Anthony Blinken, the United States (U.S.) Secretary of State, yesterday, commissioned another American cultural centre otherwise known as ‘American Corner’ in the Lekki area of Lagos State.
The innovative and tech-enabled American space in Lagos is aimed at supporting youth innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity in Nigeria.
Blinken, who is in his second day in Nigeria, was accompanied by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, and other American government officials. His visit to Nigeria is part of his ongoing tour of African countries.
‘American Corners’ serve as regional resource centres for information and programmes highlighting American culture, history, current events, and government.
Blinken said: “This American Corner in Lekki, will, I believe, reinforce that incredibly vibrant relationship between our countries and between our peoples. Nigeria has more American spaces than any other African country, 24 locations in 21 cities, 4,400 programmes reaching 100,000 Nigerians every year, and now number 25.”
“Our own mission in Nigeria is working with our Congress to launch the Nigerian Marine and Blue Economy, a hackathon, because one of the things I found very powerful as well is when you put young minds and technology together, they can find solutions and solve problems in ways that some of us who may be a little bit older and more set in our ways and maybe not quite so adept with technology simply can’t do.
“We’ll bring together the government, the private sector, and students to develop solutions to economic and environmental challenges, like addressing plastic pollution or using ocean currents to create energy. Imagine that.
“One of the many ways that innovation’s relationship to learning is facilitated here, as we’re doing that, is going to be vital to tackling all of these shared challenges.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Secretary of State had on Tuesday, during a meeting with President Bola Tinubu said the American government would support Nigeria in its social investment programmes to ease the hardship occasioned by the removal of petrol subsidy.
