“The African Diaspora is an omissable element in the quest for Africa’s rebirth and Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation is positioned to shape the agenda”

The General Secretary of NIDO Europe, Collins Nweke, made the above assertion in a just concluded two-day African Union – African Diaspora Regional Consultative Conference in Paris, France, 11 - 12 September 2007.

The consultative conference, which had earlier taken place in Rio de Jenairo (Brazil) for the African Diaspora in Latin America, in the Bahamas for the Caribbean, in New York for North America, in Addis Ababa for Africa and in London for the UK and Northern Ireland, would culminate in a Pan-African – African Union – African Diaspora conference in Johannesburg, South Africa in the first quarter of 2008.

Representing NIDO Europe at the Regional Consultative Conference, Collins presented a paper entitled “Diaspora Synergy for African Integration and Development – The Case of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation” in which he shared the vision of NIDO (Europe) with the wider African Diaspora, Diplomats, government functionaries and African Union Policy Makers. The NIDO visions and structure in the global mobilization of the Diaspora was received by the conference as an exemplary model for galvanizing the African Diaspora.

Speaking earlier, the South African Minister of Foreign Affairs remarked that “we find ourselves in what is potentially a historical occasion – an important step on the road towards building unity between the continent of Africa and its Diaspora”

Ambassador Joe Keshi of the Nigerian National Volunteer Service as well as Olusola Ojo, a Professor of International Relations, were in attendance from Nigeria. Also in attendance were Nigerian Diaspora from Spain, Italy, The Netherlands, France, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, et cetera.

Paris based NIDO Europe Board Member, Dr Martin Okeke, facilitated the participation of NIDO in the consultative conference.

See attached for the Executive Summary of the paper and the PowerPoint Presentation, presented at the conference on behalf of NIDO.

For the paper presented by Collins Nweke, Click here
For the Power Point presentation, Click here

©2007 Secretariat , Nigeria in Diaspora Organisation Europe.