AFFORD

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AFFORD is a charity evolving into a social enterprise to drive entrepreneurial agenda and capacity of the African Diaspora.

Since its formation 26 years ago, AFFORD has put the issue of migration and development on the policy agenda. It has developed an unrivalled knowledge and expertise on issues impacting on the African diaspora such as remittances, brain drain, skills transfers, etc
It has a proven track in working with the African diaspora and uses its expertise on the diaspora and its relationship to development in providing consultancy services to various organizations
We believe in harnessing the diaspora and other partners to invest, time, money, know-how, to help power the engines of wealth creation that will produce self-sustainable and profitable communities, instead of communities waiting for the next aid cheque.

13/10/2026

EVENT LONDON TODAY: African Cultural Restitution and the Next Generation

Calling all university students; early-career museum professionals; those with an interest in history, archaeology, law, archives, libraries, journalism, art, creative practice and education; civil society organisations; members of the African diaspora; anyone interested in African history and heritage.

Join us:
📌 SOAS University of London
🗓️ 5pm
🔗 Register now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/whose-heritage-the-next-generation-and-african-cultural-restitution-tickets-2002611850955?aff=oddtdtcreator

Hosted by the SOAS Centre for Pan-African Studies, University of London and AFFORD UK, in support of the work of the APPG for Afrikan Reparations (APPG-AR), the event will introduce participants to the changing landscape of restitution, explain why it matters and encourage a new generation of thinkers, practitioners and emerging professionals to become active participants in protecting and restoring Africa's cultural heritage.

Introducing...

Moderator:
Connie Bell is a memory worker, cultural producer and co-founder of Decolonising The Archive and the University of Repair. Her work explores decolonial methodologies and memory as technology within archives. Her practice reimagines and activates archives as spaces of repair, dialogue and community justice.

Presentation – Why Restitution Matters Now:
Iben Bø is a Norwegian policy consultant focusing on Scandinavian equality, anti-racism and anti-discrimination policy. She has a background in language studies and international public policy from study programmes in Jordan and the United Kingdom. She is the author of the APPG-AR/AFFORD policy brief Laying Ancestors to Rest.

Panel discussion – Beyond the Benin Bronzes:
Ebere Anosike is an art historian, interdisciplinary researcher and curator whose work investigates African art, heritage, diasporic identities and knowledge systems across time and space. Her enquiries include African knowledge systems and the sacred, alongside questions of migration, identity and cultural memory. She made early contributions to AFFORD’s Return of the Icons initiative.

Diana Boafo holds a BA in Politics and Arabic and an MA in international Public Policy. A polyglot speaking eight languages, her research examines Afro-phobia and citizenship among young Afro-Italians with focus on liberal racism and its effect on the barriers to citizenship.

12/10/2026

If one African artefact, archive or cultural object could return home tomorrow, what would you choose, and why?

Post your responses in the replies below. ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

Or bring your ideas to the African Cultural Restitution and the Next Generation event tomorrow (Tuesday, 13th October) to discuss cultural restitution and the future of African heritage with activists, educators and practitioners in the field.

📌 SOAS University of London
🗓️ 5pm, Tuesday, 13th October
🔗 Register now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/whose-heritage-the-next-generation-and-african-cultural-restitution-tickets-2002611850955?aff=oddtdtcreator

Hosted by the SOAS Centre for Pan-African Studies, University of London and AFFORD UK, in support of the work of the APPG for Afrikan Reparations (APPG-AR), the event will introduce participants to the changing landscape of restitution, explain why it matters and encourage a new generation of thinkers, practitioners and emerging professionals to become active participants in protecting and restoring Africa's cultural heritage.

Speakers: Iben Bø, Diana Boafo, Ebere Anosike and Connie Bell of Decolonising the Archive

09/10/2026

Over 90% of African cultural heritage is located outside the continent, and communities have long struggled to correct the historical and continuous wrongs of colonial theft.

Across Europe, North America and elsewhere, institutions are increasingly responding to grassroots pressure to return African archives, cultural material and ancestral remains to their source communities.

Join AFFORD UK, SOAS Centre for Pan-African Studies and the APPG for Afrikan Reparations next Tuesday (13th October) to share, listen and discuss the way forward: for African heritage, justice and repair.

African Cultural Restitution and the Next Generation: an event to inspire and equip the next generation of thinkers, practitioners and emerging professionals to engage with Africa's growing cultural restitution and heritage agenda.

