Tag: Nigerians in America

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Magic forward Al-Farouq Aminu gives back to Nigeria, where his grandfather was a king
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By STEPHEN RUIZ

Chris Kaman started it.

When Magic forward Al-Farouq Aminu entered the NBA with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2010, he stood in front of the team and talked about himself as part of his indoctrination into the league. One of the factoids that Aminu mentioned was that his surname, Oloyede, means “Chief has arrived” in his family’s native Nigeria.

Thus, a nickname was born.

Continue reading “Magic forward Al-Farouq Aminu gives back to Nigeria, where his grandfather was a king” →
Communities

African languages are the fastest growing in the United States
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By Chidinma Irene Nwoye

Newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau spotlights African languages among the top ten fastest growing languages spoken at home in the U.S. The list featured three groups of African languages: Swahili and other Central/Eastern/Southern African languages; Yoruba, Twi, Igbo, and other Western African languages; and Amharic/Somali.

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Communities

Nigerians hold street parades across America to commemorate independence anniversary
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Nigeria celebrated its 59th Independence anniversary on October 1 and all across the America’s Nigerians held various activities to commemorate the day. In American cities like Houston and New York, with large Nigerian population Nigerians held street parades.

In New York, thousands of Nigerians and well-wishers hit the streets of Manhattan in New York on Saturday to participate in the 2019 Independence Day Parade.

Video of Nigerian independence day parade in Houston by Zainab and Mathew Create
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Sports

Israel Adesanya: ‘Once the Nigerians pull up … it’s gonna be over for a lot of years in the MMA world’
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Inside the strong and growing bond between the top Nigerian fighters in UFC

BY DORIC SAM

Israel Adesanya had never met Sodiq Yusuff despite the fact that both fighters hail from Lagos, Nigeria. But Adesanya, who has lived in New Zealand since he was 11, had the good fortune of making the four-hour trip to Australia in December to watch Fight Night 142: Adelaide, where Yusuff would be making his UFC debut.

Continue reading “Israel Adesanya: ‘Once the Nigerians pull up … it’s gonna be over for a lot of years in the MMA world’” →
Appointments

Nigerian-American Remi Duyile sworn in as first African-born commissioner in Prince George’s County
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After recently inaugurating a Diaspora Advisory Board , a Nigerian Remi Duyile, has been sworn-in as the first Africa-born commissioner in Prince George County .

With Nigeria’s flag flying alongside other countries’, Duyile was sworn-in as one of the commissioners on the county’s Multicultural Affairs Commission on Monday, September 23 . A delighted Duyile took to her Instagram page to share the news of her swearing-in.

Continue reading “Nigerian-American Remi Duyile sworn in as first African-born commissioner in Prince George’s County” →
Fashion

The Nigerian-American Siblings Using Traditional Family Portraiture to Celebrate Their Heritage
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Tolu Oye as told to Claudia Owusu and Kanyinsola Oye

Photographs have always been a way for my family to hold on to our past—no matter how far we moved, or how complicated the idea of “home” became for us. Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, I keenly remember my mother dragging me and my siblings every year to the JCPenney Portraits studio for our family picture.

What made the ritual so uncomfortable was that we were not dressed like other Midwestern families at the mall. My mother had us all in matching golden-brown-and-beige traditional ankara, an African wax-print fabric with vibrant patterns.

Continue reading “The Nigerian-American Siblings Using Traditional Family Portraiture to Celebrate Their Heritage” →
Education

One Third of Africans Studying in U.S. Are Nigerians
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By Azeezat Adedigba

About one-third of African students studying in the U.S. are Nigerians.

The Cultural Affairs Officer of the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, Malia Heroux, made this known during an education fair for Nigerian students seeking admission into American universities for undergraduate and graduate studies.

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Entertainment

Nigerian superstar, Davido to make Hollywood debut in Coming To America 2
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Nigerian international music superstar, Davido, is set to make acting debut in Hollywood, with a performance role in the sequel of the 1988 romantic comedy classic, “Coming To America”.

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Entertainment

A Nigerian-American Family Tells Its Story in Runboyrun and In Old Age
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New York Theatre Workshop mounts two new installments of Mfoniso Udofia’s Ufot Cycle.

