Fulbright-Hays Yoruba Group Project Abroad in Nigeria

The Fulbright-Hays Intensive Advanced Yoruba Group Project Abroad is hosted at the Yoruba Language Centre at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria during summers.

Program Dates

Saturday, June 7 – Saturday, August 2, 2025

Location

Yoruba Language Centre, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Program

This Intensive Advanced Yoruba Group Project Abroad (GPA) is an immersion program funded by the United States Department of Education through Fulbright-Hays fellowships. It offers American college/university students a rare opportunity to learn Yoruba among the native speakers in Nigeria. It also gives them a unique chance to travel and learn outside of campus. The overall goals are to make participants fluent in the language and culture, productive in their studies, fit for their careers and get a better understanding of Nigeria within the context of the world -all which will be useful when participants return to the United States.

The program includes:

• 120 hours of language instructions
• Daily conversation with language partners 
• Homestay with a Yoruba family for 8 weeks
• Cultural activities on campus
• Weekly excursions to cultural and historical sites outside campus
• 6-credit hours (to be transferred directly by the University of Ibadan to each participant’s institution in the United States)
• Guest lectures by experts/artists

Eligibility

To be eligible for this program, you should meet the following requirements:

• Be a U. S. citizen or a permanent resident.
• Be an undergraduate or a graduate student with at least 2 semesters of Yoruba language instruction or equivalent. Submit your transcript as proof.
• Submit two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from your Yoruba instructor.
• Submit a statement of purpose that includes (i) your reasons for applying for the fellowship and (ii) your commitment to African Studies.
• Be ready to follow all program guidelines.
• Pass an interview.

Selection

• The Selection Committee of Yoruba specialists drawn from universities across the U.S. will read each application, interview applicants, and select only those who fulfill the requirements under “ELIGIBILITY” listed above and demonstrate competence in an interview. By March 1st, each successful applicant will receive an acceptance letter and additional information.

Program Costs

The fellowships will cover the following expenses for all selected participants:

• Round trip international flight from Dulles International Airport Washington (Virginia) to Lagos (Nigeria)
• Tuition, learning materials, one-night hotel, homestay, historical and cultural sites, local transportation, and maintenance in Nigeria

However, each participant will bear the following costs:

• Program administrative fee of $1,000 payable to Howard University and mailed to the contact below.
• Transport fare from participant’s home institution to the Washington Dulles International Airport (Virginia) and return transport fare from the airport to the home institution.
• Passport, visa, travel inoculations (negative COVID -19 test proof, Yellow fever card, health insurance, other health-related needs, and personal shopping needs)
• Your home institution may have funding to support your out-of-pocket contribution to the program if your application is successful. Find out on your campus.

Apply for the Program

Applications are now closed. Apply via the Application Form below.

The Application Deadline is January 31, 2025.

Acceptance Notification: March 3, 2025
Acceptance Deadline: March 17, 2025
Pre-departure Session I: April 3, 2025
Pre-departure Session II: April 24, 2025
Pre-departure Session III: May 8, 2025
Pre-departure Session IV: May 22, 2025
Pre-departure Session V: June 3, 2025
Final Pre-departure Session/Updates at the airport – June 7, 2025
Departure for Nigeria: June 7, 2025
Return to the US: August 2, 2025

To apply, fill out the Application Form below and attach a Statement of Purpose, then provide 2 Recommendation Letters.

• Application Form
• Statement of Purpose
  • A Statement of Purpose is required to be uploaded as a PDF file or Word document. Upload at the bottom of the application form.
  • In the statement include (i) your reasons for applying for the fellowship and (ii) your commitment to African Studies. Submit 1-2 pages.
• 2 Recommendation Letters
  • 2 Recommendation Letters are required for submission via email by the recommenders. One letter is required from your Yoruba lecturer and one from another professor.
  • Ask your professors to email the letters to oluwafunke.ogunya@howard.edu.
• Transcript

Only completed applications will be considered. All items are due by the application deadline.

Contact

Ms. Olúwafúnkẹ́ Ògúnyá
Fulbright-Hays Intensive Advanced Yoruba GPA
Howard University
College of Arts and Sciences
Department of World Languages and Cultures, Locke Hall 350
2441 Sixth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20059
E-mail: oluwafunke.ogunya@howard.edu