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The Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof Nyaudo Ndaeyo, says Africa needs a new generation of Pan Africanists to deal with the many challenges besetting the continent and create a future United States of Africa that would be among the prosperous nations of the world.
Declaring open a three-day conference at the university organised by The Pan African Dialogue Institute (TPADI), in collaboration with the university on dialogue and pan Africanism over the weekend, Prof Ndaeyo paid tributes to the founding fathers of Pan Africanism such as Nigeria’s Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe; former emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie; former President of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and younger leaders like former President Barack Obama, for their contributions, but noted that Africa’s present socioeconomic situations are far more difficult to navigate than the past.
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The theme of the conference is Pan Africanism: Dialoguing the Past, Present and Future.
The VC was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Aniekan Offiong, a professor of mechanical engineering. The third day of the conference is dedicated to the celebrations of the International Africa Day, which holds in several African countries on May 25 every year. This year would mark the first time that Africa Day is celebrated in Nigeria since it was set aside by the founding fathers of African Union in 1963 as a day to honour the and celebrate the continent.
The institute is a civil society think tank for the study, practice and propagation of Pan-Africanism. The VC, who is a professor of farm systems, asked the participants at the conference to recommend how best to address the numerous conflicts in Africa. He said that the University of Uyo is pleased to collaborate with the institute and has provided a large parcel of land for the proposed building of the institute’s international headquarters.
Pan-Africanism, according to the African Union, is an ideology and movement that encourages the solidarity of Africans worldwide. It is based on the belief that unity is vital to economic, social and political progress and aims to unify and uplift people of African descent. The VC thanked the institute for organising the conference and welcomed the participants and visiting dignitaries. “Nigeria is a peaceful country, contrary to what you might have read in the media sometimes, and here in Akwa Ibom State, we are particularly known for our hospitality. Feel free to enjoy the warmth and friendliness of our people,’’ he concluded.
In his welcome address, the institute’s president, Dr. Effiong Udo, had told the participants at the 1,000-capacity lecture theatre that the the conference and the Africa Day celebrations “encapsulate the institute’s commitment to reviving the best values of pan Africanism – the ideals of unity and collaboration, self-determination, freedom and dignity of the African people worldwide, as well as the celebration of African cultural heritage.’’
The conference opened on Thursday morning with a golf tournament among the visiting dignitaries at the Ibom golf course and a gala night in the evening at the university. Among the dignitaries at the conference were Mrs. Fatoumatou Tambajang, former Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia who will present a keynote address on the Africa Day and Prof. Mutombo Nkulu-N’sengha, an African-American university professor who presented the lead paper at the conference. Prof. Mutombo is the Vice President of the institute. The Deputy Vice chancellor (Academics) of University of Uyo; the Registrar and the Acting Chief Librarian and many professors and academics from UNIUYO, other Nigerian universities and across Africa also attended.
