Queen Elizabeth II hosts Obasanjo, Kofi Anan, Dayo Israel and others at Commonwealth Africa Summit/Commonwealth Day Service 2016 (See photos)
Nigeria’s Former
President and Co-Chair of the Commonwealth Africa Initiative (CAFI)
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former UN Scribe Dr. Kofi Anan, and Africa
Regional Director for GLEEHD Foundation/Commonwealth
Africa Initiative Africa Engagement Director Ambassador Dayo Israel,
were among the Key Guest at the recently concluded Commonwealth Day
Service and Commonwealth Africa Summit activities in London in the
presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The
Commonwealth Africa Summit is an annual event hosted as part of the
activities to celebrate the Commonwealth Week in London and organised by
the Commonwealth Africa Initiative and GLEEHD Foundation. This year’s
Summit was supported by New Commonwealth Initiative, Heritage Bank
Nigeria, Pan African Minerals Sierra Leone, Memorial Gate Trust, Royal
Commonwealth Society, BEN television, Phoenix Newspaper, TVC News
Africa, Joseftree Consult, Amandla Consulting, Stones and Stellars, The
Times of Africa, CNBC Africa, Association of African Owned Enterprise in
the UK, Business Council on Africa, PK Media UK, The Dream Center
Nigeria and others.
Other
special guests at the weeklong activity included Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Phillip the Duke of Edinburgh; HRH Prince
Andrew The Duke of York; HRH Prince Williams and HRH Kate Middleton; HRH
Prince Harry; Co-Chair of the Commonwealth Africa Initiative Baroness
Shreela Flather; Lisa Cameron MP; Speaker of the Parliament of
Bangladesh Dr. Shirin Chaudhary; Prime Minister David Cameron; Baroness
Scotland (New Commonwealth Secretary General); H.E Kamalesh Sharma
(Outgoing Commonwealth Secretary General); Prime Minister of Malta
Joseph Muscat; Executive Director of the Commonwealth Africa Initiative
and Regional Director (Africa) for GLEEHD Foundation Mr Dayo Israel; CEO
of Heritage Bank Mr Ifie Sekibo; CEO Pan African Minerals Mr Moseray
Fadika; Nigeria’s Minister of Sport Mr Solomon Dalong; Former Governor
of Ebonyi State Nigeria and Chairman Nigeria’s Senate Committee on
Industry Senator Sam Egwu; Permanent Secretary Lagos State Ministry of
Women Affairs Mrs Oduwole; CEO DSTV Sierra Leone Mr Adonis Abboud; CEO
Sightsavers Dr. Caroline Harper; Chairman Danish UK Chambers of Commerce
Mr Wheeler; CEO Challenges Worldwide Eoghan Mackie; Bishop John
Francis; Pastor Andrew Adeleke, CEO BEN Television Mr Alistair Soyode
and many more.
The
Commonwealth Africa Summit with the theme “Shared Prosperity. Mutual
Security” was also attended by Mayors from across London; High
Commissioners, Members of Parliament and a huge number of the African
Diaspora Community leaders and citizens from across the Commonwealth.1
In His Keynote Speech during the opening plenary with the theme: “Leveraging our shared Heritage – What Africans can learn from their developed Commonwealth counterpart”,
President Obasanjo said “I want to correct the impression that it’s
only we (Africans) that can learn from other people and others don’t
have anything to learn from us. I believe that any good person can learn
from any other person, from situations and all the things around you.
There is a lot the west can learn from Africa”.
Highlighting
some of the lessons from Africa, Obasanjo said “In the Commonwealth, if
the Africans had not put their act together and work as hard as they
have done within the commonwealth, South African Apartheid regime might
still be ongoing. How we did it, what did we do, others can learn from
us”.
The
Former President said “Lets focus this conversation with what is right
with Africa and What can we do with Africa”. Africa is not an
unmitigated failure, there are good things in Africa. Africa is the
cradle of humanity. However, let nobody confuse you with this word globalization, for me I don’t take it, if Globalization means you ask me
to open my door and you close your door against me and you want to take
everything in my own house to yourself then to hell with
globalization.”
“We as
Africans should remember that nobody will do anything for you unless you
do it for yourself. In my part of the world, when you want to carry a
load, you put a pad on your head and stand by your load, then they will
see you need help and come to help you.
