Dressed in full African attire, members of the Nigerian Students Union and others gathered in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union Saturday night to celebrate and share in the Nigerian culture.

The program, titled “Out of Africa: Embracing our Cultural Heritage,” was in honor of Nigeria’s 42nd anniversary of independence.

Those who attended were treated to a spectacular show, including entertainment, food and a subtle history lesson.

The evening started with everyone standing to sing the Nigerian National Anthem.

“History has been rewritten so many times,” says Bea Awoniyi, adviser of the Nigerian Students Union.

During the question-answer segment, Awoniyi gave a short account of Nigerian history.

Many ethnic groups were divided by regions in which they lived and by language barriers when the British forced Nigerians together in a system of slavery, Awoniyi says.

“The British visionaries were the first to go to Africa and then the idea of exploitation came when they saw we had all these resources and figured we didn’t know what to do with them,” Awoniyi says.

“They convinced themselves they were superior to the Africans and took advantage of the fact that [the Africans] welcomed the British in.”

Lagos is the economic capital of Nigeria, whereas Abuja is the political capital — just like New York and Washington, D.C., are to the United States, Awoniyi says. There are various ethnic groups within Nigeria, which is why it has such a rich and diverse culture, Awoniyi says.

“The British had held Nigeria captive in a system of slavery for about 60 years,” says Moronkeji Ojelade, senior in elementary education. “Nigeria finally gained its independence on Oct. 1, 1960.”

Ojelade and many others were dressed in traditional African garments, such as iro, a waist wrap, and buba, a loose-necked shirt.

“The way we dress means something different for us younger people than to the older people,” Ojelade says.

There was a diverse program of entertainment throughout the night. The ISU Drill Team, the Main Event dance group and a special reggae dance group offered their talents to the guests who attended.

Simisola Fasehun, senior in child and family services; Selinya Carew, junior in finance; and Jada Mayson, sophomore in political science, sang “Fly American Eagle” in English and a traditional African song called “Chubaseezua” in Swahili.

Aside from the dress and entertainment, other traditional aspects of the evening were found in the food and music.

Following the show, guests were invited to take in some traditional Nigerian cuisine.

“We had many traditional dishes, including semolina and puff puff, curried chicken and yellow rice and fried plantain,” says Adebola Adesoye, president of the Nigerian Students Union.

As people were enjoying the Nigerian feast, they were entertained by the Henry Dool Band.

“We were very pleased to have a live band this year,” says Adesoye, freshman in mechanical engineering. The band, which is based in Washington, played a wide range of music, from reggae to African to tropical.

“Everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves,” says Olamide Shadiya, vice president of the Nigerian Students Union and freshman in chemical engineering. “We’re just trying to educate people about the Nigerian culture.”

“We are a proud people,” Awoniyi says. “Nigerians, wherever they are, display their culture, as we have seen here tonight.”

Stella Okeke, sophomore in psychology, agrees.

“For me, it’s one of the things I’m most proud of,” she says. “We wanted the Iowa State community to experience how Nigerians, as well as other Africans, celebrate our heritage.”