Speech delivered by Ambassador Howard Jeter, former USA Ambassador to Nigeria at The Nigeria in Diaspora Organization (NIDO) 2003 Annual Diaspora Dialogue and Convention, Sheraton Gateway Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. October 17-18, 2003.

First of all, allow me to say how delighted and honored I am to be here at this gathering, the third annual NIDO annual Diaspora dialogue and convention; and in this great city Atlanta where I received my formative education as a young but ambitious student at Morehouse College. Morehouse was a great experience: It not only gave me a great education, but a sense of pride and a sense of self, a sense of who I was and who I could become. At the 'House' there were no glass ceilings on ambition, and everyone was imbued with the confidence that they could become anything that they wanted to be. That was the Morehouse tradition, and it has remained with me throughout my life.
Allow me to congratulate each and every one of you for being here; NIDO is a wonderful idea inspired I have herd by President Obasanjo himself. I am not al all surprised because President Obasanjo is a Pan Africanist of the highest order and he believes deeply in the Diaspora.
Today, I would like to talk about Nigeria and the Diaspora. But before I do that, let me say a few things about my love life - I thought that would get your attention! I love God, Family and Country. I also love Africa and after almost twenty years of working and living on the continent, raising my children there, my love for Africa is personal, not just professional, enduring, not just seasonal. And I love Nigeria and its people. My nearly three years as Ambassador were like a homecoming, the Nigerian people treated me so well. I was welcomed with warmth and showered with affection, and, in so many ways, Nigeria became my home away from home, and home is where the heart is.

Like all of you, I also believe in Nigeria and I believe in its people. Despite Nigeria's checkered past of authoritarian military rule, corruption, mismanagement, and domestic conflict, not other country on the continent has Nigeria's promise, no other country has Nigeria's potential for growth, development and leadership.

Think about it: No other country in Africa has Nigeria's immense population; no other country can boost such a rich bounty of natural resources -- Huge reserves of oil and natural gas and a tremendous store of solid minerals, still waiting to be explored; no other country has such a huge agricultural potential and credible track record of agricultural achievement; no other country has such a rich cultural diversity and the talent, energy, and ingenuity of the Nigerian people.
No other country has committed itself so deeply to the stability and dignity of the African continent as Nigeria has done. If the internal contradictions in Nigeria could be resolved, it regional, ethnic, and religious conflicts could be defused and eliminate, and if all of Nigeria's people could act in concert, with a single national purpose, think of the power that would give to Nigeria, think of the power that would give to Africa; if Nigeria's two great religions, Islam and Christianity, could live side-by-side, in peace, harmony, and collaboration, think of the story that would tell to the rest of the world; and, if Nigeria could make its nascent democracy work, imagine the impact that would have on the rest of the continent.

Nigeria is the "essential Nation" in Africa, a microcosm of the entire continent, and what happens there, what happens in Nigeria will determine the future of Africa. But Nigeria remains a land of promise, its potential still unrealized. We must all work to change that.
Nigeria is very important to the United States. Nigeria is America's largest trading partner in Africa, a trade based mainly on the sale of oil. The largest American investment in Africa is in Nigeria, again almost exclusively in the oil and gas sector. And as Nigeria discovers more and more offshore oil -- and there have been some spectacular finds over the last decade--- American companies are playing the leading role in the development of this new energy frontier. It is estimated that, within the next decade, 25% of the oil imported into the United States will come from the Gulf of Guinea, and Nigeria will be the largest producer. Already, the United States derives 8 to 10% of its imported oil from Nigeria, and the U.S should become a major market for the sale of Nigeria's natural gas.

American bilateral assistance to Nigeria is declining, from $1000 million when I went to Nigeria almost three years ago to a little less than $70 million per annum today. Nevertheless, Nigeria is the largest single recipient of American aid in Africa, and that aid is appropriately diversified. The largest share, nearly 25% will be devoted to the fight against HIV/AIDS, a menace that if not checked will cost Nigeria millions of lives and further devastate its economy. it health care and social systems, and potentially undermine the country's future. 3.5 million people in Nigeria are estimated to be HIV/AIDS infected, one tenth of all HIV/AIDS cases in the world. It is estimated that there are more than 1 million HIV/AIDS orphans in Nigeria. The HIV/AIDS situation is deadly serious, and during this conference NIDO should what role it can play to help Nigeria meet this challenge.

