The British Council in Nigeria says plans are ongoing to organise an alumni event to honour Prof Wole Soyinka, Joke Silva and all Nigerians who had been to the United Kingdom to study.
The council’s Communication Manager, Mr Desmond Omovie, made the disclosure to NAN on Friday in Lagos.
According to him, the event is part of efforts by the council to identify with and honour such students that have acquired UK education.
“In some few months from now, we will be organising an alumni event, basically for Nigerians who have been to the UK to study and now are back to contribute their quota to the country’s development.
“You know each time we have Nigerian students going over to the UK to study.
“We usually encourage them to go back home at the end of their courses and see how they can plough back their knowledge and experience back to the society,” he told NAN.
“These people must realise that going to study abroad is all about gaining international or global exposure, where they get to meet and exchange ideas with other people from different parts of the world.
“And so organising this sort of alumni event is part of our corporate social responsibility to the society, coupled with the opportunities that are attached by the council as they venture to go abroad.
“We will be honouring some prominent Nigerians such as Prof. Wole Soyinka and Joke Silva among others who as UK alumni, have done very well in their respective areas of life’s endeavour.”
Omovie added that currently, there was an ongoing campaign by the council to get all alumni of UK universities who must have established themselves in various spheres of life to apply for an award.
He noted that these men and women of distinction have contributed immensely to the development of Nigeria.
According to him, so far and based on the response to the campaign, the council has recorded between 5,000 and 10,000 individuals who are alumni and have excelled in their chosen careers.