Two organizations held events in the city of Houston with Ambassador Sanders to discuss US-Africa business, Africa trade with China, increasing Diaspora ties across the Atlantic, particularly strengthening the Diaspora small business relationship, and the need for the Diaspora community to pay more attention to endangered cultural signs and symbols, like Uli -- all subjects are themes in Sanders' recent books.
During the discussions, Sanders highlighted the importance of the Diaspora small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) looking at particular sectors such as small manufacturing; being a service provider in key development areas (e.g. health, education, food security, or transport solutions); and, creating climate-smart solutions as areas to establish business relationships.
At both events -- Ogun Restaurant & Gite Gallery (see pics) -- book signings also were held for Sanders' two books The Legendary Uli Women of Nigeria," and "The Rise of Africa's Small and Medium Size Enterprises: Spurring Development & Growing the Middle Class." On Africa and China, Sanders shared that China is not only the Continent's largest trading partner but that it currently has a fuller, focused and more strategic relationship with the region than the US, especially given the economically-focused BRICS grouping (Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa. BRICS summits and meetings also include other African and South-South countries). Key with signature results has been the creation of the BRICS' New Development Bank (better known as NDB); China's targeted Belt and Road Initiative, which began in 2013, and Chinese President Xi's annual trips to the region, with 2018 marking his 4th trip. On the endangered Uli sign and symbol system in Nigeria, Sanders noted the cultural expression is one of some 4,000 languages and cultural practices in the world which are endangered of disappearing. (This is a FEEEDS BlogSpot).