Other focus areas of the U.S assistance program are agricultural development, education, democracy and governance, economic reform, and health care. There are also large programs of assistance in law enforcement, programs combating narcotics trafficking and financial crimes, and a robust program of security assistance to the Nigerian military. I look forward to discussing these programs in greater detail as the day progresses.

I have written and spoken about the Diaspora before. It is a great concept that has special meaning for us, people of African origin. The Diaspora defines our commonality, no matter where in the world we might be. It binds us through culture and history, and the suffering and pain that grew out of slavery, colonialism and oppression.
We 'emotionalize' and 'romaticize' the Diaspora. We set aside special days like Black History month and African Union Day, to celebrate its existence, but for African-Americans in particular, it unfortunately pretty much ends there.

Some giants among us, like the late Revered Leon Sullivan and now Ambassador Andrew Young, have made valiant efforts to five the Diaspora greater practical meaning. The African/Africa American summit points us in the direction we must go. But effort and spirit beyond the summit must be more sustained and more institutionalized, it is simply not enough to meet and engage every two years. There is a need for a vision, a need for a strategy, periodically adjusted and fined tuned, on how the Diaspora can help Africa and how Africa better engage the Diaspora.

That is why this NIDO Annual Conference is so important. I firmly believe that the fate of Nigeria will have a large, even decisive effect on the future of the Diaspora, African people wherever they are. Therefore, what happens in Nigeria should be of major concern to us. Every major African-American organization, from the congressional black caucus to Africare, should have representatives here, not only to plot a strategy on how Nigerian-Americans can help Nigeria, but how African-Americans, in the North and in the South, on the mainland and on the island, can assist Nigeria.


Letter-writing campaigns and periodic visits to staffers and members on Capitol Hill would let them know that Nigeria has no voice. Moreover, this effort must extend beyond the congressional black caucus in order to have maximum effect. But I do not want to minimize the importance of working with the CBC, and NIDO should work hard to make certain that every member of the CBC is aware of the interests and priorities affecting Nigeria. There are approximately over 1 million Nigerian-Americans in the United States and collective action would give you a strong voice, particularly if you join with other groups within and outside the African-American Community.

There are Large Numbers of Nigerian American Professional in the United States who belong to or have formed professional Association. Forging Linkages between those associations and their counterparts in Nigeria could be beneficial to both countries. Linkages between Nigerian Universities and American Universities, in many cases, have atrophied. Those linkages need to be revived. Nigerian-American professors and academics should take the leading role. It is shameful that there are not greater ties between Nigeria Institutions of higher learning and historic black colleges and universities, and greater synergies must be forged. Ways of expanding those ties should be discussed during this conference. Establishing 'Sister City" relationship, especially where there are significant Nigerian Americans, also should be explored. Specialized 'Executive Service Corps' on Information Technology, Medical Services, University Administration, to name a few, could be formed to help the Nigerian Federal Government, State Governments, and Private Sector Groups to formulate policy alternatives and action plans on specific areas of concern. If we are really committed, some of this work should be done Pro Bono, minus travel and Expenses.
While in Nigeria I said, over and over again, that it was unrealistic to expect foreign investors to come to Nigeria when Nigerian were not investing in their own country. Many Nigerian Americans are affluent and should set their sights on investments at home. One of the easiest ways to do this is to invest in the Nigerian stock market, some of whose issues give extraordinary returns. Pool your money here and start with a reputable broker.

Too many Nigerian Americans have a distorted view of Nigeria. You simply do not know what is going on. NIDO members should start study groups, that meet, let's say every two months, to review recent developments in Nigeria, record your meeting, and pass your findings along. NIDO Washington could be a clearinghouse that passes these meeting notes on to the broader membership. The Embassy and consulates could play an active role by holding town hall meetings in Nigeria every six months.

Our collective belief in the Diaspora has brought us together. Let's celebrate it, romanticize about it, feel good about it. But more importantly, let's make the Diaspora work for Africa and NIDO work for Nigeria. It's a new day in Nigeria, and the promise of that great Country can become a reality, if we help. There is no Basis for criticism unless we do our part.

The next time that someone asks me why can't Nigerians-Americans do for Nigeria what Polish Americans do for Poland, I want to be able to say 'They do; we do'

Thank you and all my very best for a productive conference!