By Gabriel Dike
The British Council (BC) has every reason to roll out the drums to celebrate the 80 years of its engagement in several sectors in Nigeria.
Activities marking the 80 years of BC presence in the country are ongoing, with several programmes lined up to celebrate its outstanding contributions in many areas, especially its engagement with Nigerian youths in different sectors of the economy.
The theme of the anniversary is “Amplifying Voices of the Future”. One of the activities lined up for the celebration took place in Lagos recently and stakeholders in different fields acknowledged the contributions of BC in some key sectors of the economy.
In his address, the acting Country Director, British Council, Chilufya Besa, recalled that in 1944 the Council started operations and has since remained in the country through various programmes and projects; creating UK/Nigerian collaborations, which have yielded such diverse opportunities for the people, systems, organisations and communities.
“For our 80th-anniversary celebration, we looked at how far we have come as an organisation and considered what we would like to see in the future. This has greatly influenced the theme we have selected for this 80th anniversary – ‘Amplifying the Voices of the Future’, Besa stated.
He revealed that BC adopted the theme for because Nigeria has one of the youngest populations globally, with nearly 70% of its population under 30, adding, “by adopting this theme, “Amplifying the Voices of the Future,” we are indicating our commitment to empowering young people, who are Nigeria’s future leaders, creators, and innovators.”
According to him, BC mission is rooted in education, cultural exchange, and creating opportunities steeped in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those focused on quality education, gender equality, and reduced inequalities.
He said BC joint efforts with the Nigerian government, educational institutions, partners, and funders, both in the public and private sector; it has also supported reforms that strengthen the educational sector, laying the foundations for future success and resilience.
“At the British Council, we have realized that people deserve opportunities that can provide better livelihoods and valuable connections facilitate these learning. In Nigeria, we do this through our work in education providing training and capacity building initiatives to people in the arts, enterprise, society and education sectors.
“We also provide access to global opportunities through our exams work where we provide Nigerians with globally recognized professional and university qualifications right here in Nigeria. Every year, we reach out to thousands of students, educators, policymakers, academics, researchers, creative and entrepreneurs in Nigeria with our work across these sectors.
Since our establishment in Nigeria, the BC has worked alongside Nigeria’s leaders, educators, artists, and communities to create opportunities that resonate across generations.
“Together, we’ve empowered millions of people with skills, education, and connections that open doors and transform lives. These milestones underscore the strength of the UK/Nigeria relationship, which we are proud to support and nurture. We plan to continue supporting community-led projects, supporting systems and processes in the education sector across the primary, secondary, and higher education levels.”
Besa assured that BC would also continue its capacity-building initiatives for teachers, where teachers are trained on 21st-century skills, and continue its investments in the creative sector, enhancing skills and enabling collaborations as well as provide young people access to global professional advancement in Nigeria.
The Deputy Head of Mission, Simon Field said BC has made an impact across various sectors, through its commitment to education, it partnered with several government ministries and agencies, development partners and key players in the education sector in Nigeria to improve access to quality learning for millions, thus improving their learning outcomes.
Field observed that the achievements were through several programmes, which support young people in building their skills, knowledge, and attitudes they require responding to global challenges and developing international understanding.
“The BC also supports school leadership, providing support to schools in governance and leadership management.”
Some stakeholders acknowledged the impact of BC in education, skills acquisition of youths and training of teachers.
The Founding Executive Director of Temple School, Mrs. Shirley Okharedia, during a discussion session advised school owners not to be rigged about the way they run their schools.
Okharedia said at Temple School, “we give opportunities to students, who are not brilliant. They are supported by teachers to ensure they meet up and we also monitor their progress.”
She further disclosed that the school constantly interacts with the students and prepares them to acquire leadership skills, which reflects in how they conduct election for prefects.
The executive director described the period of election of the prefects as intensive with students preparing posters and ends with debate among the contestants on programmes they have for others.