IDEAS ARE CAPITAL, THE REST IS JUST MONEY Philip Emeagwali, Baltimore, Maryland USA I once believed that capital was another word for money, the accumulated wealth of a country or its people. Surely, I thought, wealth is determined by the money or property in one's possession. Then I saw a Deutsche Bank advertisement in the Wall Street Journal that proclaimed: "Ideas are capital. The rest is just money." I was struck by the simplicity of such an eloquent and forceful idea. I started imagining what such power meant for Africa. The potential for progress and poverty alleviation in Africa relies on capital generated from the power within our minds, not from our ability to pick minerals from the ground or seek debt relief and foreign assistance. If ideas are capital, why is Africa investing more on things than on information, and more on the military than on education? Suddenly, I realized what this idea could mean for Africa. If the pen is mightier than the sword, why does a general earn more than the work of a hundred writers combined? If ideas are indeed capital, then Africa should stem its brain drain and promote the African Renaissance, which will lead to the rebirth of the continent. After all, a renaissance is a rebirth of ideas. And knowledge and ideas are the engines that drive economic growth. More >> AFRICAN ARTS AND CULTURE PERILS Interview by Chris Onofua Lagos, Nigeria Prof. Sylvester Ogbechie; a professor of (History of Arts and Archietcture) at the University of California who recently visited Nigeria having been away for a long time, in interview with Chris Onofua, xrays the problems and gives an insight into turning the fortunes of arts and cultural heritage in Nigeria. Q: Can we meet you Professor and perhaps get an insight into your background? A: I am Sylvester Okwunodu Ogbechie, a native of Onicha-Ugbo in Delta State. I was born in Ibadan in 1965, moved back home when I was 11 to attend high school, lived in Abuja for two years from 1982-83 and then attended UNN (the University of Nigeria Nsukka) where I obtained a First Class degree in Fine and Applied arts (1988) and a master's degree in art history in 1992. I then received a scholarship to study art history for a Ph.D at Northerstern University near Chicago in the USA. I left in 1993 and have lived in the USA since them. After getting my Ph.D, I took a job at the University of California Santa Barbara where I still teach. I am fluent in Igbo, Yoruba, Pidgin, English, read French and some German, and can say a few words in Hausa and Edo. Before I left Nigeria, I travelled extensively in the country and I am familiar with many places in Nigeria. I still travel a lot for business, and as a hobby. More >>

The Education Committee of All Nigerian American Congress is organizing a Student Exchange program to visit multiple cities in Nigeria, Africa, Europe and other parts of the world. The intent of the program is to enrich the educational foundation of Nigerian American youths and prepare them for a strong foundation in a very competitive global employment and commercial environment. This program was announced by the Chairman of the Education Development Committee of All Nigerian American Congress Chief Cyril Nwaguru of Michigan, assisted by the the Vice Chair for the Education Committee Dr. Joy Arungwa an ANAC delegate from Maryland. This announcement was made before the monthly meeting of ANAC Trustees, program chairmen and Stake holders, the news was specially received by the result oriented group which has really brought the development of peoples of Nigerian origin in North America to a place of prominence in the United States, Nigeria and now working at exporting that image to other parts of the world. Present at the monthly stakeholder meeting  included prominent leaders of the Nigerian American communities, Dan E. Austin M.D President and CEO of Cignet Health Ltd, the American based Health management organization that is operating one of the new National Health management Corporations in Nigeria with the New National Health Insurance Scheme of the government of Olusegun Obasanjo. Dr. Austin is also the current Chairman, Trustees for ANAC, the Vice Chairman, Trustees Mohammed Bagudu, Abdulateef Kareem M.D, a Chicago based health care development executive and present Secretary General of ANAC, the high achieving President, House of Delegates Chief Ms Temitope Ajayi, who has championed multiple programs on behalf of ANAC. The Chairman of the Georgia State chapter, chair Technology Committee Dr. Martin Okafor, Colin Atobajeun Interim Chair for Texas State Chapter and Chair Energy and Power Committee, Paul Oranika the Chair of Public affairs and information, Paul Akhimien Trustee from Indiana, Ms Lara Okunubi Chair of the Arts, Culture Committee, Dr Sokaria Chair Health Committee, other leaders from Akwa Ibom, California, Texas and many other States were also present at the meeting.   We are quite excited about the capabilities of our youths and the success rate we are accomplishing in North America continued the Chair of the Education Committee Chief Nwaguru, who presently runs a Summer camp program for Senior High school and college students in Michigan. We will  Visit Abuja, Nigeria on this present trip, scheduled for July 15th thru the 30th, 2006 and stay will be at the Hilton hotel in Abuja, we would pay a courtesy call on the Nigerian President in Aso Rock, the Nigerian Congress, the National Christian center and the National Mosque all in Abuja. This particular trip is open for youth sixteen years and above. This will be an enlightening event for the youth, who otherwise would have the western  media often poorly informed define the progress in Nigeria to them, and settle for such inability to be a part of the new Nigerian development that is emerging of which the Nigerian Americans are playing a prominent role. All Nigerian American Congress has done an excellent work in creating this platform and indeed to field is ripe for harvest. The education committee members are working very hard to make this a success, I want to take this opportunity to thank all the members of the committee.   Also announced during the meeting was the ANAC Summer Session of All Nigerian American Congress in Atlanta, August, 19-20, 2006 at Westin Hotel, Atlanta Airport by the Georgia State Chapter, led by State Chair Dr. Martin Okafor and Paul Oranika Chair for Public Affairs and information. The Arts and Culture Committee led by Lara Okunubi will also be sponsoring a marriage development and literacy program for the Atlanta session and subsequently around the United States. Ms Okunubi with the assistance of Solomon Adio, Vice Chair for California and numerous other members are putting together a comprehensive program to assist address issues that are peculiar to Nigerian American marriages and hinder the development.

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