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NIGERIAN SPICE
NIGERIAN SPICE
NIGERIAN SPICE
NIGERIAN SPICE
NIGERIAN SPICE
NIGERIAN SPICE
REPORT ON THE CONFERENCE ORGANISED BY NIGERIAN SPICE ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 20, 2023, AT THE DAVINCI HOTEL, SANDTON CENTRE, JOHANNESBURG REPORT ON THE CONFERENCE ORGANISED BY NIGERIAN SPICE ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 20, 2023, AT THE DAVINCI HOTEL, SANDTON CENTRE, JOHANNESBURG
THEME
THE ONE NIGERIA CONUNDRUM: UNRAVELLING THE CHALLENGES AND DIFFICULTIES IN ACHIEVING THAT ONE NIGERIA UTOPIA
WATCH THE ONE NIGERIA FULL EVENT
PREAMBLE
The confab, with the theme ‘The One Nigeria Conundrum: Unravelling the Challenges and Difficulties in Achieving that One Nigeria Utopia’, was organized by Nigerian Spice, a community-based organization dedicated to promoting a responsible and respectable Nigerian community in Southern Africa and showcasing Nigeria’s rich heritage.
The Conference Moderator, Dr Anne Aduke Ijeoma (As Shown In The Image On The Left), welcomed participants and announced a two-part programme for the event, which she described as a family dinner conference to tell one another the truth on how to change the negative narratives about Nigeria and Nigerians.
OPENING REMARKS
In her opening remarks, the convener of the conference and Nigerian Spice Founder, Princess (Dr) Olubunmi Ogunsemoyin Alabi (As Shown In The Image On the Right), told participants that the confab was informed by the need to address growing concerns about divisions and acrimony caused by the proliferation of Nigerian community associations in South Africa and neighboring Southern African countries.
She underscored the need for Nigerians to be proud of their country and heritage wherever they find themselves. Dr Alabi stressed that the negative perception of Nigerians in the Diaspora called for a better way to tell the Nigerian story in an organised and far-reaching manner.
South Africa during the opening session, Prince Lukman Adebowale Adesina, the initiator of the Nigerian Lives Matter Movement in South Africa, said the movement was initiated to fight for and defend the rights of Nigerians living legitimately in Southern Africa and ensure that they are accorded dignity and access to opportunities for developing themselves and contributing meaningfully to their host communities.
BARR, ADETUNJI OMOTOLA & MS. ADEYIGA ABISOYE
Dr Chioma Onukogu & Mr Jason Osuafor
Hon Kazeem Babatunde & Chief Sunny Wenike-Douglas
A GROUP PICTURE WITH THE DIRECTORS AND STAFFS
DISCUSSION SESSIONS
The problems with achieving and sustaining a unified Nigeria as well as solutions and the practical way forward were extensively discussed. The first session was dedicated to discussing the ‘Problems with Achieving and Sustaining a Unified Nigeria’, while the second explored ‘Solutions and the Practical Way Forward’. Before the plenary interaction, the panelists shared their views on the subject.
PANELISTS’ SUBMISSIONS
ENGR ABIODUN EBENEZER AKINWALE
ENGR ABIODUN EBENEZER AKINWALE
ENGR ABIODUN EBENEZER AKINWALE
A Registered professional civil engineer working as a project manager with the University of South Africa, and a notable entrepreneur behind a unique brand of Zobo soft drink in South Africa, linked the disunity among Nigerians in the Diaspora to the disunity and mutual suspicion at home among the different ethnic nationalities forced into a political marriage of convenience by the colonial masters.
DR CHIOMA ONUKOGU
ENGR ABIODUN EBENEZER AKINWALE
ENGR ABIODUN EBENEZER AKINWALE
A research associate in the Department of Sociology, University of Johannesburg, and a member of the South African Sociological Association, another panellist, raised the question of the role of women in the whole agenda. She urged participants to endeavour to encourage people to respect and honour one another, work together, support one another, and create jobs for our people.
MS. ADEYIGA ABISOYE
ENGR ABIODUN EBENEZER AKINWALE
PROFESSOR EDWIN CHIKATA IJEOMA
The immediate past President of the Association of Nigerian Students at the University of KwaZulu Natal and representative of the National Association of Nigerian Students South Africa, bemoaned the unconscionable killings of Nigerians by fellow Nigerians who were supposed to be their brothers’ keepers, especially in the KwaZulu Natal area. She said such incidents contradicted the efforts to unify Nigerians and promote Nigeria.
PROFESSOR EDWIN CHIKATA IJEOMA
PROFESSOR EDWIN CHIKATA IJEOMA
PROFESSOR EDWIN CHIKATA IJEOMA
An applied policy and public sector economics expert, who has lived and worked in South Africa for well over two decades, was a pioneer member of the Nigerians in the Diaspora Organization (NIDO) SA. He recalled that former High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador (Gen) Mohammed Buba Marwa had tasked professionals resident in South Africa to organize themselves into a united body to help drive the agenda of creating a positive image for Nigeria to address the negative stereotyping rife at the time. It soon became obvious, however, that a more inclusive organisation was needed, due to NIDO’s elitist nature.