📌 SOAS University of London
🗓️ 5pm, Tuesday, 13th October

Register to attend here.
🔗 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/whose-heritage-the-next-generation-and-african-cultural-restitution-tickets-2002611850955?aff=oddtdtcreator

Speakers:

Iben Bø, policy consultant and AFFORD associate

Diana Boafo, language and public policy researcher

Ebere Anosike, art historian, interdisciplinary researcher and curator

Connie Bell, co-founder and director Decolonising the Archive

08/10/2026

If Africa's heritage is returning home, what role will you play, and who will be ready to
receive it?

If Africa's heritage is returning home, what role will you play, and who will be ready to
receive it?

Join AFFORD UK, SOAS Centre for Pan-African Studies and the APPG for Afrikan Reparations to share, listen and discuss the way forward.

African Cultural Restitution and the Next Generation: an event to inspire and equip young people and emerging professionals to engage with Africa's growing cultural restitution and heritage agenda.

📌 SOAS University of London
🗓️ 5pm, Tuesday, 13th October

Register to attend here.
🔗 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/whose-heritage-the-next-generation-and-african-cultural-restitution-tickets-2002611850955?aff=oddtdtcreator

Speakers: Iben Bø, Diana Boafo, Ebere Anosike, Connie Bell of Decolonising the Archive

06/10/2026

📢 🌍 Calling all young, African diaspora in the UK 🇬🇧
African Cultural Restitution and the Next Generation

Please join us for an event to inspire and equip young people and emerging professionals to engage with Africa's growing cultural restitution and heritage agenda.

📌 SOAS University of London
🗓️ 5pm, Tuesday, 13th October

Register to attend here.
🔗 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/whose-heritage-the-next-generation-and-african-cultural-restitution-tickets-2002611850955

Hosted by the SOAS Centre for Pan-African Studies, University of London and AFFORD UK, in support of the work of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations (APPG-AR), the event will introduce participants to the changing landscape of restitution, explain why it matters and encourage a new generation to become active participants in protecting and restoring Africa's cultural heritage.

Questions of restitution are often seen as matters for governments, lawyers or museum directors. In reality, the future of Africa's cultural heritage will increasingly depend upon informed citizens, working together with historians, artists, curators, archivists, archaeologists, lawyers, journalists, educators, technologists and entrepreneurs.

Institutions are increasingly responding to grassroots and diplomatic pressure to return African archives, cultural material and ancestral remains to their source communities.

📝 ❓ Participants registering for the event will be invited to answer a key question:

'If one African artefact, archive or cultural object could return home tomorrow, what would you choose, and why?'

Feel free to answer this question too: put your responses in the comments below. ⬇️

02/09/2026

Some great pictures as the Africa at the Centre: Leading Change, Shifting Power event got underway in Accra yesterday (Tuesday, 1st September).

The Afro-centric system change convening is seeking to reimagine development from an African perspective and place African leadership, knowledge and agency at the heart of systems change. It brings together African actors and allies to move beyond the rhetoric of
hashtag and co-create practical pathways, partnerships and commitments that advance African leadership in development, philanthropy, governance and systems change.

AFFORD UK is a partner/co-host for the Pan-African conference, alongside West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), EpicAfrica, Reos Partners and RINGO.

The future of Africa will not be inherited. It will be co-created.

Be part of the change.

16/08/2026

The African diaspora is already contributing to Africa’s growth. We are working to make that contribution even more connected, coordinated and impactful.

An important part of this is learning from one another and building the right connections.

Through our AFFORD Connect community, we are hosting monthly learning and networking meetups that bring together diaspora entrepreneurs, investors, and key stakeholders in Africa’s growth – all in the same room to learn, connect and collaborate around practical topics that can help move their journeys forward.

Our next meetup takes place on Thursday 27th August in London, where we will be joined by our friends at Avalon Insights, led by Thomas Akintan (Thomas A.), for a practical session on: Using AI to Strengthen Your Fundraising

We will explore how AI can be used as a practical tool to make fundraising more effective for those building and supporting ventures across Africa, including live demonstrations of how these tools can be applied.

Places are limited, so join us in person to learn, connect and be part of the conversation.

Click on the QR code in the flyer. Or see registration link in the comments.

20/07/2026

Africa at the Centre: Leading Change, Shifting Power is an Afro-centric system change convening in Accra this coming September to reimagine development from an African perspective and place African leadership, knowledge and agency at the heart of systems change.

AFFORD UK is a partner/co-host for the conference, alongside West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI), EpicAfrica, Reos Partners and RINGO.

Want to find out more about Africa at the Centre?

