Rutgers University Travels to Nigeria:Pursuing New Collaborations & Strengthening Ties

(New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA) – A delegation from Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, will be traveling to Nigeria beginning on September 24 to connect with members of a delegation who visited the New Jersey campus in May 2023 and further develop areas of collaboration and engagement.

The Nigeria delegation to Rutgers in May included Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president of Nigeria, and His Royal Majesty, Oba Saka Adelola Matemilola, King of the Owu Kingdom. Academic leaders in the delegation included the vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Kayode Adebowale, and professors from Olabisi Onabanjo University and Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. Rutgers students, faculty, and staff participated in an all-day event, including Rutgers-Camden Chancellor Antonio Tillis and Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway, with discussions into a range of possible joint projects and exchange programs.

The Rutgers delegation visiting Nigeria in September will include:

• Eric Garfunkel, Vice President for Global Affairs, Rutgers University
• Shakirat Bola Ibraheem, Associate Director of Finance & Administration, Rutgers Global
• Dan Waite, Executive Director of Rutgers Global – Study Abroad
• Ousseina Alidou, Professor of Theoretical Linguistics, Gender and Cultural Studies in the Department of African, Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Literatures and Comparative Literature, Rutgers University – New Brunswick
• Constance Graham, Director of Development, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University – New Brunswick
• J. Robert “Bob” McKee, Senior Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance and Chief of Staff, Rutgers University – Camden
• Neal Rosenthal, Founder of Rosenthal Wine Merchant (RWM), and Rutgers University alumni

The delegation will visit with Chief Obasanjo and HRM Matemilola, as well as colleagues from several colleges and universities to discuss areas of potential collaboration on areas including humanities, arts and culture, energy, climate change, agriculture, and health and medicine.

Planned University Visits include:

• University of Ibadan
• Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
• Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in Abeokuta
• Bells University of Technology, Otta
• Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library
• Owu and Ake palaces
• Olumo rock

In addition, members of the delegation will visit several private high schools in Lagos, Abuja, and Otta to meet with prospective students. In Lagos, there are plans to visit Dowen College Lagos, American International School of Lagos, and the Grenville School. In Abuja, the group will visit Stella Maris College, Loyola Jesuit College, Premiere Academy. And in Otta, they will visit Ambassador College and the Bells School.

“Rutgers has a strong interest in and history of engagement with Africa, and we are looking forward to deepening our relationships with our colleagues in Nigeria and learning about the ways we can work more closely together,” said Eric Garfunkel, Vice President for Global Affairs at Rutgers.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, stands among America’s highest-ranked, most diverse public research universities and is known as a university of opportunity. Rutgers is dedicated to teaching that meets the highest standards of excellence, to conducting research that breaks new ground, and to providing services, solutions, and clinical care that help individuals and the local, national, and global communities where they live.

Rutgers Global is the university-wide office devoted to comprehensive internationalization for our students, faculty, and staff. We create resources and opportunities to enhance our global engagement at home and abroad. Ultimately, we are committed to preparing our students for global challenges and opportunities by providing them with the tools necessary to develop cultural competencies and lead in the interconnected world in which we live.