Art is Big Business

“There is no bad art because art affects us differently,” said Nduwhite Ndubisi in a message to young artists at the U.S. Embassy’s monthly International Visitor Leadership (IVLP) alumni mentoring program that occurred in September.  With the topic of mentoring young artists and creative entrepreneurship, the event exposed budding business owners to the opportunities that abound in the visual arts world.

Leading For Change

“From today, begin to prepare yourself as if you are going to be President in 2019.”  This was the challenge by International Visitor Leadership (IVLP) alumnus Olarenwajo Osho to his audience while speaking at the IVLP monthly mentoring series at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja.

How Can We Call Ourselves Civilized While Women Are Victims of Barbarity?

 By US Secretary of State John Kerry and UK Foreign  Secretary Philip Hammond

Women and Children Rescued by Nigerian Soldiers from Boko Haram
 extremists Arrive at Military Office in Maiduguri, northern Nigeria.

The abhorrent sexual violence waged by groups such as Isis and Boko Haram must be countered by governments and at local levels.

In Syria and Iraq, Isis terrorists have turned kidnapping and the sale of women and girls into recruitment and fundraising tools. Thousands of women have been enslaved and raped. In Somalia and Nigeria, terrorists have abducted scores of young women to force them into sham “marriages” characterized by degradation and abuse.

These practices are a stain on the conscience of the world. Sexual abuse is not a legitimate tactic of conflict or war. Women and girls are not slaves to be awarded to terrorist fighters. And mislabeling this abuse as “marriage” does not alter the reality that rape is rape and rape is wrong.

Sustaining Customers’ Interest in Your Brand: Tips for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners

How do you package and brand your product to attract and sustain customers’ interest? That was the focus of a mentoring program for entrepreneurs and business owners organized by the U.S. Embassy and the International Leadership Program Alumni Association.

In the program, “The Power of Your Brand, Your Packaging, and Your Process,” two successful entrepreneurs, Victoria Ironbar and Aisha Atta, tutored young entrepreneurs and business owners on how to target and attract customers. 

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.