The 43rd anniversary of Nigeria’s independence from Great Britain will be marked at Iowa State this weekend through an event hosted by the Nigerian Students Union.

The event will be held at 4:45 p.m. Saturday in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. The celebration is free and open to the public.

Olamide Shadiya, president of the Nigerian Students Union, said the celebration will include speakers, a fashion show, a buffet offering Nigerian foods and cultural performances.

Shadiya said this will be the fourth consecutive year Nigeria’s independence will be celebrated at Iowa State. Colleges throughout the nation put on similar events; however, Nigeria’s independence is celebrated differently in Nigeria.

“Oct. 1 is the official independence day for Nigeria,” Shadiya said. “Different types of festivals take place in the different states of the country. Parades often take place to celebrate the different cultures of the nation.”

Speakers at the event will include Penny Rice, director of the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center and graduate student in education leadership and policy studies, and Herman Blake, coordinator for the African American Studies Program and professor in educational leadership and policy studies. Both will touch on topics relevant to the history of Nigeria, especially how Nigeria has overcome adversity as a nation throughout its many years of existence.

The Nigerian buffet will include plantains and jell of rice, two foods commonly enjoyed in Nigeria. Members of the Nigerian Students Union will perform dances, putting another cultural facet of Nigeria on display.

Shadiya said the Nigerian Students Union originated in the 1960s, ended in the 1980s and returned to Iowa State in 1997.

The Nigerian Students Union is made up of both students from Nigeria and Americans with Nigerian ancestry, said Bea Awoniyi, adviser for the Nigerian Students Union.

Shadiya said there are about 15 members of the Nigerian Students Union and Awoniyi estimated 15 to 20 students from Nigeria attend Iowa State.

“We get together to support one another, we put on various events, watch movies, and celebrate each other’s successes,” Awoniyi said. “For example, when a student gives birth to a child, or when a student graduates, we celebrate.”

Awoniyi said the Nigerian Students Union is a valuable tool in educating the ISU community about Nigerian culture, people and geography. She said she believes organization is also helpful in smoothing Nigerian student’s transition into college life.

“When you look at the cultural differences, the environmental differences and the people, all of these differences will either make or hinder the lives of these students,” Awoniyi said.

“It is an emotional transition. The culture of Nigeria is so different, and we provide help and assistance that these students are used to.”

The Inter-Residence Hall Association, the Multicultural Task Force, the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center, the Kenyan Students Association and the African American Studies program are all sponsoring this weekend’s event.