Our Story

The Nigerian Center was born from a simple premise: the current generation of Black immigrants does not have to repeat the story of struggles of the past, and we exist to change that narrative.

Our founder, Gbenga Ogunjimi, a Nigerian immigrant, nearly faced deportation at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport after an unexpected encounter with a Customs and Border Protection officer while returning to the U.S. from Nigeria. In what felt like a miracle and a highly unusual act, the officer gave Gbenga legal options for returning to the country as a permanent resident, while others around him during that ordeal were deported.

When Gbenga left the airport that day, he felt there must be a higher purpose for why this happened and that he was meant to act on it. The question weighed heavily on him: Where does someone like me turn for help? The Latino, Chinese, Jewish, Arab, and Indian communities all had established community centers, but there was none for those in his community. That realization became the seed of the first Nigerian American community and immigrant center in the United States.

In 2022, that vision became a reality with the opening of the Nigerian Center in Anacostia, Washington, DC. Starting with a walk-in legal clinic, we quickly expanded to include asset-building programs and cultural and policy advocacy initiatives.

Today, the Nigerian Center stands as a community pillar for social justice, opportunity, and belonging for Black immigrants in the Greater Washington area and across the country.