By Media360Impact
ABUJA — Alumni of United Kingdom universities in Abuja have called for stronger networking, collaboration and engagement among Nigerians who studied in the UK, saying their collective knowledge and professional experience could contribute significantly to Nigeria’s development.
The call was made during a UK Alumni Hangout organised in Abuja to bring together graduates of UK universities for networking, fitness, social interaction and knowledge sharing.
The event, supported by the British Council, provided an opportunity for alumni from different UK institutions to meet physically, build relationships and explore ways of using their expertise and networks for personal and national development.
Speaking on the objective of the initiative, Dr. Ignatius Emeka Onyekwere, Alumni UK Chapter Lead, said the project was designed to strengthen relationships among alumni who often interact digitally but rarely have opportunities to connect physically.
“People may not know themselves one-on-one, even when they go to some conferences. The relationships are not quite really close,” Onyekwere said.
He explained that activities such as football, chess, dancing and informal interactions at the hangout were deliberately included to help participants move beyond online relationships and put faces to names.
According to him, the initiative is aimed at strengthening connection, collaboration and the impact of the UK Alumni community in Abuja and across Nigeria.
Onyekwere described the gathering as a pilot project, expressing optimism that it would grow into an annual programme, with plans to have larger editions in subsequent years.
“We are looking for an explosion in the 2027 programme,” he said, noting that Abuja has hundreds of UK alumni who could be brought into the network.
He also urged the Nigerian government to recognise and engage the pool of professionals who have studied and gained experience in the UK.
He said the calibre of professionals and senior citizens present at the event demonstrated the wealth of expertise available within the alumni community.
“The Nigerian government, if they are not yet engaged, can leverage their expertise and skills to support what they are doing. This can also ginger our governance and development processes and programmes,” he said.
British Council: Alumni community can help Nigeria
Tosin Adeoti, Programme Manager, Higher Education at the British Council, said the initiative was significant because the UK remains home to some of the world’s leading universities and attracts students from across the globe.
Adeoti said many Nigerians who study in the UK eventually return home, creating a community whose knowledge, skills and networks could be harnessed for the benefit of Nigeria.
“We realise that even though there are so many people who have gone, there are a lot more people who have returned. So, how can we utilise that community? How can we harness that community?” he asked.
He explained that the British Council had been working to empower communities of UK university alumni across Nigeria.
According to him, similar alumni activities are taking place in other parts of the country, including Port Harcourt and Lagos.
Adeoti said the British Council’s support goes beyond organising events, noting that it also seeks to provide a sense of community for Nigerians returning from the UK.
He explained that while prospective students receive pre-departure briefings before travelling to the UK, returning graduates should also have access to networks and support when they come back to Nigeria.
“We don’t just want to leave them hanging. We also want to give them a sense of belonging so that they know that there is a community that can help them, guide them and answer the questions they have in mind,” he said.
British Council: We cannot stop ‘Japa’, but skills can be harnessed
On the issue of the growing “Japa” trend and its contribution to brain drain, Adeoti said the British Council would not discourage Nigerians from travelling abroad for education or other opportunities.
Instead, he said the focus should be on ensuring that Nigerians who return can apply the knowledge, experience and networks they acquired abroad to productive activities in Nigeria.
He noted that international education was not unique to Nigeria, pointing out that citizens of major countries, including China, India and the United States, also study abroad.
“We will not tell people not to travel, but what we can help them with is that when they come back to the country, they can have the community that can help them to put all the knowledge and resources that they’ve been able to gather, and the network that they need to gather, to good use,” he said.
Alumni seek stronger government engagement
Olisa Eze, a University of Sheffield alumnus, engineer and data scientist, said the hangout was conceived as an opportunity for alumni to meet outside formal academic and professional settings.
Eze, who serves as an assistant chapter lead for the event, said the organisers wanted participants to relax, have fun, network and prioritise fitness and wellness.
He also encouraged the government to explore ways of engaging Nigerians with international education and professional experience.
According to him, UK alumni possess specialist knowledge and skills that could support government policy development and national initiatives if properly harnessed.
He called for policies that would make it easier for professionals to deploy their expertise through initiatives that benefit the country.
Eze also encouraged UK alumni who have not joined the community to participate in future activities.
“People are busy, chasing money and all of that. But you need to take a break, relax, change your environment, try something new, come, network with people and meet people,” he said.
He added that participating in the British Council alumni community had already opened opportunities for some members through connections made at previous events.
Alumni call for wider participation
Gladys Rebecca Emmanuel, a Cardiff University alumna who graduated in 2020 and co-chairs the Cardiff University Nigerian Alumni Chapter, said the hangout provided an important platform for UK graduates living in Abuja to connect.
She said the event was designed not only to establish the presence of UK alumni in Abuja but also to create opportunities for networking and planning future activities.
Emmanuel said she had not had many opportunities since graduation to meet other UK alumni living in Abuja and other parts of Nigeria.
The hangout, she said, allowed participants to exchange experiences, discuss cultural adjustments and establish relationships that could support their professional activities.
She urged other UK alumni to join the community, stressing that collective action would make the network more effective.
“Our doors are wide open to accommodate you and welcome you,” she said.
“We believe that the knowledge we’ve garnered from the United Kingdom, we’re able to deploy same in Nigeria and just grow the alumni community. Two or three persons cannot do that alone. We need everyone.”
The Abuja hangout combined social activities, sports, networking and professional interaction, with organisers expressing optimism that the initiative would expand into a larger annual gathering.
The organisers said the broader objective is to build a stronger UK alumni community capable of supporting members, facilitating professional collaboration and contributing skills and expertise to Nigeria’s development.
