Rewriting the Next Generation’s Immigrant Story.
We empower all immigrant families in making the United States their new home.
Immigration
The Nigerian Center is recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice to provide immigration legal services through accredited representatives and attorneys. We provide a range of immigration services including legal screenings, consultations, and full representation on a zero- to low-cost basis for eligible community members. The United States is a land of opportunity, but individuals without full legal status often face prolonged and unnecessary hardship due to limited access to accurate information and trusted legal support. Our legal team works to close this gap by providing culturally competent, affordable services to help individuals and families navigate the U.S. immigration system with clarity and confidence.
Policy Advocacy
At the heart of our work lies the pursuit of systems-level impact through policy advocacy. Recognizing that the African immigrant community is often overlooked as a policy priority, both at the local and national levels, we take the lead in forming coalitions that unite grassroots and immigrant-rights groups. Our collective efforts focus on advocating for the Nigerian and African immigrant community, while also supporting other immigrant groups nationwide.
Small Business
Due to a lack of established personal and business credit history, immigrant entrepreneurs are unable to access startup capital to jumpstart their entrepreneurship journey here in America. Also, as a result of their lack of credit history, they may fall victim to predatory lending or may never get their business dreams off the ground. The Nigerian Center helps solve this program by providing entrepreneurs with small business loans without using collateral and credit requirements. We will also connect our entrepreneurs to professional coaches and established industry-specific entrepreneurs as mentors and sponsors.
Language Classes
Language proficiency is critical to building cultural competency. We recognize that understanding a parent’s native dialect is a growing need among first generation Nigerian American children, and even within the community as a whole. We also see that other members of the general African diaspora have a strong interest in learning Nigerian languages but the opportunities to do so are limited. Lastly, we see that non-English speaking immigrants struggle to access basic services due to language barriers. The Nigerian Center is working to solve this problem by providing Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa classes along with translation services for people who don’t speak English as a primary or secondary language.
Our story is not just about new immigrants coming to the United States. It is also the story of African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, and Afro-Latinos whose origin story traces back to Nigeria.
