The road to ‘West Africa 2034’

FIFA World Cup in Qatar " >On Thursday, December 15, 2022, the world will take a short breather from the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Lagos with an objective that should interest all human beings on earth " >During this break, a small gathering of intellectuals from very diverse origins but with a common cause related in some way to the World Cup will hold a conversation in the city of Lagos with an objective that should interest all human beings on earth.

A concept note has been circulating within a very small circle.

I welcome you all to the excerpts from ‘The Concept Note’.

Bolaji Akinyemi former Foreign Minister of Nigeria and former Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs NIIA delivered a lecture at the NIIA titled Towards a New World Order " >On October 20, 2022, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, former Foreign Minister of Nigeria and former Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, NIIA, delivered a lecture at the NIIA titled “Towards a New World Order”.

Ukraine Russia war which once again has polarized the world " >He was insightful, establishing the inevitability of a global realignment of political, economic and social powers in a New World Order after, in particular, the Ukraine-Russia war which, once again, has polarized the world.

Africa will be significantly affected as the world enters a new era with new challenges, new possibilities and new opportunities on offer.

In the words of Professor Akinyemi, “what we must focus on now is the need for Africa to promote a common position on the issues that will form the agenda of the new world order.

First, Africa must ensure that it speaks with one voice and on its own and not as an adjunct to any power.

This is going to be tough.

” Meanwhile, many years earlier, Nelson Mandela had made two important statements, both now etched in marble: “Sport has the power to change the world” and “The world will not respect Africa until Nigeria earn that respect.

Blacks around the world need Nigeria to be great as a source of pride and confidence.

PLO Professor Lumumba from Kenya also nicely adds to the conversation during one of his recent lectures that Africa must now choose between being the waiter at the Table of Civilizations as it has been for five centuries picking up crumbs or being a diner like everyone else eating the main meal " >In short, Mandela identified Nigeria as the authentic African ‘personality’ to lead Africa when global ‘power sharing’ begins, and that sport is a powerful tool PLO Professor Lumumba from Kenya also nicely adds to the conversation during one of his recent lectures, that Africa must now choose between being the ‘waiter’ at the Table of Civilizations (as it has been for five centuries, picking up crumbs), or being a ‘diner’, like everyone else, eating the main meal.

Lumumba’s illustration is apt.

will orgate the same association status on a platter.

Those haven’t happened in over five centuries.

They are not about to happen now.

The continent will have to earn them.

How to do it is what ‘The Conversations’ series set out to achieve.

Between the recent nomination of Professor Akinyemi, the clear vision of Mandela and the sage advice of the PLO Lumumba, is the need for the continent and its people to start thinking differently, to do things differently, to have a clearer vision.

and to deploy new tools so that when negotiations between civilizations are Reconvened, Africa will be well equipped with a common voice, common goals, and new credentials that come not from earlier weapons of war, protests, cannons, and upheavals, but from new understandings, new tools for healthy competition at parties, celebrations.

and friendship in the context of humanity’s existential threats of self-destruction.

Sokoto a figuratively distant assumption " >These are soft power ‘weapons’ that Africa and Africans have had for centuries, as a popular Nigerian saying goes, in the pockets of their sokoto (Yoruba word for pants) but have been sneaking around Sokoto (a figuratively distant assumption ).

city ​​in northern Nigeria).

Soft power refers to sport and culture (the entire spectrum of leisure and entertainment, music, cinema, theatre, arts, tourism, etc.

) in a relationship to produce a common front, a voice and a common “army”.

The ultimate dream is for Africa to create a model where all Africans and people of African descent can collaborate, integrate and celebrate on a regular basis, and share them with other civilizations in friendship and peace.

An opportunity presents itself, and the time is now Africa must take advantage of both.

It will not be easy, but it must be done.

The third in the series of ‘The Talks’ will question ‘how’ this can be done.

THE PLAN There will be four talks " >THE PLAN There will be four talks.

Two have been held in February and July. , 2022.

