Our
community, the Nigerian Muslim Association of Greater Houston
(NMA), otherwise referred to as Masjid—ul—Mumineen
has been in existence for over two decades. Its origin stemmed
from some Nigerians that came to the United States for their
college and graduate school programs and decided to stay
back in Houston to build careers, develop businesses and
raise families after successfully completing their studies.
The need for networking, socialization, cultural development
and religious fellowship inevitably led to the establishment
of the NMA..
The mission of this organization is to
build a virile community, and its vision is to promote excellence
among the current and future members within the Houston
metropolis in particular and USA in general.
This organization started with less than
1000 members some twenty years ago and our population has
amazingly increased over the years to about 45,000, including
new members from Nigeria who have found a home in Houston.
It is worth noting that 70% of our members are United States
citizens and we expect this percentage to increase as our
young and growing adults that constitute a high percentage
of our population transition into family lives after their
college education.
There are lots of similarities between
the weather conditions in Texas and Nigeria and this factor
together with the diverse opportunities that exist in Houston
have brought more Nigerian immigrants to Houston than to
any other city in the US in recent years. The "US
Diversity Visa Lottery Program" designed to benefit
educated and qualified professionals has brought about 10,000
Nigerian immigrants to the US each year and Houston has
been most sought after by these immigrants from Nigeria.
It is also remarkable to know that we continue to see Nigerians
relocating from other states in the US to Houston to seek
career opportunities and raise families. Nigerians also
constitute a significant percentage of international students
in various universities and colleges in Houston. Evidently,
it is a mixture of accomplishment, responsibility, and challenge
for our community to successfully manage this increasing
population
Nigeria
is known to be one of the world largest oil and gas
producers; and Nigeria has thus been blessed with highly
qualified professionals specializing in various fields in
the Oil and Gas ("O&G") industry. Houston being the world
headquarters of O&G industry has thus attracted a significant
number of Nigerians who work for multinational O&G companies
(Shell, ChevronTexaco, ExxonMobil, etc.). Among these people
are Nigerian expatriates on cross-posting assignments from
Nigeria who work for a period of four to five years prior
to repatriating back home. Our community has been a good
resource for the transitioning of these expatriates and
their families into Houston and the US in general.
Our community is blessed with professionals
in different disciplines of human endeavors including medical
and health sciences, engineering, law, accounting, academics,
sports, law enforcement, public service and others. Leveraging
our academic, educational background and enterprise as a
group, a significant number of our members have developed
their businesses and built clientele. Our entrepreneurs
are employers of labor and credible taxpayers. Our members
are active members of various professional groups within
the Houston metropolis.
