The Africa Center and African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.AfreximBank.com) have announced the upcoming launch of the Afreximbank Africa Diaspora Center (AADC), a groundbreaking initiative that will help bridge the gap between Africans on the continent and the African Diaspora, and the African continent. AADC will serve as an institutional gateway that connects Africans and people of African descent to each other, enhancing the flow of Africa-focused information, allowing them to better harness economic opportunities in Africa and the Diaspora, ultimately to the benefit all Africans irrespective of geographic location.  

The official AADC launch event will take place at the 2024 Future Africa Forum on Monday, September 23, 2024, from 4:30pm EST at The Africa Center at Aliko Dangote Hall, 1280 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York.  

Establishment of the AADC advances both The Africa Center’s mission to serve as a gateway for engagement with contemporary Africa, shifting understanding of the role of Africa, African people, and people of African descent in today’s world, and Afreximbank’s mission to ‘create a vibrant and significantly sizeable economic force that can front the challenges of now and build opportunities for Africans of tomorrow’. In partnership, The Africa Center and Afreximbank will create a space where critical discussions on Africa’s role in the global landscape can take place, particularly at a time when the African Diaspora continues to play an influential role in shaping policy, demographics, and cultures around the world. Through this collaboration, both organizations aim to harness the power of the African Diaspora, facilitating individual and collective engagement with Africa in ways that are progressive, impactful, and transformative. 

Dr. Uzodinma Iweala, CEO of The Africa Center said, “The launch of the Afreximbank Africa Diaspora Center at The Africa Center during the annual Future Africa Forum, demonstrates how The Africa Center continues to be an interdisciplinary institution that brings the ideas, people, and possibilities of Africa together. As the world converges in New York City during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), The Africa Center stands as a critical venue for conversations, connections, and celebrations of African innovation. This is where the complexities of Africa’s past, present, and future can be explored and appreciated in their full depth. We are excited about the opportunities and relationships the AADC will offer Africans and people of African descent to better understand who we are as a global community and what we can accomplish for the future of Africa together.” 

To celebrate this historic milestone, Professor Bennedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Afreximbank said, “The African Diaspora has snowballed into a significant economic bloc that is increasingly integrating into the broader African continent and facilitating exchange of ideas and resources. In a polarizing world, deepening the socio-economic engagements between Africa and its Diaspora towards a Global African Community has become urgent. The Afreximbank Africa Diaspora Center will serve as the gateway to harnessing and organizing African resources for the transformation of the fortunes of the African people, wherever they may be. We are most pleased to have launched this initiative, which is a further step to concretizing our ‘Global Africa’ Agenda.” 

Alongside the launch of the Afreximbank Africa Diaspora Center, The Africa Center will also open the exhibition Points of Resonance: Contemporary Photography in Africa on September 18, 2024. Curated by Heba Farid and Zein Khalifa, founders of TINTERA gallery, and Sarah Sarofim – an independent curator and editor, based in Cairo, Egypt. The exhibition brings together the work of twelve artists living and working in Africa and the Diaspora: Ibrahim Ahmed, Sammy Baloji, Fatoumata Diabaté, Nelly El Sharkawy, Maheder Haileselassie, Heba Khalifa, Seif Kousmate, Lebohang Kganye, Safaa Mazirh, Hashim Nasr, Nobukho Nqaba, and Dawit L. Petros.  

Employing the language and tools of photography, these artists explore the effects of colonialism, migration, and changing identities. Points of Resonance underscores common links across the African continent and its Diaspora, showing how the works resonate and echo each other, amplifying shared struggles, dreams, and aspirations. 

The 2024 Future Africa Forum will include a panel conversation, special remarks by invited guests, and a celebration of African fashion, complemented by live music and African gastronomy. Points of Resonance will be free and open to the public for two months, showcasing the dynamic interplay of African and Diaspora identities. 

For more information, please visit www.TheAfricaCenter.org

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

MEDIA CONTACTS:  

Afreximbank 
Vincent Musumba 
press@afreximbank.com   

The Africa Center 
Ayofemi Kirby 
press@theafricacenter.org  

About The Africa Center 
The Africa Center is a multidisciplinary 501c3 nonprofit institution helping to shape a vision of Africa’s future. Serving as a gateway to engagement with contemporary Africa, and as a platform for the exchange of ideas around culture, business, and policy as related to the African continent, The Africa Center advances thought and action around Africa’s global influence and impact on our collective futures.  

