The United States has approved $319 million contract for the building of a new U.S. Consulate General in the Eko Atlantic, developed by South Energyx Nigeria Limited in collaboration with Lagos State.
This is just as the country opened a ‘Window on America’ in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
According to punchng.com, in a report from the US Department of State on Tuesday, the 12.2-acre site for the new Consulate General would be handled by the awardee of the contract, Pernix Federal, LLC of Lombard, Illinois.
The contract was awarded by the US Department of State’s Capital Security Construction Program, known as the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, which was established in 1999.
However, the design architect for the project is Ennead Architects of New York. The aim of the new Consulate General is to “provide a modern, resilient platform for diplomacy in Nigeria and is expected to be completed in 2027.”
Referring to the choice of Eko Atlantic, the report read, “The location will provide the future diplomatic campus and its neighbours with access to sustainable, modern infrastructure, including an 8.5 km seawall designed to protect the city from rising sea levels and coastal erosion.”
Since its establishment, the OBO has completed up to 168 new diplomatic facilities and currently has more than 50 active projects, either in design or under construction worldwide.
Meanwhile, the United States Consulate General on Tuesday opened a ‘Window on America’ in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
According to saharareporters.com, the Osogbo Window on America, hosted at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, will function as a community resource centre for accurate and current information about the political, economic, cultural, educational, and social life in the United States.
The Information Specialist, Public Affairs Section of the Consulate, Temitayo Famutimi disclosed this in a press release, obtained by SaharaReporters on Tuesday.
Delivering keynote remarks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Officer, Stephen Ibelli stated that the new space will provide a calendar of programmes on topics of interest designed to bring Americans and Nigerians closer together.
“We are so excited today to launch the Window on American here in Osogbo.
READ: Africa: US to relocate Consulate to Eko Atlantic City
“With its modern design, computer workstations, books, and perhaps most importantly, an open space for members of the community to host conversations of mutual interest, the new center exemplifies the U.S. government’s commitment to a core tenet of democracy: A citizen’s right to free access to information,” Ibelli said.
Ibelli clarified that the Osogbo Window on America will be a reference point for free information.
“Through the Osogbo Window on America we will provide employability and leadership training for young people, offer information on study opportunities in the U.S., showcase American culture and values, as well as foster closer people-to-people ties between the people of Nigeria and the United States,” Ibelli added.
Chief Medical Director, Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Professor Peter Olaitan, expressed his gratitude for the choice of the location of the Window on America at the medical facility. He expressed optimism that staff, students and residents of Osogbo will benefit from the resources available at the center.
A Window on America is a type of American Space located in over 150 countries worldwide. In order to engage more Nigerian audiences in their local communities, the U.S. Mission is adding new Windows on America to the family of American Spaces in Nigeria.
Windows on America provide a venue for the Embassy and Consulate outreach activities, offering a meeting place for U.S. Government alumni, and a host for visiting speakers (including Embassy staff, Fulbright scholars, and other Americans), film series, and other events that promote a better understanding of the U.S.
