The birth of an alumni association in Nigeria

Dr Chijioke Nwaozuzu is a Chevening scholar from 2001-2002. He is the new General Secretary of the newly created Chevening Alumni Association of Nigeria. In this blog entry he tells us how the first meeting went and  lists the new associations objectives.

INAUGURATION OF THE CHEVENING ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (CAAN)

THE JOURNEY SO FAR:

Efforts were made in the past to bring together recipients of the Chevening Scholarship Scheme in Nigeria. However, the first step towards the formation of the Chevening Alumni Association of Nigeria (CAAN) was taken on 14 March 2009 when the British Council convened a meeting of selected recipients from its inception in Nigeria.

At that meeting, which held at the Protea Hotel, Asokoro Abuja, a Steering Committee led by Mr Thomas Odemwingie was set up to lay the foundations for the establishment of an active Association of Chevening Scholars, including also the drafting of a guiding constitution. The latter issue was set as a priority because a constitution is a condition for registering the Association with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Abuja.

A constitution has now been drafted and the Association duly registered with the CAC, a process which was facilitated by Etuku Onah & Co. A certificate of registration has also been issued by the CAC and currently in possession of the Trustees of the Association.
 
Having carried out all the necessary due diligence and sped work, the members of the Steering Committee set out an agenda for the formal inauguration of the Association. The inauguration took place on Saturday, 20 August 2011 at Chelsea Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria. The inaugural event was attended by forty (40) Chevening Scholars and gentlemen / ladies of the Press. The British High Commissioner (Andrew Lloyd) was also in attendance, and performed the official task of launching the Alumni Association and unveiling the Association’s Logo.

There was a discussion forum afterwards, which focused on the role of public / private sector partnership in national development; and also on the way forward for the newly formed Association. This was followed by election of national executives, and a reception of Scholars at the residence of the British High Commissioner.

OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSOCIATION:

The Steering Committee set out in clear details some objectives which the Association should pursue, in order to be worthy ambassadors of our country and to justify the confidence reposed in us by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Government of the United Kingdom.

The objectives of CAAN are as follows:

· To promote best practices in the application of the benefits of the education, skills, know-how and approaches gained by members in the course of their period of study in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to solving developmental challenges in Nigeria;

· To promote links between the citizens, institutions, agencies and governments of Nigeria and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland that have the potential to enrich existing relations between the two countries and to strengthen global development;

· To provide the forum for members to make sound contributions to important national and international issues;

· To support initiatives by other organizations promoting cultural, business and political ties between Nigeria and United Kingdom;

· To provide advice and mentoring programmes for prospective students to institutions of higher learning in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;

· To maintain a database of Chevening Scholars with a view to promoting effective networking among ourselves.

Dr Chijioke Nwaozuzu