In order to develop the continent, Africans have been reminded of the need to bridge the gap between it and Africans in the diaspora.
Participants gave this advice on Thursday at a panel discussion organised by the United States Embassy, Abuja in commemoration of the Black History Month.
The theme of the event was “Building bridges between Africa and the Diaspora.”
The Black History Month began in 1926 in the United States when historian Carter Wooden and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History announced the second week of February as “Negro History Week.”
Aside from the lecture, there will be a performance by the Theatre Arts Department of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria to showcase African-American contributions to the arts.
The performance titled “The Meeting” is a play about the meeting between two prominent black- American civil right activists, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr in 1965 during the height of the civil right movement in the US.
According to the African Union, the African Diaspora is composed of “people of African origin living outside of the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality, and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union.”
Speaking at the event, Tanya Hill, an officer with the American embassy said the Black History Month is very important because it helps the “lost” diaspora find a connection to their roots.
Ms Hill, who is an African American, said though she has not traced her descent in Africa, she is proud about everything that makes her African.
She said as a child of the slave trade, she can only trace her genealogical roots to the 19th century.
She, however, said it is very important to African countries to start building bridges with Africans in the diaspora.
This, she said, has become important as it can assist with the socioeconomic development of the continent.
Ms Hills said revaluing the relationship with Africans in the diaspora is a great way to bridge the gap between people of African descent across the globe. She said many black Africans have been doing so through DNA genealogical tracing of their roots,
According to the African Union, the African Diaspora is composed of “people of African origin living outside of the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality, and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union.”
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