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 in Germany are expected to head to Hamburg in large numbers this weekend for the annual celebrations of their country’s independence anniversary organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Germany.
An Award Ceremony & Dinner will round up the NIDO Germany Day 2016 in the Merchant City on 1 October. It will be the culmination of the two-day event to mark Nigeria’s 56th National Day.
A number of Nigerians and Africans who have shown remarkable leadership qualities in various walks of life will be honoured at the event with the NIDO Germany Leadership Service Awards.
The NIDO Germany Day 2016, co-sponsored by FARMAPLANT and MoneyGram, will kick off a day earlier with the 4th Nigerian Business & Investment Summit, which will feature discussions on the way out of the country’s current economic crisis.
As the president of NIDO Germany, Kenneth Gbandi, has rightly said, the crisis also presents investment opportunities. Hence, the summit brings together German business people and their Nigerian counterparts from home and the diaspora to deliberate on opportunities for trade and investment in Nigeria and explore possible partnerships. Gbandi expects “many lucrative deals to be closed” at the event.
The business meeting will also feature expert presentations on economic development and international trade. Prof Brando Okolo of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, who is also the general secretary of NIDO Germany, will speak on creating production driven skills in Nigeria while Ambassador John Ejinnaka, Consul-General of Nigeria in Frankfurt, will give a talk on Diversifying the Nigerian Economy and Attracting Foreign Direct Investment.
Jens Ullmann of the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce and Industry will provide Insights into the Processes of Developing a Sustainable German-Nigerian Business Partnerships and Prof Peter Eigen, founder of the Berlin-based Transparency International, will deliver a speech entitled Corruption as Obstacles to Institutional and Economic Development.
Kayode Obembe, the principal consultant of Kayode Obembe & Company, a Lagos-based firm of real estate developers, will also speak on Why the Nigerians abroad should invest now in Real Estate in Nigeria.
Gbandi has revealed that the ideas on solving Nigeria’s economic crisis presented at the business summit will be collated for official presentation to President Muhammadu Buhari when he visits Germany in mid-October. The NIDO Germany chief therefore appeals to Nigerians to turn out in good numbers in Hamburg to take part in the deliberations. “This is a unique opportunity to be heard at the highest level of governance in Nigeria,” he added for emphasis.
Special guest at the 2-day NIDO Germany Day 2016 is the Acting Head of Mission at the Nigerian Embassy in Berlin, Mr Kenneth Okeh. // Sola Jolaoso
Contact to President of NIDO Germany: president@nidogermany.de
More information on the events at: www.nidogermany.de
