OPENING STATEMENT AT THE 4TH ASDPN GENERAL COORDINATION MEETING

January12th 2019,

By: Mr. Nche Tala Aghanwi, Executive Director, Africa Science Diplomacy and Policy Network (ASDPN)

Fellow members of the General Coordination Unit (GCU),

Fellow Country Coordinators,

Fellow members of ASDPN,

Fellow Science Diplomats.

A new year has dawn and it is truly a great delight to see that we are still together and your desire to push the ASDPN vision remains resolute and unflinching. This is testament to your unrepentant desire to pull the African continent from the abyss of mediocrity and an endless cycle of under development.

You will agree with me that Africa is endowed with enormous potentials: physical, social and most importantly human capital which if properly harnessed and nurtured will set the continent on a steady growth curve towards emergence, an ambitious but yet realistic vision elaborated in the Africa Union 2063 Agenda.

The commitment of ASDPN since creation has been to assist the African Union, the United Nations and other Global bodies with deep rooted interest in the development of Africa, through evidence based development actions so they can realize their development objectives.

Fellow members of ASDPN,

So far as a team we have been able demonstrate that we can assist to this end, we can meaningfully contribute to Africa’s emergence, generally we have so far lived up to expectations. we have proven in a few months what many felt we will need years to prove, we have demonstrated that what Africa lacks isn’t human capital, physical or social  capital but a platform where these vital factors of development can be brought together and actively applied to change the face of Africa. Today dear members, Africa has that platform in the Africa Science Diplomacy and Policy Network (ASDPN), today you Africans have the mantle to shape your own destinies with your own hands.

Fellow Science Diplomats,

The Agenda 2063 of the African Union talks of “the Africa we want”, the Global Goals for Development (SDGs) talks of “the future we want”. We must not therefore be mere spectators for these calls are addressed to us individually and as global citizens to rise up and take action.

In 2018 we lived up to expectations we developed a concept, we built a broad and diverse membership around it, we moved from a simple concept to actions which were in line with our concept. Indeed I dare say again that we have lived up to expectations and on behalf of the entire membership of ASDPN, I will like to heartily congratulate you all for actively contributing to these successes. However we must not go to rest at this point we must rather redouble our efforts for many persons/organizations of interest are beginning to take notice of your work. Therefore we must once again as a team strive to surpass our objectives this year 2019.

Fellow Science Diplomats, members of ASDPN,

I am not ignorant of the challenges we face each day as we struggle to impact our communities despite the astonishing ideas we rise each morning with. I will like to encourage you not to lose focus or doubt the ability of the works of your hands to produce fruits. I assure you it is doing so already but you must remain resolute and unmoved if for anything, for Africa and its suffering people.

Thank you all

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