PROGRAMS AND EVENTS

U.S. Government Donates Digital Library and Science Teaching Equipment to New Horizon College

Date: November 21, 2008
Venue: Minna

U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Lisa Piascik presenting eGranary Digital Library equipment to Alhaji Mustapha Mas’ood, principal, New Horizons College, Minna | Full size

U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission to Nigeria Lisa Piascik donated digital library equipment, known as eGranary, to the New Horizons College (NHC) in Minna, Niger State, Nigeria.  She also commissioned the school’s new science teaching equipment and materials, which were purchased through a grant from the U. S. Government.  

The NHC is one of four schools established by the Islamic Education Trust (IET) under the leadership of one of northern Nigeria’s foremost educators, Sheikh Ahmed Lemu. 

Ms. Piascik said the digital library resource donated to the school complements other forms of U.S. support to educational development in Nigeria.  “Investing in People is an important pillar of the U.S. Mission’s framework for partnership with Nigeria,” she emphasized.

The Deputy Chief of Mission was received at the New Horizons College by Alhaji Mustapha Mas’ood, the Principal of the College, and given a tour of the school facilities by Hajiya Aisha Lemu, the Director General of the school and an accomplished writer on Islamic education.

Ms. Piascik said that the histories of the United States and Nigeria are full of examples of support from both governments and individuals for the pursuit of knowledge. 

Noting that the first revealed word of the Qur’an is “read,” Ms. Piascik reminded both teachers and students of the New Horizons College, which runs a dual curriculum in Islamic and Western education, of the importance that Islam attaches to the search for knowledge. 

Ms. Piascik said the donation of the eGranary Digital Library to the school will contribute to the growth of knowledge.

The Deputy Chief of Mission said the American people are investing in the long-term intellectual well-being of the Nigerian community.  “We hope that these contributions will help promote students’ achievements and their preparation for global competitiveness, purposeful leadership and effectiveness,” she stated.

The eGranary Digital Library is a public-private partnership initiative developed by the WiderNet Project at the University of Iowa that has helped over 100 educational institutions in 14 African countries, Bangladesh, India and Haiti gain fast access to educational materials including video, audio, books, journals, and web sites, even where no internet access exists.

Speaking on behalf of the Islamic Education Trust, Sheikh Ahmed Lemu, Chairman and co-founder of the IET schools said the organization remains eternally grateful to the U.S. Government for its support.  He said the U.S. Government’s support to the New Horizons College has helped the school improve students’ performance and enhance its mission to foster academic excellence, promote broad-based knowledge, and nurture young men and women with high moral values and respect for diverse opinions.

The presentation ceremony was attended by the Cultural Affairs Officer of the U.S. Mission to Nigeria, Ms. Lisa Peterson, and a representative of the Niger State Commissioner for Science and Technology.

While in Minna, the U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission also paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor of the Federal university of Technology (FUT), Professor Muhammed Salihu Audu and his management team.  She also toured the university’s city campus.

She commended the FUT Administration’s efforts to establish linkages with some American universities and said the Mission will continue to explore other possible areas of partnerships and support for the university, including education advising services.