NiDCOM SET FOR TAILOR-MADE AND PRAGMATIC SOLUTIONS TO AFRICA’S POLITICAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

This was made known in a statement by the NIDCOM(Nigerians in Diaspora Commission) chairman HON (DR) ABIKE DABIRI-EREWA, during A JOINT WORLD PRESS CONFERENCE held on Wednesday 29, 2023 AHEAD OF THE GLOBAL AFRICAN DIASPORA SYMPOSIUM (GADS)

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, Hon. Abike stated that the Symposium will give 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.

With the theme “Building Stronger Connections between Africa and the Global Diaspora”, the Symposium she highlighted is designed to address and proffer workable solutions to Africa’s most pressing issues and offer concrete strategies as well as necessary partnerships between key Diaspora leaders in business and the professions with leaders on the African continent to achieve successful results.

However, she highlighted that, like most Africa 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 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.

Furthermore, Hon. Abike enumerated the objectives of the Symposium to include:

1. Create an interface for networking among African and other Diaspora all over    the world.
2. Promote the implementation and institutionalising of Pan-Africanism at the UN through the celebration of the “International Decade for People of African Descent”.
3. Build bridges between Africa and the Diaspora by deepening relations between the AU, CARICOM, OACPS, and the SPF, among others in realising the Diaspora as the sixth region of the AU.
4. Explore and engage the contributions of Diaspora skills, particularly in scientific knowledge and technology transfer.
5. Mobilise Diaspora savings and Diaspora philanthropic contributions and harness migration, remittances and Diaspora contributions for suitable development.
6. 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.
7. Advocate policy and practice changes conducive for more effective integration of Diaspora-led actions in the national development plans of their countries of origin through organisations such as the OACPS.

It is hoped that moving on, the Pan-African spirit will be felt amongst all Africans she added. There will be more tailor-made and pragmatic solutions to Africa’s political and socio-economic challenges. Again, with the event comes a retelling of Africa to project the good news of our land and people.

GADS she saidis the brain-child of the African Diaspora Alliance, (AfDA), Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), the Directorate for Technical Cooperation for Africa (DTCA) and the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to the NiDCOM Boss, the programme will take place onApril 27-28, 2023, at the Rotunda Hall, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, Nigeria.

The two-day event is a hybrid one; geared at bringing over 3,000 individuals of African descent, worldwide to have constructive dialogue for better socio-economic opportunities and favourable policies for Africa, especially by key actors in the Diaspora: Public & Private sectors, Government agencies, Civil Societies, and regional as well as, international bodies like the AU, OACPS, CARICOM, and the UN.

The Symposium will focus on key areas in: Science & Technology, Agriculture, Manufacturing & Industry, Energy, Infrastructure Development, Tourism & Culture, Green Energy & Technology, Health, Information Communication Technology, Education, Finance, Economic Development, and much more.

Meanwhile, for attendance and participation, the general public is enjoined to take part in this brainstorming event by registering at: www.gadsafrica.com, at no cost.