However, Harvard continues to admit a few students from Nigeria each year, some of whom plan to return to their native country.

John Yusufu ’12, who hails from northern Nigeria, said that though he shares much with his Nigerian-American friends, their aspirations are ultimately different. “In the end, my main goal is to go back to Nigeria,” he said.

He is currently studying mechanical engineering because this remains an underdeveloped sector at home.  “There is a growing need for technicians,” Yusufu said. “I hope to contribute my own education.”

And while most Nigerian-American students are not interested in moving to Nigeria, Ogunnaike said, Nigerian representation at Harvard is strong enough that undergraduates formed the Nigerian Students Association less than a decade ago.

Okurounmu said that the NSA creates a space for celebration of culture, film, and food native to Nigeria—which is especially relevant in light of the increasing number of Nigerian-Americans who are straddling multiple identities. “They might identify first and foremost as black, and then as Nigerian,” Ogunnaike said.

While Harvard itself has wound down most official ties with Nigeria over the years—Olupona points out that the University is no longer as involved in recruiting Nigerian nationals and encouraging its own students to study there—these students have taken it upon themselves to maintain the connection forged 50 years ago.

—Staff writer Laura G. Mirviss can be reached at lmirviss@fas.harvard.edu.