THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Germany e.V. will launch a series of formal conversations on how the diaspora could have a more impactful effect on homeland development in December.
The first edition of the ‘Development Roundtable’, as the series is called, will hold virtually on 4 December 2021, with the theme “Driving diaspora engagement towards the realisation of the SDGs in Nigeria”.
The online conference brings together practitioners who will talk about how to refocus diaspora engagement on the sustainable improvement of the living condition of the people, contributing to the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria.
The SDGs, also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.
“We are of the conviction that everyone is needed to attain the ambitious SDGs. And that the creativity, knowhow, contacts and financial resources of the diaspora are necessary to achieve the SDGs in every context,” NIDO Germany said in a press statement.
“We would like to mobilise the diaspora towards community improvement projects and direct economic empowerment schemes, where their engagement can make the most impact on the sustainable eradication of poverty and the improvement of the living condition of the people,” the organisation said, explaining its ultimate objective.
A panel at the online conference on 4 December will discuss how individual diaspora outreach can contribute to sustainable development in Africa’s most populous country. Among the panellists are Dr Austin Ezejiofor, the Programme Coordinator for ‘Programme Migration & Diaspora – PMD’ at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German Society for International Cooperation or GIZ); Abosede Mary Otukpe, founder and CEO of Denny Social Welfare (DSW) Hub, a not-for-profit social service organisation based in Lagos; and Mary-Martin Falana, CEO of Kids and Teens Resource Centre, Akure. Others are Hon. Kelvin Okwechime, Chairman of Aniocha North LGA, Delta State; Sir Toby Herts Ugo Nwokocha, Programme Director at The Strivad Foundation; and Caius Eze, founder and director of the Munich-based Elite Leadership Foundation, who is also the Assistant General Secretary of NIDO Germany.
Femi Awoniyi, President of NIDO Germany who is also the publisher of The African Courier, will deliver the keynote, highlighting the organisation’s new thinking on diaspora engagement for homeland development.
Nigeria’s ambassador to Germany, Alhaji Yusuf Tuggar, is the special guest speaker, at the event, which will be moderated by Michelle Olufeso.
NIDO Germany initiated the ‘Development Roundtable’ in a bid to deepen discussions on how the diaspora can optimise its contributions to homeland development beyond remittances, especially in support of national efforts towards the attainment of the SDGs.
Sola Jolaoso
Event: ‘Development Roundtable’
Theme: “Driving diaspora engagement towards the realisation of the SDGs in Nigeria”
Date: Saturday, 4 December 2021; 11am-1pm
Venue: Virtual (Zoom)
To register for the event, please click https://bit.ly/NIDOG2021
Contact to NIDO Germany: info@nido-germany.de
About NIDO Germany
NIDO Germany is the German chapter of the global Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO). The mandate of NIDO is to promote the welfare of the Nigerian diaspora and pursue national development through advocacy, networking, partnerships and bilateral cooperation.
Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) is the continental umbrella organisation of all NIDO chapters in Europe with headquarters at the Nigerian High Commission in London.
More on NIDOG at http://www.nido-germany.de