Register now for the pre-convening webinar this Thursday
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/h4_yx38uTlC5LY6l7M4iag #/registration

14.00 GMT | 23 July | In English and French

For decades, development in Africa has largely been shaped through externally defined priorities, funding models and measures of success, often limiting African ownership and weakening the sustainability of local solutions.

Africa cannot transform the future through systems it did not design.

It is time to reimagine, reshape and lead from our own realities, knowledge systems and lived experiences.

Africa at the Centre: Leading Change, Shifting Power is a Pan-African convening bringing together African actors and allies to move beyond the rhetoric of and co-create practical pathways, partnerships and commitments that advance African leadership in development, philanthropy, governance and systems change.

Through dialogue, systems thinking and innovation, participants will build shared understanding, surface bold alternatives and design solutions that endure long after the convening ends.

Join policymakers, civil society leaders, researchers, philanthropies and changemakers from across Africa and beyond. Registration is already open for the event in Accra between 1-3 September.

But don't forget you can find out much more at the pre-convening webinar on Thursday.
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/h4_yx38uTlC5LY6l7M4iag #/registration

The future of Africa will not be inherited. It will be co-created.

Be part of the change.

Stella Opoku-Owusu Charles Kojo Vandyck

10/07/2026

Thank you to all those who joined us at African Diaspora and Development Day (AD3 2026) last Saturday.

This year the theme of the event was Africa Reimagined: Collective Action for a New Era – How the next generation of diaspora investors can drive decent job creation, employability and growth in Africa.

It was a successful day of rich and constructive discussion, making new connections and plenty of practical ideas on how we can collectively strengthen diaspora participation in Africa's growth.

AD3 2026 may be over for another year, but we would like the conversations, connections and opportunities to continue.

At AD3, we officially launched AFFORD Connect, our new flagship that offers ongoing access to the AFFORD community, helping you stay connected to diaspora opportunities, events, insights and collaboration beyond this annual gathering.

Link to join AFFORD Connect in the comments below.

There is the option of either free or paid tiers – both will keep you abreast of opportunities while helping AFFORD continue its wider work to strengthen diaspora participation and impact across Africa.

But this is more than a simple subscription. It is a growing community of diaspora professionals, entrepreneurs, investors and changemakers who want to contribute to Africa’s growth while benefiting from opportunities, connections and shared learning.

Thank you again for being part of AD3 2026. We look forward to staying connected and continuing the journey together.

02/07/2026

⏱️ time running out to register for this year's African Diaspora and Development Day (AD3).

🌍 Sing up now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/african-diaspora-and-development-day-ad3-2026-tickets-1991908266245

AD3 is AFFORD UK’s flagship annual event, bringing together leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, development practitioners, academics and ecosystem builders committed to advancing 's growth and development through collective action.

It will be held this Saturday 4th July, at SOAS University of London.

The theme for AD3 2026 is: Africa Reimagined: Collective Action for a New Era – How the Next Generation of Diaspora Investors Can Drive Decent Job Creation, Employability and Growth in Africa.

This year’s event will explore how diaspora communities can play a strategic role in supporting Africa’s future. Through a combination of keynote discussions, practical showcases, networking opportunities and intergenerational dialogue, AD3 aims to identify tangible pathways for action.

Speakers and panellists for the day include:
Elvina Quaison, Ndidi Njoku, Amr Aljowaily

Dieu-Donne Gameli, CFA Sidi Saccoh, Oreva Odu (Oreva O.), Dr Unisa Dizo-Conteh, PhD. , Stella Opoku-Owusu, Joevas Asare

Paul Asquith, SARA AMANI, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Hend Kheiralla, Victoria Olayide Adesanya, CFA, Chukwu-Emeka P F Chikezie MBE, Hannah Wanjie Ryder (芮婉洁)

Mariama Kamara, Jeanne Faulet-Ekpitini, Onyekachi Wambu, Vanessa Mulangala, Rose Yombo-Djema, Roopal Kanabar, Afzaal Mauthoor

Nicholas Atampugre, Nyarko Owusu Frederick, TJ Omojomolo, Folu Ogunyeye, Saidah Iman

AD3 provides a platform for dialogue, collaboration, partnership-building and practical engagement across the diaspora ecosystem. The convening seeks to strengthen connections between diaspora communities and key stakeholders working across investment, enterprise development, employability, policy, innovation and economic transformation throughout Africa.

🌍 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/african-diaspora-and-development-day-ad3-2026-tickets-1991908266245

Address

Rich Mix Building, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch
London
E16LA

Telephone

+442033263750

Website

http://www.afford-uk.org/

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