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Top UK varsities pledges to boost indigenisation policy

By Adelowo Adebumiti
13 June 2018   |   3:25 am
To avail the country of their knowledge, expertise and ensure they contribute their quota to national development, 12 top universities from the United Kingdom (UK), recently organised a career exposition for their Nigerian alumni to connect with prospective employers in the country.

Deputy British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Laure Beaufils SOURCE: iRwanda24

*Host career Expo for Nigerian alumni
To avail the country of their knowledge, expertise and ensure they contribute their quota to national development, 12 top universities from the United Kingdom (UK), recently organised a career exposition for their Nigerian alumni to connect with prospective employers in the country.

The institutions include Universities of Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Essex, Glasgow, Leeds, Loughborough, and Newcastle. Others are Nottingham, Robert Gordon University, Salford and University of Southampton.

Speaking at the event held recently at Eko Hotel Lagos, Regional Manager, West Africa, University of Nottingham and Lead Organiser, Ms. Emma Tarrant Tayou, said enquiries from some international companies seeking to expand their operations in Nigeria, gave birth to the programme.

She said these companies indicated preference to recruit and employ Nigerian graduates rather than bringing in foreigners to work in the country.

Noting that Nigerians who studied in the UK also want to return to the country to work and employ the skills and knowledge they acquired for the growth of the nation, she said, “There is more that UK universities can do to facilitate access to employers and to provide careers support within the Nigerian job market. These institutions have seen more than 10, 000 Nigerians study with them over the last ten year at various levels from bachelors to PhD level.”

The UK Deputy High Commissioner, Laure Beaufils, on her part noted that the expo is a great opportunity to showcase the talent and skills of the Nigerian students trained in the UK.

She said: “I have no doubt that this will be a great opportunity for employers as they actively seek to identify talents to deliver on their business priorities. I hope this will also be an opportunity to encourage yet more Nigerian students to choose UK universities.”
Beaufils observed that today there is a huge demand for students skilled in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), particularly in leadership and management.

She said the UK would use the opportunity to support economic development and job creation in the country.

She assured all stakeholders in the country that they would help address some of their needs through the alumni available for job interview at the programme.

Asked about cooperation with institutions in the country, Regional Officer, University of Essex, Arinze Odiari expressed readily for collaboration with any Nigerian university.
Employers at the expo include Andela, Dangote Cement Plc, KPMG, Lonadek Inc., Nigeria LNG Limited, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Siemens Limited and Stanbic IBTC Limited among others.

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