As part of its ongoing commitment to continue to pioneer partnership across all divides with notable institutions and organizations, guaranteeing high powered intellectual engagement especially as it concerns Africa in the new frontier, Global Advocacy for African Affairs, Africa’s leading development advocacy organization and non-governmental group with special focus on good governance, leadership and development policies as well as desire to see more Africans take central seats on the decision tables of global institutions, world missions and businesses has perfected preparations to host traditional rulers, members of the diplomatic communities, representatives of the UN, EU, AU and ECOWAS as well as academics, professionals, heads of organizations, security and governance experts at the “Maiden Abuja Traditional Institutions, Community Initiatives and Sustainable Development Forum”, on the theme “Rethinking the Role of Traditional Rulers in Community Development: An Option to Africa’s Development Challenges”, holding live in Nigeria on May 14-15, 2020 at the Fraser Suite, Abuja-Nigeria.
It is a special invitation only event full of busy days of continuous robust intellectual exchange on key community and national development issues, providing a platform to reassess commitment towards the realization of sustainable development goals as well as bespoke/networking dinner event in honour and celebration of select traditional intuitions in Nigeria who topped in preserving, positioning and exercising traditional authorities as curators of excellence.
Speaking at a recent press briefing in Abuja, Nigeria, the Executive Director, Global Advocacy for African Affairs Chrys Anyanwu, reiterated; the weak synergy between state authorities and traditional institutions and the need to constantly engage with a view to insulating them from partisan politics and acquaint them of their statutory and responsible roles in citizens’ development.
He maintained that Traditional leaders play significant roles in the social, political, and economic lives of citizens in countries throughout Africa. According to him, “They are seen as local elites who derive legitimacy from custom, tradition, and spirituality. While their claims to authority are local, traditional leaders, or “chiefs,” are also integrated into the modern state in a variety of ways”. The position of traditional leaders between state and local communities allows them to function as development intermediaries. They do so by influencing the distribution of national public goods and the representation of citizen demands to the state. They can impact development by coordinating local collective action, adjudicating conflicts, and overseeing land rights. In the role of development intermediaries, traditional leaders shape who benefits from different types of development outcomes within the local and national community.
He however frowned at the reoccurring cases of migration, the risk associated with it, the current state of violent criminal activities in most African countries, including terrorism, arms banditry, kidnappings and other youth criminal activities; and, the intra-national disunity causing serious breakdown of peace and social relations thereby impacting negatively on national development, as a clear failure of a good synergy between government and traditional institution especially in Nigeria.
The invitation only event is already receiving overwhelming attention.
Sponsorship and partnership opportunity also available.
More details soon….