The African Diaspora Union (AFRIDU-Nigeria) in collaboration with Nigerians in Diaspora Commission NiDCOM is set honour Africans in Diaspora for their contributions towards reshaping and development of Africa.
The event tagged INTERNATIONAL GATHERING IN HONOUR OF THE AFRICANS IN DIASPORA 6TH REGION. (HOMECOMING)with the theme; Concept of the International Gathering in Honour Of the Africans in Diaspora 6th Region” is scheduled to hold between 17th – 27th October,2024 in Nigeria.
Speaking at a World Press Conference held in Abuja, on Monday 14th October,2024,AFRIDU President, Archbishop Prof. Chidiebere Anelechi Ogbu said the gathering will be a trending massive welcoming Event , that will give all the Black peoples of the world outside Africa the opportunity to visit Africa especially Nigeria, with most of them visiting different States where they believe is their ancestry home.He assured that the event will usher in a great mass movement of the African Diaspora Experts, Investors, Professionals, Scientists, Entertainers, Academia, and people with diverse skills to Nigeria in the actualization of the Africans in Diaspora integration.
“As part of the vision of African Diaspora Union (AFRIDU) which was formed to
bring closure to the decades of struggles, conferences and summits by the
Africans in Diaspora (African Descendants) and avoidance of circling the hill countries of Seir like the Biblical children of Israel; discussing ways of
restoration and to receive reparative justice for the generations of Africans in
Diaspora (African Descendants) who became victims of slave trade through
conspiracy, kidnapping, coercion and forceful evacuation from their motherland and eventually lost their citizenship rights and inheritance; AFRIDU understands that the Historic African Diaspora integration requires lobbying,negotiations, agreements, diplomacy and projects actualization which will avoid
long speaking conferences. The International Organization for Migration defines Diaspora as Members of Ethnic and National communities who have left but maintain links with their homeland.
“For clarity purposes, the Historic African Diaspora are indigenous Africans
whose ancestors were forcefully carried away through conspiracy,manipulation, and coercions into slavery over 500years ago, and who are dispersed in Europe, North America, South America, Caribbean and the Oceania.
“Whereas the African Diaspora Union (AFRIDU) acknowledges the May 25th
2012 Declaration of the Global African Diaspora Summit held in Sandton
Johannesburg, South Africa by the African Union; and recognizing the decision at the summit to encourage the Diaspora to organize themselves in regional networks and establish appropriate mechanisms that will enable their increasing participation in the affairs of the African Union as observers and eventually, in the future, as a sixth region of the continent that would contribute substantially to the implementation of policies and programs; and recognizing the summit agreement to continue to integrate the African
Diaspora agenda in its engagement with international partners; and whereas
there is a Protocol on Amendments to the Constitutive Act of the African
Union adopted by the 1st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 3rd February 2023 and 2nd Ordinary Session of
the Assembly of the Union in Maputo, Mozambique on the 11th July 2023
with much emphasis on Article 3q; African Diaspora Union therefore incorporates into a larger unit the diverse units of plans and dreams of different African peoples and form alliance with different countries and
regions of African and Black peoples to actualize their dream of return to
Africa or invest in Africa or be identified in Africa through cultural integration
in an all inclusive vision.
*Those African Diasporas who wish to return to their motherland Africa and
become part of Africa and participate in every endeavor as Africans with full
rights of African citizenship.
*Those African Diasporas who believe in investing in Africa and become part
of the African businesses and economy.
*Those who wish to identify themselves with the African culture and
inheritance through their genealogy with intention of participation in all
African affairs, but not having the intention of returning back to Africa their
motherland.Their desire and idea of Homecoming is coming back as African citizens, not as Investors or as Tourists.
“Knowing that Nigeria was the epicenter of the Transatlantic Slave trading;
AFRIDU needed a an African President who have lived in the Diaspora that will
understand the historical facts and effects of the trans Atlantic slave trading that
will use his Presidential Exclusive Rights to grant citizenship waiver to the
African Descendants who believe their ancestry is Nigeria and to endorse any
proposed Bill to grant African Descendants citizenship, especially the African Diaspora Experts, Investors, Professionals, Scientists, Entertainers, Academia,and people with diverse skills that will help improve the economy of Nigeria.
“Following AFRIDU request to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the response from the State House through the Chief of Staff to the President ,Hon. Chief Femi Gbajabiamila on the 23rd April 2024 approving the President’s Launching of the Twelve African Apostles Book and Postmortem Awards to Families of Former African Liberators/Leaders, and advising AFRIDU to work closely with the NIDCOM and channel its requests to NIDCOM for action, which culminated to a joint meeting of the African-Descendants Diaspora Union/
AFRIDU Nigeria and the Nigerians In Diaspora Commission NIDCOM headed by
Hon. Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa and a joint formation of AFRIDU/NiDCOM Team.
