By George Ozalla
In a groundbreaking ceremony held in Suriname on September 16, 2025, the African Diaspora Impact Center, Inc. (ADIC) unveiled the Transatlantic Agreement, a landmark pact aimed at healing historical wounds from the transatlantic slave trade while driving transformative economic and social development across Africa and its diaspora. This revolutionary private sector-led framework launches the African Transatlantic Special Digital Development Zone (ATSDZ), uniting African communities and its global diaspora to mobilize $1 billion in investment and fast-track at least 10 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The ATSDZ creates a secure digital platform integrating diverse African communities, such as the Ndigbo in Nigeria, Kikuyu in Kenya, and Akan in Ghana, with diaspora hubs in the Caribbean and Americas. This initiative will also establish physical IIE-4IR Nature and Heritage Centers as special economic zones (SEZs), blending agro-processing, telemedicine, e-learning, and cultural tourism to empower rural populations, reconnect descendants affected by the slave trade, and stimulate intra-African commerce aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Dawn Simpson, Chairperson of the African Transatlantic Heritage Council (ATHC), emphasized the historic and visionary nature of the agreement, stating, “Today’s agreement is not just a pact—it’s a promise to our ancestors and a blueprint for our future. By harnessing diaspora capital, talent, and networks, we’re turning historical pain into economic power, mobilizing $1 billion to create jobs, secure food and health systems, and build resilient communities. This is Africa-led development in action—profitable, inclusive, and unstoppable.”
Key signatories to the agreement include Patrick Ibekwe, Vice President of ADIC (USA); Dawn Simpson, Chairperson of ATHC (Suriname/Jamaica); Obinna K. Oliaku, Deputy Chairperson of ATHC (Finland); Dion Croom, Special Advisor for Technology and Innovation (Isle of Man); Daniel Okeke, National Coordinator for Grenada; and Chidi Jacob, Program Coordinator for Ndigbo 2035/ACCEED Initiative (Nigeria).
The agreement basically commits to three main pillars:
- Digital Unity: Establishing a unified digital framework integrating African communities worldwide to foster global trade, economic sovereignty, cultural unity, and inclusive development.
- Physical Special Economic Zones: Developing community-based hubs offering agro-processing facilities, healthcare suites, vocational training, and cultural museums, targeting support for 1 million descendants by 2035.
- Reparative Justice: Implementing genealogical programs, heritage festivals, and trade empowerment initiatives committed to acknowledging the harms inflicted by the transatlantic slave trade and fostering healing through policy reforms, restitution, and shared prosperity.
For more information on the Transatlantic Agreement and the African Diaspora Impact Center, Inc., please contact +1 (804) 964-0428 or email Info@adicenter.org. You can also visit their website at (link unavailable) or reach out to them at DiC 1920 Niagra Road, Suite 122, College Park, MD 20742, USA, or call +1 (301)-346-4012.
