University of Texas at Dallas opens liaison office for African students

The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) has opened a liaison office in Lagos, Nigeria’s economic and business hub, designed to facilitate admission processes and offer other auxiliary services for aspiring students from Africa.

The office, the first of such in Africa, is open in collaboration with Cavista Holdings, whose chairman, John Olajide, is an alumnus of the UTD.

Initially founded in 1961 as a private research arm of Texas Instruments, UTD has grown to a top-value public university with more than 31,000 students studying across its seven schools.

Speaking at the opening of the university’s African liaison office at Ilupeju, Lagos, Olajide said the institution would train young African talents to become leaders and experts in their chosen fields.

“The UTD is one of the top institutions in the world. The university played a key role in my development. I use the lessons I learned at UTD every day to help my companies realise their fullest potential. I am proud to be associated with a school that contributes so much to making the world a better place.”

“I am thrilled about the opportunities this new office will create for millions of young people in Nigeria and across Africa who are seeking quality education,” said Olajide. “The office will help build strong relationships, attract top students, and ensure that their time at UTD is enriched with friendships and experiences that will benefit them throughout their lives.”

Richard Benson, president of UTD, also speaks: “We want to educate and groom talents around the world, especially Africa. UTD is deep in research and provides education for global impact.”

Abubakar Suleiman, managing director/CEO, Sterling Bank, emphasised the place of quality education in the task of building Africa, especially Nigeria where funding remains a challenge to the government.

Suleiman said if Africa must overcome most of its challenges, investment in education must be prioritised both by the government and the private sector. “That’s why we’re involved as a bank,” he noted.

Richard Mills Jr., the US ambassador to Nigeria, described UTD’s opening of the African liaison office as exciting and inspiring.

Mills added that with over 17,000 Nigerian students studying in the US, there was bound to be stronger diplomatic ties between the two countries, even much more than he could achieve as a career diplomat.