- Plans to celebrate International Africa day
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
A university don, Dr Effiong Joseph Udo, has established The Pan African Dialogue Institute (TPADI) with the aim of championing the cause of promoting Pan-Africanism in the continent and beyond.
He said the Institute was conceived in 2016 by some African academics and professionals led by himself and Prof. Mutombo Nkulu-N’Sengha from the Democratic Republic of Congo but resident in the US, but its main activities began in late 2021, and intensified thereafter.
He explained that TPADI is a network of academics, professionals, civil society and grassroots leaders in different fields of life, within Africa and the diaspora who are motivated by the best principles of Pan-Africanism to serve the continent and its people worldwide.
He added that the Institute will also serve as a civil society think tank for the study, practice and propagation of Pan-Africanism.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja, at the weekend, Dr. Udo said that the Institute was established to, among other things, pursue the decolonization of the mind of Africans through education, policy analysis, policy building and advocacy around multi-faceted issues within the threshold of Pan-African principles.
He said that TPADI’s programmes and activities revolve around three thematic areas, notably, education, policy and projects. “On education, we create programmes to educate ourselves. On policy, we engage in local, continental, and global policy analysis, formulation and advocacy, within the threshold of Pan-Africanism, and on projects, we conduct needs assessment to identify, design and implement projects to build and advance the living conditions of African communities and empower our peoples.
“Our utmost desire is to inspire excellence and best practices in Pan-Africanism, promote African values of community, hospitality, respect for human and environmental dignity, unity in diversity, love and solidarity with all.
“We seek to reverse the mentality that Africans are not capable of helping themselves and solving their problems. We want to reverse that culture of dependency on external assistance that unfortunately still prevails on the continent. If people become too reliant on getting support, nourishment and safety from outside sources, they do not strive to find the power within themselves to rely on their own capacities.”
He, however, registered his discontent that only a few African countries, Nigeria not inclusive, celebrate International Africa Day, which, he said, was a wrong signal to the global community on the level of respect and regard Africans have for Africa.
Dr. Udo, however, announced that the Institute will use the forthcoming International Conference on Dialogue and Pan-Africanism being planned by TPADI to celebrate the 2024 International Africa Day and officially unveil TPADI to the world.
“Former President l, Goodluck Jonathan, will serve as the chairman of the occasion. Akwa-Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof. Ndaeyo and hundreds of distinguished personalities from Nigeria and outside will be present.
“Prof PLO Lumumba will be the keynote speaker, while plenary speakers will include Prof. Mutombo Nkulu-N’Sengha (DR Congo/USA), Prof. Mary Nyangweso (Kenya/USA), Prof. Emmanuel Akpabio (Nigeria), Amb. Daniel Guttierez (Rep. of Belize), Prof. Joseph Ushie (Nigeria), among several others”, he said.
Dr. Udo was optimistic that the conference would provide informed Pan-Africanist perspectives on a wide range of issues affecting Africa and its people within and outside the continent.