About African Global Development Initiative (AGDI)
AGDI, the brainchild of Vickie Smith and Tochukwu Nwaneri, was born out of a unique experience. While working in the Gambia, they played a pivotal role in assisting the Government with organizing Aid to Guinea Bissau during and after their civil war, a testament to their commitment to social impact. They both came to a realization that motivated them to identify a nonprofit that would address specific social issues and positively impact communities that would have lasting effects.
Their experiences serve as a powerful catalyst for driving change and supporting those in need.
Together, they found a strong desire to give back to their community and society. They are fortunate in their own lives to have the resources, skills, and knowledge to help those less fortunate or marginalized.
They identify gaps or unmet needs in existing services or programs throughout Africa. They realize a strong need for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to fill the gaps between governments and the local people and address a specific issue more effectively or efficiently than current governments can.
The decision to start a nonprofit was deeply personal for both of them, driven by a combination of passion, purpose, empathy, and a commitment to improving the lives of others. However, they were not blind to the challenges and complexities that come with running a nonprofit. It requires dedication, resilience, and a strong sense of purpose. Yet, the potential to create positive change and make a lasting impact on society was a powerful motivator for them, outweighing the challenges they knew they would face.
History Of AGDI
African Global Development Initiative (AGDI) is Africa’s emerging leader in energy and industrial development service sector. AGDI placed both infrastructure and regional integration at the center of its operations. AGDI’s development approach gives high priority to promoting regional cooperation and integration to enable countries of Africa to gain from economies of scale and the benefits of larger markets that improve the productive capacity of Africa’s economy.
Having identified infrastructure and regional integration as major parameters for economic growth and poverty reduction in Africa, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) has entrusted AGDI with a leading role in infrastructure development. The existing state of infrastructure constitutes a serious handicap to African productivity and competitiveness. Addressing Africa’s regional infrastructure needs is therefore a prerequisite to its development.
Regional integration is essential to building markets, creating robust and diverse economies, increasing opportunities for growth, and attracting new sources of investment finance. Regional integration is key for Africa, where 40% of its population and one-third of its economies are trapped in landlocked countries whose trade and development depend on events that happen beyond their own borders. As such, AGDI aims to focus on deepening economic, commercial and policy harmonization; concentrating on investments in regional infrastructure and support to Regional Economic Communities.
Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, New York, USA we are physically present in some countries across the continent and we conduct business in more than 10 countries in the African continent including Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, and Ghana.
AGDI came into being six years ago after consultations from various stakeholders across the continent of Africa on the need for Africans to take charge of their own needs and provide solution commensurate to the problems that are prevalent in the continent. Through the initiative of notable Africans in the Diaspora, who were attending the World Summit on Sustainable development held in Johannesburg, South Africa in September 2002, the organization was given birth to in the South African city of Port Elizabeth.