British Council Celebrates 80th Anniversary with Nigerian Youth

By Azeez Disu

The British Council celebrated its 80th anniversary in grand style in Nigeria with youth, a milestone that represents eight decades of making an impact in the lives of Nigerians, businesses, and communities. It also represents decades of strengthened relationships between the UK and Nigeria. 

The anniversary celebration themed “Amplifying the Voices of the Future” was held at the British Council Nigeria Office in Lagos with the aim to foster sustainable and impactful change by empowering young people to make a difference.

Speaking on the choice of the theme, Chilufya Besa, Country Director, British Council Nigeria, said “Amplifying the Voices of the Future” is especially fitting for our 80th anniversary in Nigeria for several reasons: Nigeria, as you know, has one of the youngest populations globally, with nearly 70% of its population under 30. By adopting this theme, ‘Amplifying the Voices of the Future,’ we are indicating our commitment to empowering young people, who are Nigeria’s future leaders, creators, and innovators.”

He added that “the theme also aligns with our long-standing objective of equipping young people with the skills, platforms, and confidence they need to have a positive impact. Our mission is rooted in education, cultural exchange, and creating opportunities steeped in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those focused on quality education, gender equality, and reduced inequalities. By amplifying young voices, we support global aspirations for a fairer, more inclusive future.”

Reeling out some of the impact the council has made, Besa explained that it has supported reforms that have strengthened the educational sector in the country. He also pointed out that every year, it reaches out to thousands of students, educators, policymakers, academics, researchers, creatives, and entrepreneurs in the country with its work across sectors.

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On plans for the future, he said, “The future for us at the British Council is quite exciting. We plan to continue supporting community-led projects and supporting systems and processes in the education sector across the primary, secondary, and higher education levels. We will also continue our capacity-building initiatives for teachers, where teachers are trained on 21st-century skills, and continue our investments in the creative sector, enhancing skills and enabling collaborations. We will also continue to provide young people access to global professional advancement right here in Nigeria.”

On his part, Simon Field, Deputy Head of Mission, British Council Nigeria, said the  council has worked with hundreds of Nigerian artists and has enabled collaboration with their British counterparts, helping to showcase Nigerian creativity on global stages, and it would continue to make an impact across sectors.

“At the heart of this partnership are the stories of individuals whose lives have been changed by the British Council’s work. We are proud of the countless young people who have become employable, business owners, job creators, and agents of change within their communities through British council-led programmes. Today, we celebrate the young people who have seized the opportunities provided by the British Council in Nigeria to access international qualifications, enhance their capacities across sectors, and proceed to create a huge impact in their communities,” he disclosed.

He reaffirmed the council’s commitment to fostering shared knowledge, ideas, and resources to achieve economic growth.

“Today, we celebrate 80 years of achievements and look forward to an even brighter future. Together, we can continue to harness our shared knowledge, ideas, and resources to build resilient communities, drive economic growth, and inspire future generations,” he stated.

The event had some leading industry professionals across sectors who have also been empowered by the council share insights on excelling in life and business while discussing the topics ‘Unlocking the Economic Potential of Young People Now and in the Future” and “Enhancing Youth Voices in Delivering Effective and Sustainable Change” during the fireside chat. They also spoke on how the council’s interventions have impacted their lives.

The event also had performances from spoken word artists, live drawing by artists, music, and other entertainment.

The British Council was established in 1944 in Nigeria and has embarked on various programmes and projects, creating UK/Nigerian collaborations that have yielded diverse opportunities for people, systems, organisations and communities.