GADS:31-POINT COMMUNIQUE RELEASED

Oru Leonard

A 31-point communiqué released at the end of the two-day Global African
Diaspora Symposium (GADS) Abuja 2023, has stakeholders calling for
practical steps in having a unified and effective engagement between
Africa and its Diaspora.

The Communique was made available to News Dot Africa and signed by
Gabriel Odu of the NiDCOM Media and Protocol.

The Communiqué presented by the Chairman, Local Organising Committee,
Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, expressed that the African Diaspora Alliance
experts are encouraged to partner with Ministries of Health in all
African countries to deepen cost-effective healthcare, employ digital
technology and invest in capacity building in the healthcare sector.

It was agreed that full, legal backing and strong policies that cater to
the African Diaspora, as well as in individual states must be enacted
and implemented.

Also, the GADS Chairman, LOC stated in the Communiqué that African
Diaspora groups should network with relevant Chambers of Commerce
worldwide to create interest and investment into Africa.

Also, African governments should provide an ease of doing business for
local entrepreneurs and foreign investors for a seamless and profitable
business ecosystem.

She equally stated that the Diaspora should support ICT development
including digitisation of jobs, investor-networking,
business-to-business (B2B) mediation, e-learning, exchange visits,
partnering in SME development using digital platforms across sectors and
industries in Africa.

In addition, it was noted that Agriculture should be encouraged by
shifting the mind-set of many to see the viable prospects in
agribusiness. The Diaspora who are experts in Agriculture, were
therefore called upon to proffer solutions and create ideas to rebrand
Agricultural practice in Africa.

The Communiqué stressed the need for easy mobility within and outside
the Continent for Diasporas, as it stands as the sixth region in the
continent.

Furthermore, the Communiqué established that a Diaspora Centre of
Excellence in Abuja, Nigeria should be encouraged and supported in order
to ensure it takes off on solid footing

Mrs Odusote, said that African governments should employ key incentives
that will stimulate and increase the interest of more Diasporas in
Africa’s development process.

Another point raised in the Communiqué is that an insurance policy
should be created to protect finances, businesses, and investments of
the Diasporas, back home, to boost business growth and development.

Also stated, African countries should provide assurances for investments
through securitization of remittances by use of security documents such
as Diaspora specific bonds which will serve as a cheap source of
financing for development.

It was made known through the Communiqué that governments in all African
states should facilitate easy interface between local and foreign banks
to ease the transfer and opening of accounts by Diasporas.

The Communiqué called for proper funding and attention towards
innovation, research, sustainable energy, as well as, education in the
continent.

The report encouraged diversity and all inclusiveness such as gender
mainstreaming and equality, in Diaspora projects and positions to fill
in.

Furthermore, the LOC Chairman, suggested that the Nigerians in Diaspora
Commission (NIDCOM) serve as a clearing house and as a de-risking
entity for Diaspora, while it called on all regional fora like the
African Union (AU), NIDCOM, Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Organisation
of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), and International
Organisation for Migration (IOM) to collaborate with credible Diaspora
groups such as the African Diaspora Alliance (AfDA) to enable their
smooth assimilation into Africa’s development process.

Again, the report requested a cooperation framework of all interested
participating institutions in collaboration with AfDA, DTCA, NIDCOM, IOM
and the OACPS within the next one year preparatory to the next 2025.

In conclusion, the Communique pushed that GADS should be adopted by
the African Union and institutionalised as a biennial Diaspora Summit to
develop mechanisms for the actualisation of the aspirations, goals and
priorities of the Africa Agenda 2063.