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) Europe will hold a conference in the German city of Hamburg on 17-18 February.
According to Kenneth Gbandi, the chairman of the Board of Trustees of NIDO Europe, the event will discuss how to reposition the group for greater effectiveness.
International brand management expert Charles O’Tudor will deliver a keynote speech at the two-day conference, tagged ‘Continental Europe Orientation and Leadership Retreat’.
Based on his pedigree in brand intelligence and advocacy, O’Tudor, who is the principal consultant at Adstrat Brand Management Consortium, will speak on ‘NIDO Brand and External Relations’.
The communication expert will also dwell on the role of Nigerians in the Diaspora in the ongoing efforts to rebrand Nigeria.
Other personalities expected to speak at the Hamburg retreat include Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa (Senior Special Adviser to the President on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs), Senator Rose Okoh (Senate Committee on Foreign and Diaspora Affairs), Hon. Rita Orji (Chairperson, House of Representatives Committee on Diaspora Affairs), Mr Ekpo Nta (Chairman, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences Commission, ICPC).
Alistair Soyode (founder BEN TV and former NIDO Europe Board Chairman), Dr Collins Nweke (Councillor, Management Consultant and former NIDO Europe Board Chairman), among others, will also address the conference.
In a related development, the leadership of NIDO Worldwide, consisting of its chapters in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, paid a courtesy visit to the National Assembly in Abuja on 26 January.
The delegation met Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker Yakubu Dogara of the House of Representatives, Senator Rose Okoh (Chairman Senate Committee on Diaspora Affairs) and Barrister Rita Orji (Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora Affairs), among others.
The delegation’s discussions with the legislators centred on the need to provide more opportunities to the Nigerians in the Diaspora to play a greater role in national development.
The NIDO leaders specifically raised the issues of the Diaspora Bond, Diaspora Commission, Diaspora Policy, Diaspora Voting Right, Diaspora Database, the Visa Waiver, Diaspora Village and Diaspora Day, and called on the leadership of the National Assembly to lend their support to the realization of these projects.
Saraki and Dogara agreed that all the issues raised were in the interest of national development and that they would deploy their legislative authority to see to their actualization as soon as possible.
Femi Awoniyi
More on the conference in Hamburg at: www.nidoeurope.org
