All is set for the maiden African Migration Summit in Ghana as participants have been urged to register at: africanmigrationsummit.org.
African leaders, journalists, stakeholders, institutions and migration advocates beyond the continent would be converging at the Accra International Conference Centre, Ghana between February 25 and 26 for the event.
The summit, billed to combine both virtual and physical presentations, is being organised by the Journalists International Forum For Migration, headquartered in Nigeria, with over 300 journalists covering migration matters in partnership with the NEKOTECH Centre of Excellence, Ghana, themed: “Labour Migration: Shifting the paradigm to benefit Africa.”
Invitees and participating organisations include President Nana Akufor-Addo of Ghana; other African leaders; Diaspora Committee of the House of Representatives, Nigeria; Diaspora Affairs, Presidency, Ghana; diplomats; International Organization For Migration Gambia, Ghana and Nigeria; Organization Pour l’ integration Africaine, Togo; ESCAE University Benin Republic; and Center for Migration Studies, University of Ghana.
Ajibola Abayomi, President of JIFORM, in a statement said the summit would be held in strict compliance with the COVID-19 rules in Ghana.
Abayomi said: “While there is need to maintained safety measures against Covid-18, time has come for government and the stakeholders in Africa to work with the media to further collaborate on migration matters to better the lots of the continent and evolve the necessary platform to stem the tide of slavery and inhuman treatment being melted to Africans in other continents by halting irregular migration and human trafficking.”
Speakers at the summit are foremost African activist, Prof. Patrick Lumumba, from Kenya; African Union Labour Migration Advisory Committee member, Dr. Princess Ocansey, from Ghana; Dr. Tunji Asaolu, Nigerian Representative at the African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council; Alpha Timbo, Minister of Labour and Social Security, Sierra Leone; and Dr. Azuma Ijoma, the President OIA.
Other top personalities listed also as guest speakers were Gerry Weiner, former Minister for Citizenship and Immigration, Canada; Susan Gong, former board member of Canada Refugee Board and CEO of Altec Global Incorporation, a foremost immigration consulting firm; Philomena Gnanapragasan, Director of Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting, Malaysia; Dr. Ajijola Isaac, Director of Studies, ESCAE University, Benin; Prof. Byron Price, Global Director, Diaspora Innovation Institute, City University, USA; Prof. Joseph Teye; and Ambassador Lilian Sally Addo, Country Head United Nations Youth Association, Ghana.