We need to put our pad on our
head as Africans and stand by our lead ready to carry, then they will
help us. Our greatest asset is our people. Let us train and educate. I
was talking to Kagame once and he said when “I started school, I had no
slate so I was writing on my thigh”. Let us educate our people”,
Obasanjo added.
In his
remark, the Commonwealth Africs Initiative - Africa Engagement Director,
Mr Dayo Israel said “Africa has come of age and its not enough to
belong to the Commonwealth, we must benefit from the Common wealth.
There is a reward for being a Member of the EU – Free trade agreement
and what have you, we need to begin to push for better rewards for our
Commonwealth Membership. We must be able to leverage on our shared
heritage when it comes to Immigration, Trade, Youth Development and
Security. We must make the commonwealth more relevant to the ordinary
African people”.
On the
other hand, Former UN Scribe Kofi Annan, not only praised the Queen for
her "steadfast devotion" to the Commonwealth but also praised the
organisation for its commitment to human development. According to him
“Commonwealth not only strengthened links between member countries, it
offered practical support from election monitoring to promoting security
co-operation”.
Speaking
at the Commonwealth Day service held at Westminster Abbey he paid
tribute to the monarch who, in her annual address to the family of
nations, called on the Commonwealth's citizens to support those in need.
Speaking
about the family of nations' 2016 theme - An Inclusive Commonwealth -
Mr Annan told the congregation: "This puts the people at its heart, at
its centre and declares that plurality and diversity are the greatest
strengths. It also means that we must constantly strive to ensure that
no child, woman or a man is excluded or left behind.
These are enduring
principles which not only bind us together as citizens of the
Commonwealth but are absolutely critical for our collective ambitions
for our world. It has never been more important for the Commonwealth to
stress the bonds of human compassion and solidarity that unite us across
the divides of race and religion, gender and geography."
Ellie
Goulding, who sang at William and Kate's wedding reception, gave a pared
down performance of the Sting hit Fields Of Gold at the Event.
The
Summit began with a Wreath laying ceremony at the Memorial gate where
member states laid wreath in honour of the dead of the 2 World Wars.
Commonwealth Africa Initiative Co-Chair Baroness Flather while speaking
to the audience at the event which had in attendance the new
Commonwealth Secretary General Baroness Scotland said “through this
activity, we are able to honour the Africans who fought in the 2 world
wars, like the Nigerians who fought alongside the British in Burma”.
Dr.
Caroline Harper while speaking at the Summit at the prestigious Tag
Hotel in Victoria said “We must leave no one behind in the Commonwealth
and as the SDG says, we must reach the farthest behind first”.
The
Queen’s annual Commonwealth Day message formed part of the event’s
programme at Westminster Abbey and in it she wrote: “Today, and in the
year ahead, the theme An Inclusive Commonwealth is an inspiration for us
all. Let us give it practical effect by supporting those in need and
those who feel excluded in all walks of life. By doing so, we will
continue to build a truly representative Commonwealth community.”
The
weeklong activity also featured a one to one meeting with HRH Prince
Andrew the Duke of York which was attended by CAFI Co-Chair Chief
Olusegun Obasanjo, CAFI Africa Director Mr Dayo Israel and others.
Delegates
also joined the outgoing Commonwealth Secretary General H.E Kamalesh
Sharma at the Commonwealth Young Leaders Award Ceremony at Marlborough
House, the Secretariat of the Commonwealth.
The
London Summit is being followed by a series of activities in South
Africa, Guyana, Namibia, Nigeria and the UK Houses of Parliament ahead
of the 2017 Summit slated for 13th – 15th March 2017 in London.
Note
- The Commonwealth Africa Summit, holding alongside the Commonwealth Day Observance Service, is a major event in the Commonwealth Africa Initiative/GLEEHD calendar. The Summit convenes Heads of Government, senior ministers, public sector leaders, the private sector and senior executives in one place to discuss security and development, trade and investment, and business opportunities.
- The summit provides a platform for Commonwealth nations from Africa to showcase investment opportunities to a wider business community while learning best practises on securing their homeland and borderlines. The Commonwealth Africa Summit also creates a platform that makes it easier for Commonwealth countries in Africa to do more business with member states from other parts of the world. The Summit provide a unique opportunity for companies in Africa and other Commonwealth countries to network and exchange views on intra-Com
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