By Zachary Stewart

Don’t leave after the first half! Audiences at New York Theatre Workshop might be tempted to bail after the first of two new installments of Mfoniso Udofia’s nine-part Ufot Cycle, chronicling four generations of a Nigerian-American family. And admittedly, runboyrun(so styled) is a slog of a family drama, but it builds essential foundation for the second show of the night, In Old Age, which proves to be one of the most spiritually satisfying plays I’ve ever witnessed.

Continue reading “A Nigerian-American Family Tells Its Story in Runboyrun and In Old Age” →
Uncategorized

Bill Gates and Africa’s Richest man, Aliko Dangote, express admiration for each other at New York event
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By Mayowa Tijani

Bill Gates, the second richest man in the world and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has revealed what is most surprising to him about Aliko Dangote, president of the Dangote Group.

At the Goalkeepers Summit in New York on Wednesday, Gates and Dangote were asked what they have found to be most surprising about each other.

Continue reading “Bill Gates and Africa’s Richest man, Aliko Dangote, express admiration for each other at New York event” →
Entertainment

Comedy in Houston increasingly has a Nigerian accent
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By Camilo Hannibal Smith

Chinedu Ogu, 33, has spent the past seven years making comedy videos imbued with his Nigerian roots and his Houston upbringing. At the urging of a comedy mentor, he began uploading videos to social media around 2012. Five years later, after posting nearly 1,000 scripted videos, Ogu scored a viral hit with his hilarious “I’m from Houston”.

Ogu, born in Houston to a Nigerian father and an African-American mother, says he’s hardly alone.

Continue reading “Comedy in Houston increasingly has a Nigerian accent” →
Uncategorized

The Aliko Dangote Foundation donates $20 million to the Africa Center in New York
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Bill and Melinda Gates supports with $5 million donation.

The Africa Center, a leading non-profit institution focused on the intersection of African policy, business, and culture, today announced a transformative $20 million donation by the Aliko Dangote Foundation to advance and accelerate the Center’s capital campaign, further activate its public spaces and programming, and support ongoing operations. 

Continue reading “The Aliko Dangote Foundation donates $20 million to the Africa Center in New York” →
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Folake Olowofoyeku hearts life in the television comedy lane
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By LEANNE ITALIE

A funny thing happened to Folake Olowofoyeku on the way to a career in law: She became a theater major against her parents’ wishes and headed straight into the business after earning her undergraduate degree.
Her Nigerian parents were so hell-bent on launching her into the family profession of law that they named her after the first female Senior Advocate of Nigeria, a title conferred on legal practitioners who have distinguished themselves.

A similar scenario is present for Olowofoyeku in “Bob Hearts Abishola,” her CBS comedy series.

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Opinion

Hating Immigrants: America’s self-destructive tradition
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By Osa Fasehun

I was a sophomore at Bowdoin when Donald Trump was gaining momentum in the presidential election in spite of his xenophobic rhetoric. Anxiously dreading a near-fascist regime in the event of a Trump presidency, I talked with my mother about getting reacquainted with Nigeria, my mother’s native country.

The talk did not go well and after debating the idea for an hour, my mother finally admitted, “We have no place to go! The Nigeria I knew in childhood doesn’t exist anymore. I would be a foreigner in my own country.”

What I initially took for exasperation in her tone was actually broken-heartedness. She had fond childhood memories of Nigeria as a beautiful and safe black country, so it pained her to know that I did not feel at home in America—my country—and that she could not provide me with an alternative.

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Uncategorized

Classic man, Jidenna, reiterates that even though he is American, he was first African
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“My first seven years [developmental years] were spent in Enugu, Nigeria before I moved to the United States so that means I learned all the primary things here first. It means I learned how to speak English here first, I learned to walk here, my facial expressions come from here, I gained wisdom from Aunties and Uncles here so by the time I got to the U.S everything I saw was from a Nigerian perspective or a wider African lens.” —Jidenna

The highly regarded musician was in Nigeria to promote his new album 85 to Africa He spoke to CHISOM NJOKU while there

Continue reading “Classic man, Jidenna, reiterates that even though he is American, he was first African” →
Achievements

Nigerian poet selected for International Writing Program at the University of Iowa
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By Oladeinde Olawoyin

An award-winning Nigerian poet, essayist, translator and author of short stories, Tade Ipadeola, has been selected to participate in the International Writing Program (IWP) Fall Residency at the University of Iowa, courtesy of the United States Department of State.

