Guitar virtuoso Stephane Wrembel Concerts in Lagos - June 27-30

The U.S. Mission to Nigeria is proud to bring you - from America by way of France – guitar virtuoso Stephane Wrembel next week! Wrembel, joined by co-guitarist Thor Jensen, will perform in Lagos, June 27-30.

 Among many achievements, the Brooklyn-based Wrembel composed the score for the 2012 Academy Award winning film Midnight in Paris, and appeared live on The Oscars 2016: 88th Academy Awards ceremony telecast. Wrembel learned his craft among Gypsies in the French countryside, and is expanding on his many other influences to make a mark as an original guitar voice in contemporary music. His musical accomplice, Thor Jensen, is also a longtime student of jazz, including the music of Django Reinhardt, and rock and roll.

 Wrembel and Jensen will take the concert stage with Nigeria’s own powerhouse collective Prudence, in these venues:

•  June 27: SPAN Jazz Academy Masterclass, 10:00 am (By Invitation only)
•  June 28: MUSON Center, Agip Recital Hall, 6:00 pm (Open to the public)
•  June 29: University of Lagos, Main auditorium, 5:30 pm (Open to the public)
•  June 30: Classic FM 97.3: streaming live at www.classic97.net, 9:00 am 

Read Stephane’s complete biography, please click the link: http://goo.gl/XVhrHb.
Watch one of his live performances via the link below: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUnBY8PNB8U

Non- Immigrant Visas: The Consular Officer’s Perspective

My colleagues and I are very aware of the stress and preparation that applicants go through before their non-immigrant visa interview.  We interact with applicants at outreach events and through Internet-based communication tools.  However, the applicants do not have a chance to view the process through our perspective and in an attempt to correct some of the misinformation that has infiltrated the Internet, here is my perspective on the U.S. visa application process.

Investing in Nigeria’s Future

Commentary by: Enoh Titilayo Ebong | USTDA Deputy Director


When I was growing up in Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, my father used to say that his future was in his past. In other words, you can never know how what happens today might impact tomorrow.

My father, Ime James Ebong, used to regale my sisters and me with stories about rising through the ranks of the Nigerian Civil Service after the country gained independence in 1960. As the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Economic Development and Reconstruction, he worked to coordinate foreign investment that could help build infrastructure and promote growth. He believed strongly in a global Nigeria, and traveled to the United States many times to establish partnerships with American companies.

Fulbright Scholar Explores Justice, Youth, Outdoors Across Nigeria

Fulbright scholar Erica Licht is not content to experience the world through the perceptions and stereotypes of others.  Whether through teaching yoga to at-risk youth, traveling by bus to Enugu to lead an anti-violence workshop, or strolling through Lagos Island to observe community policing efforts, Licht’s work in Nigeria aims to engage minds and challenge common perceptions on youth, justice, community and the outdoors.

American Scholar Finds Art, Love, Connections in Nigeria

On the bustling streets of the mainland Lagos neighborhood of Palmgrove, the children know her as Mama K.

American scholar Karen Marguerite Wilson-Ama’Echefu first came to Nigeria as a Fulbright Scholar in mid-2011. After earning her PhD in American history from the University of California, Riverside in 2007, Wilson-Ama’Echefu, who is also a singer and storyteller, set out to explore the reflections and roots of African American diasporic culture in African culture in Nigeria and Ghana over the 9-month duration of her grant.

Nigerian Youth Discuss Future of Urban Development in Lagos

Carrington Youth fellowship Initiative
U.S. Consulate General Lagos

In its quest to turn Lagos into a megacity of the future, several Nigerian youth said they felt the Lagos state government should focus on education and long-term solutions rather than expecting rapid and sweeping change.

The youths are fellows in the Carrington Youth Fellowship Initiative, a Consulate-sponsored youth outreach program for which 15 young Nigerians were selected and grouped into teams to design and implement projects with a social impact. At the fellowship’s monthly meeting on September 15, which was attended by U.S. Consul General Jeffrey Hawkins, the fellows viewed segments of the BBC documentary “Welcome to Lagos” and discussed issues relating to urban development in Lagos.

Unexpected Surprises for Expats in Nigeria

Let’s face it, oyinbos: Life as an expat in Nigeria can be full of uncertainty. With the news of bombings and unrest unfortunately on the rise, and a lack of reliable, up-to-date information for foreigners, much of the expat experience here can consist of sorting fact from fiction and prudence from paranoia, all while trying to see and understand a complex and dynamic country.
Yet life as an expat in Nigeria, and in Lagos especially, need not be that way. One does not need to look far for unexpected surprises and fun in Nigeria – even on the islands of Lagos.

Here are six unexpected surprises for expats in Nigeria: