President Bola Tinubu has thrown his weight behind the ‘Heritage Voyage of Return’ initiative aimed at reuniting people of African descent with their African roots.
He said that the program will not only awaken the historical consciousness of society by bringing back memories of what happened many years ago, but also bring economic benefits.
The president spoke as he received a delegation from Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, along with the initiators of the project, at an audience on Friday in Abuja.
“Reconnecting Afro-Brazilians with their African roots will be an iconic project that will revive our past and illuminate the spirit of our ancestors.
“It will reawaken memories of what happened many years ago. And it is good that this comes now at a time when we are working to expand the frontiers of freedom and democracy in Africa,” said President Tinubu.
While thanking Mr. Soyinka for supporting the initiative and for his commitment and patriotism over the years, the president emphasized that the project would also bring economic benefits that must be harnessed, noting that “this is an important project that must be carried out cape”.
Speaking earlier, Wale Adeniran, a professor who led the delegation, said the history of the project goes back to when the Lagos Black Heritage Festival began.
“Because this is an identical project, the initiators of the Heritage Voyage of Return discussed the plan with Professor Soyinka, who also endorsed it,” he said.
Mr. Adeniran described the Heritage Voyage of Return as a historic sea voyage that will start in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, make stops in various African nations and end in Lagos.
He said the team had come to seek Mr. Tinubu’s endorsement and to formally invite people of African descent from Brazil home.
Other members of the delegation are Carolina Maira Morais, Brazilian, and Ajoyemi Olabisi Osunleye, Nigerian.
Ms. Morais noted that there are around 126 million people of African descent in Brazil and stated that the project would integrate the two nations, “Nigeria, the largest black population and the leading economy in Africa, and Brazil, a giant in South America . There are many traditional African families in Brazil. But no African country has gone to Brazil to identify and connect with them,” she said.
He stated that Brazilian President Lula da Silva plans to visit Nigeria and has a special heart for Africa, while describing Mr. Soyinka as a hero and icon in Brazil.
Ajuri NgelaleSpecial Advisor to the President (Media and Advertising)August 12, 2023
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Let hear it in the comment below if you do have an opinion on this; Tinubu supports the Heritage Voyage of Return initiative