said students that would qualify to attend the university must pass its standardized test and have outstanding grades adding, acceptance into the university is merit-based.

“You have to pass your examinations, and the scholarship, of course, is merit-based; there could be scholarship that would be coming from FIDUO.

“And there could be scholarship that could be coming from the university to assist the students but you must show the wherewithal as a student to qualify for them.”