Unrest in Nigeria: How We’re Supporting Our Howard Family

Unrest in Nigeria:

How We’re Supporting Our Howard Family

The global coronavirus pandemic has reinforced Howard’s guiding principle to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students, faculty and staff – those who live in Washington, D.C., across the United States and around the world. Amidst ongoing unrest in Nigeria, we are making every effort we can to support our Howard family that is affected by violence in the country. Howard has a long, rich history of welcoming, hosting and educating Nigerian students, who are an important part of our community. Additionally, the University has conducted various humanitarian, research and training projects in Nigeria, where we have established a nonprofit entity, Howard University Global Initiative in Nigeria (HUGIN), employing several staff. It is these deep ties that prepare us to support our Howard University students, faculty and staff in Nigeria. We are in communication with our staff in Nigeria, who are all safe, and we are providing any necessary additional support. We are in constant contact with our students who have been continuing their Howard education remotely from Nigeria. We have started an initiative for open discussions with staff and faculty to better understand any unique concerns and challenges so we may identify ways the University can be additionally supportive. Our Division of Student Affairs is poised to offer support and assistance as needed. The staff in the University Counseling Center is available to provide a

place of healing. It is not lost on us that the tumult in Nigeria over the EndSARS movement protesting police brutality has coincided with our country’s own protest movement decrying police violence. In America, in Nigeria and in any country anywhere, we condemn and denounce violence and brutality, and support efforts toward peaceful redress of concerns. Just as Howard is committed to putting forward policies to solve the many problems the United States is facing, so too will we leverage our institutional expertise and power to bring forth solutions to issues around the globe.