The joint AFRIDU/NiDCOM Team considered it necessary to welcome an
Advance Team of the African Descendants with a purpose to:
*Show support for the International Gathering in Honour of the Africans in
Diaspora AU 6th Region in October 2024.
*Meet with the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission –NIDCOM
Hon. Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
*Meet with members of the National Government of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria to promote the Dual Citizenship initiative under Reparative Justice.
*Hold preliminary discussions on business opportunities in Nigeria”.
In preparation for the gathering,AFRIDU President, said the Advance Team from the United States, South America and Caribbean arrived in Abuja Nigeria on the 6th and 7th of July 2024 and were received officially by the joint team of the AFRIDU/NiDCOM and the several National Government representatives including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation amidst media press briefings.
He added that the Homecoming Event, International Gathering in Honor of the Africans in Diaspora 6th Region/ Global African Economic Investment Summit and Badagry Door of Return Festival 2024 will be jointly hosted by the African Diaspora Union (AFRIDU) and The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission
(NiDCOM) from the 18th to 27th October 2024 with Nigeria President,Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu declaring the
opening session at the Presidential Banquet Hall State House Abuja, on the
21st October 2024.
Highlighting the activities of the Events , which included:
The Launching of the African Twelve Apostles/Liberators Book; and Giving a
Posthumous Award to the Families of the African Liberators by His Excellency
the President and Commander in Chief Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the
official opening session at the Presidential Banquet Hall on the 21st October.
It is understood that Africa has not truly honored their leaders in the past, and
of course lacks the experience of marketing their Leadership. This is an
opportunity for Mr. President to bring the entire African Leaders together and
showcase the strength of Nigeria as the Big Brother to other African Countries
in honoring the African Leaders who liberated us and brought independence to us. It is a uniting point for Africa, which will bring much respect to Nigeria and for the President of the Federal Republic.
This is an opportunity for Nigeria and our President to make history and write
Nigeria’s name in gold in the world records for been the first to use Presidential Exclusive Rights to grant citizenship waiver to the African Descendants who are seeking for citizenship rights under a reparative justice and who believe their ancestry is Nigeria, especially the African Diaspora Experts, Investors,Professionals, Scientists, Entertainers, Academia, and people with diverse skills that will help improve the economy of Nigeria. This will make world news headlines and will attract great prospects for Nigeria.
A Side Event of honoring some deserving African Descendants with Chieftaincy
Title to promote the Nigerian culture and make the African Descendants to
learn and uphold our traditions. This will be holding in Owerri Imo State on
the 18th and 19th of October 2024.
There will be a Global African Investment Summit to be held at the Eagle Square on the 23rd and 24th October 2024. The globe is looking out for a favorable environment for investment, and the African Descendants investors
globally are been persuaded by almost all the African countries to come and
invest in their country. This is a great opportunity for a global investment
summit in Nigeria. It is unfortunately there are many African countries and
African Diaspora Organizations whose primary concern is to attract or lure the
African Descendants into Africa for investment or business purposes; but it is
a smart move to attract African Descendants Investors on a reparative justice which can be a win-win situation.
Finally, there shall be the Badagary Door of Return Festival on the 26th and
27th of October where our brothers of the African Descendants and many other
Nigerians will join to experience the Slavery transportation and point of exit
from Badagary to the land of the unknown.
It is time for Nigeria to rise as the Giant of Africa to take their place in the
Leadership of Africa and embrace the Africans in Diaspora 6th Region as their
own!
In her remarks,the Chairman/CEO, NiDCOM,Hon.Dr.Abike represented by the Secretary to the Commission, Engr.Dr.Yakubu Basi, commended African Diaspora Union initiative aimed at Connecting Africans in Diaspora to their roots,she assured the union of President Tinubu led government support,informed that NiDCOM continue to support every step taken towards promotion of Diaspora investment.
The Chairman,AFRIDU Governing Board,and former Edo State Governor,Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor expressed the union appreciation to NiDCOM and other partners including media,he said the AFRIDU is a forum that connects Africans Diaspora to their roots,he added that many African Diaspora were able to connect to the origin through DNA.
African Diaspora Union (AFRIDU) founded and registered in South Africa in 2018 under the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, and in other countries including the United States and in the Caribbean, and registered in Nigeria under the Corporate Affairs Commission.
African Diaspora Union AFRIDU, is a Civil Society Union resolute on Pan Africanism and believe in the views of African Leaders in uniting all Africans for a peaceful cohabitation and empowerment of African peoples through the promotion of cultural heritage, preservation of African history, human rights,human development and the promotion of a better protection of the African environment.