From September 1 to November 16, Mr Ipadeola will join 28 other accomplished writers from across the globe in the world’s oldest and largest multinational writing residency.

Continue reading “Nigerian poet selected for International Writing Program at the University of Iowa” →
Uncategorized

Prince Georges County Executive Fulfills Promise, Sets Up African Diaspora Advisory Board
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In keeping with a promise made to the African diaspora in Prince Georges County, Maryland, the County Executive, Angela Alsobrooks, has inaugurated an eight person African Diaspora Advisory Board

Prince George County is one of the richest black counties in the United States of America with an annual budget close to $5 billion and a population close to a million people and median household income of $110,133.

Continue reading “Prince Georges County Executive Fulfills Promise, Sets Up African Diaspora Advisory Board” →
Uncategorized

Meet Ime Achibong, the Nigerian-American who is a Vice-President at Facebook and the right hand man of Mark Zuckerberg
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By Ebimo Amungo

Call him Mark Zuckerberg ‘s deputy and you would not be far from the truth, because they seem to be Siamese twins in fashioning new ideas that have transformed Facebook into something much more than a social media initiative. Ime Archibong is a Facebook insider who currently has 2 important jobs in the organisation.  He is the Vice President of Partnerships and Manager of Strategic Partnerships. 

Continue reading “Meet Ime Achibong, the Nigerian-American who is a Vice-President at Facebook and the right hand man of Mark Zuckerberg” →
Immigration

Diaspora organisation fears impact of Trump Administration policies on Nigerian professionals in US
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The Nigerian Diaspora Movement (NDM) in the U.S. says President Donald Trump’s new immigration policy will, over time, reduce the number of Nigerians in strategic professional positions in that country.

Chairman of the movement, Prof. Apollos Nwauwa, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

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Communities

Nigerians in The Americas elect new leaders
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Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Americas (NIDOA) has elected new continental board and officers in some country chapters to pilot its affairs in the next two years.

U.S.-based Obed Monago retained his position as Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of NIDOA, to be assisted by Mr Darlington George, based in Brazil, as Vice Chairman.

Continue reading “Nigerians in The Americas elect new leaders” →
Sports

These Seven Nigerians are part of the Minnesota vikings roster
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By Lindsey Young

Seven players of Nigerian heritage are on the roster of NFLs Minnesota Viking. They include Ade Aruna, Bisi Johnson and Olisaemeka Udoh, Bené Benwikere, Kaare Vedvik, and brothers Ifeadi and Tito Odenigbo.

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Africa, African Politics, Book review

Here are the three new books you need to understand Nigeria
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By Alex Thurston

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, radiating political, cultural and economic influence across the continent and around the world. Yet Nigeria’s incredible complexity — composed of hundreds of ethnic groups and languages — can be daunting even to those interested in understanding the country. The nonspecialist can also be easily misled by the popular image of Nigeria as a land of Internet scammers and, more recently, fanatical jihadists. Three recent books, however, make Nigeria more accessible to the beginner and more comprehensible to the specialist. These books take up core issues facing the country, especially the Boko Haram crisis and the future of Nigeria’s democracy.

Continue reading “Here are the three new books you need to understand Nigeria” →
Music

Inspired by Fela, Nigeria’s Burna Boy blazes trail in the US
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By GARY GERARD HAMILTON, ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK 

Burna Boy was only six years old when Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti passed away, but that was enough time for the future musician to be inspired.

“Everyone’s got their hero,” the 28-year-old Nigerian performer said. “For me, that’s my hero.”

Kuti — the Nigerian musical icon and political agitator whose life and legacy was portrayed in the wildly popular Broadway musical “Fela!” — was once managed by Burna Boy’s grandfather, someone else he calls a hero.

