Mr. Olu Alake is the CEO of the African Centre, a London-based charity founded in 1964 to champion contemporary Africa through education, arts, entrepreneurship, innovation, and culture. Their mission is to educate, connect, and advocate for Africa and its diaspora. He sat down with R:Ed to discuss their activities and future plans.

R:Ed: Can you tell us more about the roles and activities of the diaspora in the UK, USA, and beyond?

Mr. Alake: The Africa Centre was established in 1961 as a gathering place for the African diaspora in the UK.  The focus was to provide a meeting place to foster Pan-African solidarity and discuss the liberation of African countries.

These conversations began in 1961 when about 70% of African nations were under colonial rule. We’ve preserved this spirit at the Africa Centre till today; we still see ourselves primarily as a hub for Africans to express themselves through their culture, arts, and politics, not influenced by the mainstream West; and a place where we can have critical conversations that will facilitate real progress for the continent.

We connect the diaspora to their home countries and nurture relationships between Africans worldwide, from Afro-Brazilians in London to Nigerians in Korea.

R:Ed: So, your activities extend beyond Europe to include Africans in Asian countries. Do you support them as well?

Mr. Alake: Yes, they are still Africans too! We aim to ensure that they have a voice and support, valued not just for their remittances but as ambassadors for Africa. We want them to know we’re cheering them on wherever they are and want to help keep them informed, and provide information that will enable them to maintain a sense of connection to the continent and other Africans worldwide.

R:Ed: Can you share what has been done to empower Africans in Europe, and Asia, in terms of your five pillars?

Mr. Alake: We focus on the pillars both through programmatic and thematic ways. This means that we have specific activities within the pillars but also develop activities that cut across the pillars. For instance, our recent Lusophone Africa Day, which showcased arts, culture, and dialogue, highlighted the diversity within Africa and how important it is for us to keep shining a light on the richness and complexities of this diversity to Africans as well as the wider world.

The Lusophone Africa Day offered educational and cultural experience that spanned multiple countries and regions. We had artists from Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique on display. When you entered the building, you heard music from different Lusophone countries.  It was a powerful opportunity to enable people to learn so much about their brothers and sisters from countries with the same lingua franca: for instance, it was amazing how few people from Cape Verde knew the music of people from Angola, or people from Angola know the traditional music of people from Guinea-Bissau.

R:Ed: How do people discover the Africa Centre and become part of the community?

Mr. Alake: There are two main ways to do this: Either physically or digitally. For in-person engagement, we have a community engagement programme and are conveniently located in the London borough that has the densest African population. We go out, engage with community groups, gather input, and provide educational materials to schools.

Digitally, people can find us by signing up to receive our newsletter and other information. Increasingly, we have been streaming some of our events live, so this will become a very powerful way for us to reach audiences across the world. We are working on developing a network of Affiliate Organisations based in selected countries across the continent next year, which should also help to increase our footprint across the continent.

And of course, many people still find us through online searches for African support in the UK.

R:Ed: How do you support the diaspora in terms of entrepreneurship and employment?

Mr. Alake: We do this in various ways. We provide flexible office space for young African entrepreneurs, and have been developing a series of entrepreneurship workshops. We also undertake other work placement and recruitment support, prioritising young African candidates to address their under-representation in the workforce.

R:Ed: In which major industries do members of the diaspora find themselves?

Mr. Alake: In the UK, Africans can be found in various industries, with a recent uptick in IT, health, and social care due to changes in the UK migration system. We aim to address not only getting in but also advancing within these organizations.

R:Ed: The Africa Center focuses on South and East Africa. Do you have plans to engage Africans from other regions?

Mr. Alake: We’ve been conscious of our previous skewed focus on some parts of Africa over others, and we’re working to address this imbalance. We are determined that from next year, our programs will feature artists and activities from all regions of Africa. We aim to maximize opportunities for cross-cultural exchange and learning, including through cultural festivals and music events.

R:Ed: Earlier, you mentioned that the African Centre operates in the UK, USA, and Asian countries. In Europe, does your focus extend beyond the UK and USA?

Mr. Alake: Yes, our reach extends further. While we are not establishing satellite organizations elsewhere, we are going to be working in partnership with many Affiliated Organisations across the world, from  the African Centre in New York, to  African arts organizations in Berlin, Paris etc. We exchange information and collaborate with artists, thought leaders and educators from these organisations.

We are also looking to establish affiliate organizations or relationships across Africa, with five already lined up in Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, and Egypt. We work closely with ambassadors and High Commissions from every African country, which further demonstrates our passion to create a strong sense of African unity.

R:Ed: Which professional bodies in the UK and the USA do you collaborate with in your work?

Mr. Alake: We engage with various organizations depending on the focus. This includes arts organizations, funding organizations, corporate firms such as banks, legal bodies, educational and research institutions, cultural policy bodies, exhibition etc. We also collaborate with businesses and government bodies like tourist boards.

R:Ed: Rights for Education is a Pan-African organization, with a focus on African writers and providing them with a platform. We’d like to explore how R:Ed can support the diaspora in Africa and collaborate with the African Center.

Mr. Alake: That’s interesting. Africa has a rich literary tradition, and it’s great that you’re platforming African writers. We can support each other by sharing information about writers, promoting them on social media, and making introductions to potential publishers. We have partners that are always on the lookout for new literary talent. We can also consider organizing competitions and contributing content. The possibilities are vast.

R:Ed: When it comes to job opportunities, is there a chance for Africans in the UK or the USA, considering immigration challenges?

Mr. Alake:. Although the current immigration atmosphere in the UK is challenging, there are gaps in the employment market that immigrants can fill. We will look to share opportunities as we become aware of them.

Co authors: Marian Gloria Gyamfi, Rosalie Lalhensia Ngassama, Daouda Daou