An Africanist from the University of Warsaw at a meeting on the occasion of the visit of the President of the Republic of Poland to Nigeria

07 09 2022

On September 6, 2022, Patryk Zając, a representative of the Chair of African Languages ​​and Cultures, had the honor to participate in a meeting with the President of the Republic of Poland, Mr. Andrzej Duda, which took place in the Congress Hall of the Hilton Hotel in Abuja (Nigeria). The “New Avenues of Polish-Nigerian Cooperation” event was organized during the visit of the President to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It was of historical importance as it was the first visit to this country in 60 years.

In his speech, the President emphasized that Nigerians are the only group of Africans in Poland that is well recognized due to people such as the former member of the Polish parliament, Abraham Godson, or the former Polish national footballer, Emmanuel Olisadebe.

Thanks to the efforts of the Polish Embassy in Abuja, the meeting was attended by many influential guests from the world of politics and business, incl. Polish Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nigerian Minister of Women Affairs, Governor of the Kano State, Ambassador of Nigeria to Poland and others. Traditional rulers came in large numbers, incl. Emir Kano and Emir Bichi, with whom Patryk Zając had the opportunity to talk in Hausa and say a few words about our Chair cooperating with the Bayero University in Kano. Among the guests were representatives of the Polish community in Nigeria and numerous graduates of Polish universities, often speaking Polish. The meeting was also attended by a graduate of our Faculty, Dr. Ahmad Shehu, whose PhD was supervised by prof. Iwona Kraska-Szlenk.

The President awarded the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland with the Knight’s Cross to two Poles who have lived in Nigeria for many years: a professor of architecture and a representative of the Polish Trade and Investment Agency.