The American University of Nigeria is set to host its annual Homecoming from November 3. The week-long celebration, the fourth in a series, will focus on the University and its achievements. The alumni are expected in their numbers.
Mr. Peter Paya, Alumni Relations coordinator, in a statement announcing the event said: “This year’s Homecoming will be dedicated to celebrating 10 years of the American University of Nigeria from inception in 2004. AUN alumni in private enterprises and top multinational companies across Nigeria and the world, as well as in top graduate schools around the world will have a mentorship forum with seniors and juniors in an event termed “Alumni Success Galore.”
Activities lined up for this year will feature entertainment celebrities such as Patoranking, Sheyi Shay, Skales, Ayo J, and DJ Bally, a professional career fair, Mr. & Miss AUN pageant, as well as community service to engage returning alums. Many of these events for the campus community are planned by the Campus Activities Board, made up of students and the Office of Student Activities and Involvement. In an effort to build this tradition among Alums, it starts with the student experience during matriculation.
The 10th anniversary Homecoming will be celebrating Alums with extraordinary achievements in their various fields, such as Messrs. Michael Njoku, Daniel Harbor, and Tosin Komolafe, who jointly developed the OpenERP for resources management at the University. Also to be honored are Mr. Dooyum Malu, who recently joined Google Inc., Mr. Soji Abolarin, who founded a fast-growing online gadget store Afriqbuy.com, and others working with corporations like McKinsey, Shell, PwC, and Chevron. Alumni will also be reconnecting with former graduates who are pursuing or have completed their graduate programs at prestigious universities in America, Europe, and Asia.
Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Student Affairs urged currently enrolled students to see Homecoming tradition as an opportunity to develop a strong university attachment and commitment while connecting with alumni who return for the events.
Homecoming is an American university tradition that fosters oneness, loyalty to alma mater, and reunion among alumni. AUN Homecoming offers alums the opportunity to build on the University’s mission statement as a Development University. It will also provide a platform for AUN graduates to give back to that immediate community as they reaffirm their commitment to contributing to the society at large.
The Homecoming is one of the biggest annual celebrations in American universities around the globe. AUN held its first Homecoming in 2011, and has since kept faith with this good old academic tradition which it hosts in the fall semester.