Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) says Africa must take its pride of place on the global map, NiDCOM chair, Abike Dabiri-Erewa said.
NiDCOM chairperson, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said this at a joint World Press Conference to midwife the Global African Diaspora Symposium (GADS), on Wednesday in Abuja.
Dabiri-Erewa noted that the continent ”cannot be relegated to the background anymore, given its huge human and natural endowments”.
She said that like most African diaspora-related programmes, the declaration of the 2012 Global Diaspora Summit created the GADS.
The programme was initiated for Africa to form impactful engagements that encourage partnership among member states.
She said the symposium is built upon the first African Diaspora Symposium (ADS-2020), held in Nairobi, Kenya in December 2020.
It is also the maiden outing of Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States Diaspora Forum.
The Forum was held in Luanda, Republic of Angola on Dec. 7, 2022 for its 10th Summit Edition, to establish a chance for Africa to engage with its Diaspora.
The theme of the symposium is “Building Stronger Connections between Africa and the Global Diaspora”.
It is designed to proffer workable solutions to Africa’s most pressing issues and create necessary partnerships between key Diaspora leaders.
This is, especially, in the African continent to achieve successful results.
Dabiri-Erewa informed that the hybrid event is slated to hold April 27-28 at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja.
Amb. Rabiu Daigari, Director-General, Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA), also spoke at the event.
Daigari said the programme will integrate all Africans worldwide together and fast track reconnection process for Africa’s development.
Dr Malcolm Beech, member of Global Diaspora Organising Committee in America, said the event serves as catalyst for Africa’s renaissance.
Beech added that it would also reawakening Africans to change the narratives.
A Sydney, Australian-based Academia, Prof. Chika Anyanwu, and Dr Bashir Obasekola, NIDO Continental Chairman based in Russia, both submit that the symposium provides the time for Africans, home and abroad, to showcase themselves as the economic frontier to the world.
The Global African Diaspora Symposium (GADS) is organised by the African Diaspora Alliance (AfDA), Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NiDCOM and DTCA.
The Chairman Local Organising Committee, Mrs Ibukun Odusote remarked that the objective of the symposium is to create interface for networking among African and other Diasporas.
It will also promote the spirit of Pan-Africanism among Africans globally.
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