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.
Nigerians from across the globe will converge on their country’s capital Abuja on 25-26 July for this year’s Nigerian Diaspora Day. The annual event brings together Nigerians resident abroad and representatives of the federal government and its agencies to discuss areas of partnership in national development.
According to a communiqué issued after a recent meeting of the Diaspora Day 2017 Local Organising Committee, this year’s gathering, whose theme is Promoting Diaspora Participation and Engagement for National Development, will focus on concrete proposals from the Diaspora. At the meeting, which took place in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in Abuja, a review of the 2016 Diaspora Day was carried out and the event was declared a success. The meeting also revealed that feedbacks from last year had been taken into considerations by the Nigerian National Volunteer Service (NNVS), which organizes the event, to ensure greater success of the 25 July conference.
According to the chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE), Kenneth Gbandi, the 2017 Diaspora Day will also focus on how the government can create an enabling environment for the Nigerian Diaspora to contribute to national development. He emphasized that only when the conditions are right can the Diaspora make meaningful contributions.
Gbandi, a Germany-based media entrepreneur, communal politician and development consultant, said the Diaspora was eager to invest in Nigeria. “At our last Project Meeting in Dortmund, NIDOE members presented different trade and investment plans which if realized will help Nigeria move forward,” Gbandi added. He is confident that the 2017 Day will be a huge success as the indications from Abuja are that the present federal government is very interested in tapping the potential of the Diaspora in its efforts to rejuvenate the country’s economy.
The NIDOE chief revealed that all projects submitted by Nigerians abroad for the 2017 Diaspora Day will be presented under the NIDO Worldwide platform. NIDO is the umbrella organisation for the Nigerians in Diaspora and official partner of the NNVS in planning and implementing the Diaspora Day.
NIDO members and all Nigerians in Diaspora are advised to register for the event by completing an online form at the Diaspora portal on NNVS website: http://diasporadayreg.nnvsnigeria.com/diasporadayreg/
Accommodation and logistics support will be provided to duly registered participants.
Femi Awoniyi
