Nigerian students in SVG looking to change bad image

Nigerian students here are trying to change the way they are perceived by the public.

So said president of the one-year-old Nigerian Association of St Vincent and the Grenadines Fuluso Ayanleke during an interview with SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday.

Ayanleke, who is a medical student, stated that he is aware of the bad image that Nigerians have world-wide; {{more}}however, the students see themselves as Nigerian ambassadors and wish to clean up the bad image.

“We might have had some kind of bad image from people in the past. So now, we feel it’s high time we come together to change all those kinds of things; to give ourselves a kind of new image,” he said.

The medical student stated that while some of the stories about Nigerians may be true, he is of the belief that the media usually exaggerates the stories.

“We’ve heard so many things true of… Nigerians, we’ve realized that most of these things, even when they are not true, the media all over the world make it so much bigger… We need to try and appeal to the conscience of the people, not only the Vincentians.

“We are having a good set of Nigerians on this island that are ready to co-operate with them, that are ready to work with them, that are also ready to render one or two services to them,” Ayanleke added.

He noted that apart from cleaning up the image of Nigerians, the students are also looking to lend their assistance in whichever way they can.

“In our own little way, go out and give back to the community,” he said.

Ayanleke is also appealing to the public and corporate bodies for whatever assistance they can give, as they try to give back to Vincentian society.

“If we get help from corporate bodies, organizations and the best thing, the government, we are hoping for help…to get this done,” he noted.

The Association’s president stated that they would like to travel to rural areas to offer free medical check-ups to the less fortunate and to persons who may not be able to travel to Kingstown to receive such treatment.

Ayanleke further said that they are looking to share their culture with the Vincentian public.

The Association comprises about 400 members, of which 90 per cent are medical students.

Ayanleke stated that the Association will hold an inauguration at the Russell’s Complex on September 24, to which the general public is invited to attend and address any concerns they have.(CM)