University of Leicester Alumni Launch Nigerian Chapter to Back National Development

Graduates of the University of Leicester have formally established a Nigerian alumni chapter in Abuja, pledging to channel their professional networks toward the country’s development agenda.

The chapter, registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission in January, was inaugurated at an Alumni and Stakeholders Reception in Abuja on Wednesday. The event brought together graduates, partners, and key stakeholders for a panel session on how alumni networks could drive personal and national growth.

Speaking at the inauguration, the university’s Director of Future Students Office, Phil Dalby, praised the contributions of Nigerian graduates, telling attendees: “You enriched the life of the university when you were studying there, and you continue to do so after you graduated. You are citizens of change, and as such, you have gone on to excel in your professions, in business, in public service, and in your communities.”

Dalby also disclosed an ambitious institutional goal, saying the university was “setting ourselves the ambitious target of reaching a £100 million campaign” as it enters its second century.

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Reception coordinator Zainab Mai-Bornu stressed the responsibility of alumni to embody the values they gained from the institution. “We expect them to demonstrate the good things they took from Leicester back to wherever they are, to show how to be hardworking, dedicated, and honest citizens of change,” she said.

Notable alumni at the event included the Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency, Mathew Adepoju, who credited his time at Leicester with shaping his professional standards. “The ethics and standards we learned at Leicester made us stand out in our organisations,” he said, urging younger graduates to stay resilient despite infrastructural challenges.

Naval Commodore Abdulhakeem Oyebode also spoke to the career advantages of the degree, noting that “having a top-class degree from the University of Leicester actually opens doors.”