BARRISTER TUNJI OMOTOLA
PROFESSOR EDWIN CHIKATA IJEOMA
BARRISTER TUNJI OMOTOLA
A lawyer, stockbroker, financial journalist, and certified wine entrepreneur, who has been resident in South Africa since 2001, identified a pattern of undue ambition and the penchant to show off as a major contributory factor to the proliferation of ethnic associations in South Africa. He described the practice of various associations running to the High Commission and Consulate General to sponsor their events and programmes as “a deficiency of logic.”
Advocate Omotola charged all the Nigerian associations to work collectively towards getting a Nigerian representative into the South African Parliament in the near future to give a more formal voice to the needs and aspirations of Nigerians in the country.
MR JASON OSUAFOR
PROFESSOR EDWIN CHIKATA IJEOMA
BARRISTER TUNJI OMOTOLA
Founding President of Nigeria Union South Africa (NUSA)
He narrated how the Nigeria Union became necessary to serve as an umbrella body for all Nigerians in South Africa and the neighboring states of Swaziland (Eswatini) and Lesotho, which were under the diplomatic jurisdiction of the High Commission in Pretoria.
He said the motivation was the existence in South Africa of different nationalities, such as Indians, Chinese, Jews, Pakistanis, etc., doing great things with a sense of unified purpose. Therefore, NUSA was formed to include all tribes and classes of people. However, the love for titles set the body on a proliferation course.
Osuafor stressed that good leadership back home in Nigeria would inspire Diasporan Nigerians to contribute more actively to the country’s development beyond the diasporan remittances that constitute a consistent source of substantial liquidity and empowerment of friends and relations at home.
NIGERIAN SPICE
NIGERIAN SPICE
NIGERIAN SPICE
NIGERIAN SPICE
NIGERIAN SPICE
NIGERIAN SPICE
Hon Kazeem Babatunde (Fmr SEC GEN NICASA)
DR ABIODUN BAJOMO
Dr Lawan Abdul-Amin
PLENERY SESSION
During the plenary discussion, Hon Sunny Wenike Douglas, President, of Ohaneze Ndigbo South Africa harped on the need to do away with mushroom ethnic associations and forge a formidable, indivisible front to tackle identified challenges. He dismissed possible misconceptions about the killings in the KwaZulu Natal Province, explaining that they were cult-based rather than ethnically engineered incidents.
Speaking in the same vein, Hon Siji Olorunisola, President of the National Association of Yoruba Descendants in South Africa (NAYSDA), said there was a complex problem resulting in personality clashes, whereby some citizens felt superior while others considered themselves inferior and consequently gravitated towards associations where they felt the most welcome and comfortable.
For Barr. Chidozie Ejimadu, the President of Solidarity for One Indivisible Nigeria, the problem with Nigeria is systemic. The Nigerian system needs to be rejigged first and that would have a domino effect on Nigerian communities anywhere in the world. To do that, according to Ejimadu, the education curriculum would need to be overhauled with a re-orientation away from rigging, looting, and using ethnoreligious factors to cause division. Emphasis should be on the teaching of integrity, and wisdom, not just traditional subjects.
Ugo Tuvi James, a South Africa-based Nollywood actor, producer, director, and content creator, called for mutual respect and honour for one another without which it would be difficult to build the requisite trust to achieve a collective goal.
On the moderator’s question of whether the Nigerian government was part of the problem, the President of the Nigerian Community in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Mr Kenneth Onyekachi Ihemekwele, averred that the practice of granting official recognition to multiple ethnic associations by the Nigerian diplomatic mission helped to disintegrate existing umbrella bodies and sow discord among their members.
Also, Professor JAO Omoshoro-Jones, a renowned academic, who has been in South Africa for over three decades, reiterated that the Nigerian government must foster unity among Nigerians at home for unity to work elsewhere. He was of the view that collapsing existing small associations into one big body would create a hegemon that might be too unwieldy to coordinate. Therefore, he proffered that small, homogenous associations may be formed to cater to special interests. However, they must be subject to the authority of a national body to ensure the unity of the overarching purpose.
Dr Lami Dabup wondered how unity in the Diaspora would be possible in the absence of trust. “We don’t trust one another. How do we break down the walls of division and mutual suspicion? How do we build confidence and avoid betrayal?” she asked.
Dr Lawan Abul-Amin, a lecturer at Wits University, called for concerted efforts to bring to book Nigerians involved in criminal activities who dent the image of fellow Nigerians and their country. He said there has to be a common understanding of the Nigerian identity. “We can’t keep hanging on to the stereotyping back home. Stop protecting and hiding the criminals amongst us. Think of the country,” Dr Abdul-Amin declared.
Ms Stephanie Chiamaka Michael, the organiser of ‘Festival of Nigeria’ pointed out the importance of showcasing Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage as a vehicle to bring Nigerians together.
