Peter Obi to deliver keynote address at African Union diaspora conference in New York

Peter Obi to deliver keynote address at African Union diaspora conference in New York

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, will deliver the keynote address at the 2026 African Diaspora Conference and Awards Ceremony scheduled to be held on Friday, July 10, at Mandela Hall, African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations, New York.

The high-level conference, organised by the African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of Liberia to the United Nations, the African Trade Centre, Team 54 Project International, and the Global Initiative for the Education and Literacy of African Girls (GIFTED), is a side event of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

The conference, themed “Diaspora Engagement in Sustainable Development in Africa,” will bring together policymakers, diplomats, business leaders, development experts, and members of the African diaspora to explore strategies to harness the continent’s global human and economic resources for sustainable development.

Obi will deliver the High-Level Keynote Address titled “The Role of the African Diaspora in Sustainable Development Across Africa.” His presentation is expected to highlight the vital role Africans in the diaspora play in driving investment, innovation, education, entrepreneurship and economic growth across the continent.

Known for his consistent advocacy of good governance, fiscal discipline and investment in human capital, Obi has repeatedly argued that Africa’s greatest asset is its people and that sustainable development depends on making education, healthcare and productive investments a priority while creating an enabling environment for the diaspora to contribute meaningfully to national development.

The event will also feature an awards ceremony recognising outstanding individuals and organisations within the African diaspora whose contributions have significantly advanced development across Africa.

The conference is expected to attract diplomats, government officials, development partners, academics, entrepreneurs and diaspora leaders from across the world, reinforcing the importance of global African collaboration in achieving sustainable development.