The third will take place on December 15, 2022, during a break in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

In the fourth edition, in February/March 2023, there will be a big announcement to the world of a project implementable deriving from ‘The Conversations’ H.

UNTIL NOW First Edition February 2022 " >UNTIL NOW First Edition – February 2022.

It was an introduction to the topic of sport and diplomacy, a demonstration of the power of sport to advance diplomatic goals for Africa, Africans and people of African descent around the world.

An assembly of selected experts from different backgrounds and from different parts of the world examined the history, functions and potential of this combination to promote peace, economic and social integration, cultural renaissance, friendships and equity, with a common front and purpose.

for the black race.

Second Edition, July 2022.

This looked at a third possible powerful tool: culture.

FESTAC provided a unique and powerful platform to celebrate the best of culture traditions music film drama history literature art and African scholarship " >The experts drew lessons from history, particularly from the largest gathering of blacks at one event and one location in 1977; how the Festival of Black and African Arts and Culture (FESTAC) provided a unique and powerful platform to celebrate the best of culture, traditions, music, film, drama, history, literature, art and African scholarship.

It also examined why the FESTAC project was not sustained.

To Come Third Edition – December 15, 2022 It is about examining the feasibility, possibility, power and prospects of combining sports, culture and diplomacy to achieve what Professor Akinyemi convincingly postulated in his lecture at the institute, entitled “Towards a new world order”.

These could be the essential tools for Africans and peoples of African descent to deploy in this inevitable and emerging global realignment of forces.

This third edition, as an academic exercise, will combine the findings of the first two editions with Professor Akinyemi’s treatise to create and promote new thinking and strategic ideas, to prepare Africa for negotiations, talks, power sharing or global realignments.

that are already underway among the world’s civilizations.

In short, the quest is to figure out how to effectively implement new soft power tools (sports, culture, and diplomacy) for Africa and the black diaspora.

Across ‘The Conversations’ there is already a glimpse of a new emerging, simple, practical and ambitious Special Delivery Vehicle (SDV) whose time has come for the long-awaited black renaissance.

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo In a new world order can sport culture and diplomacy do what war protests and political upheavals could not " >That exciting prospect is the catalyst for the coming together of former Nigerian President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (In a new world order, can sport, culture and diplomacy do what war, protests and political upheavals could not?

Babajide Sanwo-Olu They will be watching presentations by former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola Infrastructure Imperatives for West African Integration by 2034 the main ambassador of tourism in Africa Otunba Wanle Akinboboye tourism potentials along the centers routes of the slave trade in West Africa by 2034 Dr Willie Eselebor Security and Immigration Expert Securing a Borderless West Africa One Visa One Currency for All by 2034 entertainment expert and music legend Laolu Akins Akintobi the future and power of entertainment in West Africa by 2034 sports ambassador and football icon Olusegun Odegbami the FESTAC of Sports and the Road to West Africa in 2034 and brain giant and main presenter Professor Eghosa Osaghae background on The Conversations series the world in 2034 and Africa s place in it " >); the leader of the Muslim Community of Nigeria, Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar; and the General Supervisor of one of the largest Christian congregations in Africa, Pastor Enoch Adeboye (Supporting sport and culture as unifying tools for the youth of Africa); Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. They will be watching presentations by former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (Infrastructure Imperatives for West African Integration by 2034); the main ambassador of tourism in Africa, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye (tourism potentials along the centers / routes of the slave trade in West Africa by 2034); Dr. Willie Eselebor, Security and Immigration Expert (Securing a Borderless West Africa: One Visa, One Currency for All by 2034); entertainment expert and music legend Laolu ‘Akins’ Akintobi (the future and power of entertainment in West Africa by 2034); sports ambassador and football icon Olusegun Odegbami (the FESTAC of Sports and the Road to West Africa in 2034); and brain giant and main presenter Professor Eghosa Osaghae (background on ‘The Conversations’ series, the world in 2034 and Africa’s place in it).

From the titles of the presentations, for those who can discern, surely there is something ‘cooking’ in West Africa that will shake the world.