Dr Bunmi Aina stressed the importance of bringing up Nigerian children in the Diaspora in the knowledge that Nigerians are one and share a common heritage despite the different languages. According to her, it might be a lost case if they are not integrated early enough in the ways of their forbears.
Mr Sanmi Aina raised critical posers around the Nigerian identity: Who is a Nigerian? What defines a Nigerian? How do we benchmark proper Nigerian behaviour? He said having a common identity built on values was more important than ethnic cleavages.
Veteran medical practitioner, Dr Derin Hezekiah Alagbe attributed the fissures in the main groups to ego as everyone wants to be identified as a leader. He said the problem would be half solved if everyone related with love.
Mrs Biodun Oluwasanmi, the General Secretary of the Nigerian Women Association South Africa submitted that Nigerians should not be defined by race or ethnicity but by an allegiance to a Nigerian vision, like America, to build a country where everyone thrives.
Imam IO Sakariyau
Apostle David John Musa
Dr. Charles Ayanbowale & Barrister Ejimadu
COMMUNIQUE
The conference came to a close with an assurance by the host that the consultation would be a continuous activity. A Communique/Press Statement was issued on the event, which was used by the media in Nigeria and South Africa, including the following:
BELOW IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE COMMUNIQUE
COMMUNIQUE ON THE CONFERENCE ORGANISED BY NIGERIAN SPICE ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 20, 2023, AT THE DAVINCI HOTEL, SANDTON CENTRE, JOHANNESBURG PREAMBLE
The confab, with the theme ‘The One Nigeria Conundrum: Unravelling the Challenges and Difficulties in Achieving that One Nigeria Utopia’, was organized by Nigerian Spice, a community-based organization dedicated to promoting a responsible and respectable Nigerian community in Southern Africa and showcasing Nigeria’s rich heritage.
The Conference Moderator, Dr Anne Aduke Ijeoma, welcomed participants and announced a two-part programme for the event, which she described as a family dinner conference to tell one another the truth to change the negative narratives about Nigeria and Nigerians.
The first session was dedicated to discussing the ‘Problems with Achieving and Sustaining a Unified Nigeria’, while the second explored ‘Solutions and the Practical Way Forward’.
OPENING
In her opening remarks, the convener of the conference and Nigerian Spice Founder, Princess (Dr) Olubunmi Ogunsemoyin Alabi, told participants that the confab was informed by the need to address growing concerns about divisions and acrimony caused by the proliferation of Nigerian community associations in South Africa and neighboring Southern African countries.
She underscored the need for Nigerians to be proud of their country and heritage wherever they find themselves. Dr Alabi stressed that the negative perception of Nigerians in the Diaspora called for a better way to tell the Nigerian story in an organised and far-reaching manner.
The problems with achieving and sustaining a unified Nigeria as well as solutions and the practical way forward were extensively discussed, at the end of which the panelists and participants agreed on the need to:
- Discard the stereotypes, mutual suspicion, and distrust among different ethnic groups carried over from Nigeria to the Diaspora
- Sanction criminal members of the Nigerian community denting the image of Nigerians and Nigeria
- Respect, support, and empower one another in a manner that would facilitate the growth of all and enhance the image of the country
- Discourage the proliferation and support of community associations with self-serving agenda
- Organise cultural activities and social events that promote Nigerian values and heritage
- Work towards a common Nigerian identity based on the core values of diligence, honesty, hospitality, and the quest for excellence and not ethnic affiliations
- Educate young members of Nigerian Diasporan families on these values
- Work closely with the Nigerian diplomatic missions to realise the vision of a utopia in which Nigerians would live harmoniously with one another and with their host communities.
Among the panelists were Applied Policy and Public Sector Economics expert and pioneer member of the Nigerians in the Diaspora Organization (NIDO SA), Professor Edwin Ijeoma, the founding president of Nigeria Union South Africa, Mr. Jason Osuafor, and Ms. Adeyiga Abisoye, the immediate past President of the Association of Nigerian Students at the University of KwaZulu Natal and representative of the National Association of Nigerian Students South Africa.
Others were Barrister Tunji Omotola, a lawyer, stockbroker, financial journalist, and certified wine entrepreneur, Abiodun Ebenezer Akinwale, a registered professional civil engineer working as a project manager with the University of South Africa, and Dr Chioma Onukogu, a research associate in the Department of Sociology, University of Johannesburg, and member, South African Sociological Association.
The participants included; Sunny Wenike Douglas, President Ohaneze Ndigbo South Africa, Siji Olorunisola, President National Association of Yoruba Descendants South Africa, Nigerian Lives Matter Convener in South Africa, Prince Lukman Adebowale Adesina and Mr Kenneth Onyekachi Ihemekwele
Others were former President Nigerian Community in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Professor JAO Omoshoro-Jones, a renowned academic who has been in South Africa for over three decades, veteran medical practitioner, Dr Derin Hezekiah Alagbe, and South Africa-based Nollywood actor, producer, director, and content creator, Ugo Tuvi James among many other community leaders, accomplished professionals, and entrepreneurs.
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