Africans in Diaspora and at home have been urged to come together and harness the continents resources and potentials to enable it lead in the committee of nations and build the Africa we want.
The Chairman Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, made the call at the 2nd Global African Diaspora Symposium (GADS), in Abuja Nigeria’s capital with the aim to foster new and stronger global Diaspora and Africa connections as well as provide opportunity for Africa to engage with its Diaspora.
Dr Dabiri Erewa also said that, the African continent, is blessed with abundant natural and human resources, and will lead the next industrial revolution if its resources are well harnessed. “We have all gathered as African diaspora. Is very important that we work together as Africans. What we need to do is come together as Africans. Ghana has a huge diaspora potential, so is Nigeria, Uganda, so is Rwanda. So why can’t we as Africans tap in to this enormous opportunities and potentials; and that’s the reason why we are gathered her today. As long as Africa is not
developing the way it should be developed, the world will continue to look down on every body as a black person, whether you are an American or Jamaican. So we have to ensure that we build this continent and the diaspora’s can do this because it has all the potentials”.
The Chairman further added that with more engagements, the continent of Africa will flourish. “This Symposium is designed to address and proffer workable solutions to Africa’s most pressing issues and offer concrete strategies as well as the needed affiliation between key Diaspora leaders in government, business, the private sector and the professions, with leaders on the African continent, so as to achieve successful results. The Symposium also seeks to create an interface between Africa and the Diaspora for the sole purpose of maximizing partnership and collaboration”. She added
According to the Director General of Technical Cooperation in Africa, Rabiu Dagari, the narrative of Africa being an exporter of resources must be changed to become that of exporter of finished product.
“it is appropriate to portray that Africa has reached the critical juncture requiring a change of the narrative about Africans and Africa. As continent that records consistent of net flow of financial resources, it is heartening to note that Africa economist have received steady finial influx from Africans in Diaspora. We need to change the narrative and redirect influx of remittances to productive Nations away from consumption. It is, also time to change the narrative about Africans been a resource reach continent. It should not be about exporter of natural resources only, we have to change the narrative of Africa been an exporter of resource and commodity to an exporter of finished product, taking advantage of value addition and creating value chain for our numerous product and produce”. He stated
Speaking also at the event, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Zubairu Dada while appreciating the theme of the symposium said the symposium is taking place at a promising time. “The World Bank estimates that by 2040, there will be more than 400 million international migrants with Africans having a larger number. We cannot think about our society, economy, innovations, science and technology breakthroughs without thinking about Africans in the Diaspora”.
Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, who represented Nigeria’s President at the symposium noted that hosting of the African Diaspora Symposium in line with the current global realities. “Today presents another milestone in the history of our nation in hosting Africans and its Diaspora. The choice of Nigeria as its host is timely and historic in the face of our political transition to a new government presently. This symposium talks about creating an interface for networking among Africans and other Diasporas around the world. It is empirical for Africans at home and in the Diaspora to connect and build a common front and also lay down strategic frameworks to address the challenges arising in the new world”. He noted that, the Global African Diaspora Symposium 2023, with the theme ‘Building Stronger Connections between Africa and the Global Diaspora was hosted by African Diaspora Alliance, Organization of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States, the, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA), and the Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affair.
Hauwa M.
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