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About African Export-Import Bank 
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra-and extra-African trade. For 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa’s trade, accelerating industrialization and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank is setting up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2023, Afreximbank’s total assets and guarantees stood at over US$37.3 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$6.1 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody’s (Baa1), Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-) and Fitch (BBB). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, “the Group”). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt. 

For more information, visit: www.AfreximBank.com   

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On August 30, the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe hosted an Open House event themed on “Perceive China, Empower Education”. Mr. Cheng Yan Charge d’Affaires a.i. of the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe, officials of the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, the co-director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Zimbabwe (CIUZ) and the principal of China-Zimbabwe Friendship High School addressed the event. Madam Lyu Renhong, wife of the Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, teachers of CIUZ, guests from universities, polytechnics and high schools, attendees of the short-term training programs in China and representatives of Chinese government scholarship recipients also attended.

In his remark, Mr. Cheng Yan pointed out that China and Zimbabwe have enjoyed fruitful educational cooperation in the past years with increasingly dynamic exchange between universities and more and more Zimbabwean students going to China for degrees education and short-term training. Highly commending the achievements made by CIUZ in Zimbabwe, he hoped that both sids would take H.E. President Mnangagwa’s state visit to China and the 2024 FOCAC Beijing Summit as an opportunity to further deepen bilateral educational cooperation. He also stressed that the Chinese side will continue to support Zimbabwe in realizing its development vision.

During the event, the Embassy presented the government scholarship recipients with admission letters. The guests toured the photo exhibition on China-Zimbabwe cooperation and enjoyed a video on education cooperation between the two countries followed by delightful songs and dances performed by teachers of CIUZ.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Zimbabwe.

On 28 August 2024, Ms. Wanalee Lohpechra, Deputy Director-General of the Department of South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs, presided over the opening of the Preparation Programme for Thai students awarded scholarships from the Kingdom of Morocco and on their ways to start their studies in Morocco. The programme was held during 28 – 30 August 2024 at Nouvo City Hotel, Bangkok. Also present were representatives from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Thailand and the Bureau of International Cooperation, Ministry of Education of Thailand. The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Kingdom of Morocco also delivered his congratulatory remarks through video conference system followed by a briefing by an officer of the Embassy.

This Preparation Programme, initiated by the Department of South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs, was held for the first time this year for Thai students going to study in Morocco. The objectives of the programme is to help equip them with necessary daily living skills with general information about the Kingdom of Morocco, basic conversations in Arabic and French, as well as guidelines on adapting into Moroccan cultures and ways of life, provided by resourceful and experienced speakers. The Government of the Kingdom of Morocco has awarded Bachelors’ degree scholarships to Thai students since 1994. For the 2024 – 2025 Academic Year, 7 Thai scholars are awarded.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand.

At noon on September 5, 2024, President Xi Jinping met with Botswanan President Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, who is in China for the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The two heads of state announced the establishment of a strategic partnership between China and Botswana.

Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Botswana enjoy traditional friendship and have always offered sincere support to each other. In recent years, the two sides have regarded solidarity and cooperation as the cornerstone of their policies, prioritized improving the well-being of the people, and promoted solid progress in bilateral relations. Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The two sides should systematically review the successful experience gained over the past half century since the establishment of diplomatic relations and remain committed to being partners of mutual trust, common development and close people-to-people bond. He also called on the two sides to firmly support each other and strengthen cooperation in industry, agriculture, minerals, clean energy, education, and medical and health care, among others.

Xi Jinping stressed that at present, China-Africa cooperation enjoys a strong momentum, which not only brings tangible benefits to the Chinese and African people, but also provides a strong impetus to international cooperation with Africa, creating favorable conditions for Africa’s development and revitalization. China and its African brothers have just gathered together once again, integrating more closely the development of China, Africa and the world. This has yielded fruitful results and unleashed the positive energy of the Global South in promoting world peace, security, prosperity and progress. China is ready to work with Botswana to follow through on the outcomes of the summit and bring more benefits to the two peoples.

Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi said that today marks a historic moment for Africa-China relations. President Xi Jinping just delivered an excellent address at the opening ceremony of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, announcing new measures to advance the China-Africa partnership for modernization, including the policy of further opening up to Africa, which greatly excited and encouraged the African side. Botswana fully supports this and believes that the vision outlined at the summit will surely be realized. Botswana firmly adheres to the one-China principle, and believes that the Chinese people should and can realize national reunification. Dr. Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi thanked China for its long-term valuable support to Botswana, saying that Botswana is willing to take the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries next year as an opportunity to push for further development of bilateral relations.

Wang Yi was present at the meeting.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China.