Continue reading “Inspired by Fela, Nigeria’s Burna Boy blazes trail in the US” →
Communities

The Fabric of Nigerian Weddings
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By Adenike Olanrewaju

The color and flair of traditional ceremonies give brides and grooms a way to express a vibrant cultural heritage.

Dola Fatunbi Olutoye, 25, was ecstatic after becoming engaged last November to Dr. Yinka Olutoye, 26. She knew she wanted a traditional Nigerian wedding, but needed help executing the cultural elements of the ceremony, which took place on May 25 in Houston.

Mrs. Olutoye, a pharmacy student from Houston, and Dr. Olutoye, a recent medical school graduate, are both Nigerian-Americans who are part of the Yoruba ethnic group, which is heavily concentrated in the Southwest region of Nigeria.

Continue reading “The Fabric of Nigerian Weddings” →
Communities

Remittances From Abroad To Nigeria Can Grow To $34.8 Billion In 2023 -PwC Report
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Migrant remittances were 77.2% of the Nigerian federal government’s budget in 2018, represented 6.1% of GDP and were more than 10 times the foreign direct investment (FDI) flows into the country in the same period, according to PwC’s latest White Paper Series, Strength from Abroad: The Economic Power of Nigeria’s diaspora.

PwC estimates that migrant remittances to Nigeria could grow to $25.5 billion, $29.8 billion and $34.8 billion in 2019, 2021 and 2023 respectively.

Continue reading “Remittances From Abroad To Nigeria Can Grow To $34.8 Billion In 2023 -PwC Report” →
Opinion

Canada is ‘stealing’ the brightest and smartest young people from Nigeria
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By Ms Imosemi

Yes, Canada is not just taking our young people, they are taking the fattest of our crops, the best, the brightest, and the brainiest!

One of them is my friend, Olufemi, (not real name). He graduated top of his class and best in the entire university! Nine years after graduation, he got married to his equally cerebral lawyer wife, and they both had fairly paying jobs that admitted them into the struggling middle class in Nigeria. A year after marriage, Olufemi,  disillusioned by the state of his family’s finances, the  situation in the country and the underutilisation of his skills, and intellect at his place of work, sold all his assets and relocated his young family to Canada!

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Communities

Only 79 Nigerians have enrolled for National Identity Number in the US
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The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) of Nigeria says only 79 Nigerians had been enrolled for the National Identity Number (NIN) in the United States.

The update came through the Deputy General Manager of NIMC, Ms Uche Chigbo, almost three months after the exercise was launched in the U.S. in late May.

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Uncategorized

Nigerians Prefer New York for their Passports issues says Consul General
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The Consul General of Nigeria in New York, Mr Benaoyagha Okoyen, says the consulate is operating above capacity especially in passport service delivery.

Okoyen said that although the situation was an indication of growing public confidence in the office, it had been a major challenge.

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Achievements

Nigerian schoolgirls enter tech competition in California with app to finance education of poor children
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By Stephen Charles Kenechukwu

A group of five Nigerian schoolgirls working as team ‘Brain Squad’ have created an application that would help finance the education of poor children “across the world”.

The girls represented Nigeria at the 2019 Technovation World Pitch summit, which held on August 15, 2019, in California. The app called ‘Handsout’ sources funds and educational materials from people around the world and gives them to children who can’t afford them.

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Uncategorized

I’m ‘extremely proud’ of my early education in Nigeria – Chancellor of North Carolina Central University
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By Bunmi Fatoye-Matory

Johnson Akinleye, Ph.D., became the 12th Chancellor of North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in 2017. NCCU is a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) based in Durham, North Carolina.

Prior to his appointment, Mr Akinleye served as the provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs at NCCU among other administrative positions in the UNC system. Since assuming his position in 2017, Mr Akinleye has worked to expand the university’s academic partnerships, including new agreements with community colleges, as well as introduced NCCU Online, a robust online, distance-education program. He also created K-12 initiatives and implemented a security strategy to increase safety for campus constituents.

Continue reading “I’m ‘extremely proud’ of my early education in Nigeria – Chancellor of North Carolina Central University” →