Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) is set to host a global Summit For African Diaspora.
Chairman/CEO, of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said Africa must take its pride in place on the global map, as it cannot be relegated to the background anymore given its huge human and natural endowments.
She stated this at a joint world press conference ahead of the Global African Diaspora Symposium, she said that the responsibility lies on Africans to take full potential of their talents and for a continental national and grassroots development, which calls for impactful engagement with its Diaspora to dismiss the negative perception of its citizens abroad.
PRESS RELEASE:
NIGERIA SET TO HOST THE GLOBAL SUMMIT FOR AFRICAN DIASPORA
Abuja, March 30, 2023:
Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) says Africa must take its pride of place on the global map, as it cannot be relegated to the… pic.twitter.com/xmvURXbp1R
— Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (@nidcom_gov) March 30, 2023
The NiDCOM Chairman, noted that like most African diaspora-related programmes, GADS is birthed by the declaration of the 2012 Global Diaspora Summit, “Like most African diaspora-related programmes, the Global African Diaspora Symposium (GADS) is inspired by the Declaration of the 2012 Global Diaspora Summit (which recognised the need for Africa to form an impactful engagement with its Diaspora); and the AU’s first African Global Diaspora Summit in 2021, where member states of the AU promised to partner with one another politically, socially, economically, and other aspects. This is in consonance with the fifth aspiration of the AU Agenda 2063: “The Africa We Want”, which is Africa with a stronger cultural identity and Pan-African movement.
“Also, the Symposium gives Africa, the chance to engage with its Diaspora, and build upon the first African Diaspora Symposium (ADS-2020), held in Nairobi, Kenya in December 2020, as well as, the maiden outing of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Diaspora Forum in Luanda, Republic of Angola on December 7, 2022 for its 10th Summit Edition.
“Explore and engage the contributions of Diaspora skills, particularly in scientific knowledge and technology transfer, Mobilise Diaspora savings and Diaspora philanthropic contributions and harness migration, remittances and Diaspora contributions for suitable development and Enhance participation of the Diaspora in Africa’s development process to support the development of the roadmap for the Diaspora as the sixth region of Africa towards the attainment of AU’s Agenda 2063.”
Director General, of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA), Ambassador, Rabiu Daigari, said the programme will integrate all Africans worldwide together and fast-track the reconnection process for Africa’s development.
According to him, the symposium is similar to the Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) that was held in Nigeria in 1977.
“There is more structure in place, like NiDCOM and the DTCA, to promote the Diaspora community in a positive perception. When Nigeria hosted FESTAC ’77, it was sponsored by the Nigerian Government. Nigerians built the town for Africans in Diaspora and foreigners also. It was a huge success. There were a lot of cultural displays and exchanges, and it was the turn of Senegal to host next when the country saw the success of Nigeria, that it built a town, the money invested, the cultural festival died. However, the symposium would be intellectual, full of cultural exchanges and contribute to Africans wanting to do more to promote development in their different countries.”
Dr Malcolm Beech, a member of the Global Diaspora Organising Committee in America, Professor Chika Anyanwu, an Academia based in Sydney, Australia and Dr Bashir Obasekola, NIDO Continental Chairman based in Russia, stated that the Symposium serves as a catalyst for Africa’s renaissance and reawakening to change the narratives, and provides the time for Africans, home and abroad, to showcase themselves to the world and the continent as a progressive and last economic frontier to the world.
The Global African Diaspora Symposium (GADS) to be held on the 27th and 28th of April, 2023, is organised by the African Diaspora Alliance (AfDA), Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria (MFA), Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA), and is with the theme of the Symposium: “Building Stronger Connections between Africa and the Global Diaspora.”
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