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Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa
e-ISSN: 1647-7251
VOL. 17, Nº. 1
May 2026
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RECONNECTING AFRICANS IN THE DIASPORA AND THE CONTINENT:
PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA DEVELOPMENT
INSTITUTE (ADDI)
AGABA HALIDU
agaba.halidu@uniabuja.edu.ng
Ph.D in Political Science & International Relations, Department of Political Science &
International Relations, University of Abuja (Nigeria). https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6689-8699
Abstract
This research focuses on the African Diaspora Development Institute (ADDI), which is a space-
making organization with the aim of facilitating networking and reconnection for Africans in
the diaspora on one hand, and between Africans in the diaspora and Africans on the continent
on the other hand. The organization advocates for Pan-Africanism through initiatives such as
the development of Wakanda City, the promotion of regional trade, empowerment of the
youth and women, repatriation of the diaspora, and the development of a regional digital
currency, Oduwacoin, based on blockchain technology. The framework for analysis of the case
of the ADDI is based on institutional theory. Methodology: This is a qualitative analysis of
secondary data in the form of academic literature, policy documents, and data obtained from
the official website of the African Diaspora Development Institute. The information obtained
from the literature and the official website of the organization reveals that it is the 1st ever
project of its kind on the African continent, born in vision mostly by Ambassador Arikana
Chihombori-Quao, former AU Ambassador to the United States of America. The data obtained
from the literature and the official website of the organization reveal promising opportunities
for the growth and development of Africa, including rejuvenation of the economies,
participation of the diaspora, and integration of the continent, among others. However, the
data obtained from the literature and the official website of the organization reveal that there
are formidable challenges that the initiative is likely to face, including financial constraints,
corruption, and insecurity, among others. The paper recommends that there should be more
engagement with organizations such as the Organization of African Unity (OAU)/African Union
(AU) and other sub-regional organizations, improvement of security to facilitate the
participation of the diaspora, and improvement of anti-corruption mechanisms to safeguard
funds and the sustainability of the projects of the ADDI, among others.
Keywords
African, Challenges, Diaspora, Development, Institute.
Resumo
Esta investigação centra-se no Instituto de Desenvolvimento da Diáspora Africana (ADDI),
uma organização criadora de espaços que tem como objetivo facilitar o estabelecimento de
redes e a reconexão, por um lado, entre africanos na diáspora e, por outro, entre estes e os
africanos no continente. A organização defende o pan-africanismo através de iniciativas como
JANUS.NET, e-journal of International Relations
e-ISSN: 1647-7251
VOL. 17, Nº. 1
May 2026, pp. 553-567
Reconnecting Africans in the Diaspora and the Continent: Prospects and Challenges of the
African Diaspora Development Institute (Addi)
Agaba Halidu
553
o desenvolvimento da Cidade de Wakanda, a promoção do comércio regional, a capacitação
dos jovens e das mulheres, o repatriamento da diáspora e o desenvolvimento de uma moeda
digital regional, a Oduwacoin, baseada na tecnologia blockchain. O quadro de análise do caso
do ADDI baseia-se na teoria institucional. Metodologia: Trata-se de uma análise qualitativa
de dados secundários sob a forma de literatura académica, documentos políticos e dados
obtidos a partir do site oficial do Instituto de Desenvolvimento da Diáspora Africana. A
informação obtida da literatura e do site oficial da organização revela que este é o primeiro
projeto de sempre deste tipo no continente africano, nascido de uma visão principalmente da
Embaixadora Arikana Chihombori-Quao, antiga Embaixadora da UA nos Estados Unidos da
América. Os dados obtidos da literatura e do site oficial da organização revelam oportunidades
promissoras para o crescimento e desenvolvimento de África, incluindo o rejuvenescimento
das economias, a participação da diáspora e a integração do continente, entre outros. No
entanto, os dados obtidos da literatura e do site oficial da organização revelam que existem
desafios formidáveis que a iniciativa provavelmente enfrentará, incluindo restrições
financeiras, corrupção e insegurança, entre outros. O artigo recomenda que haja um maior
envolvimento com organizações como a Organização da Unidade Africana (OUA)/União
Africana (UA) e outras organizações sub-regionais, a melhoria da segurança para facilitar a
participação da diáspora e o aperfeiçoamento dos mecanismos anticorrupção para
salvaguardar os fundos e a sustentabilidade dos projetos da ADDI, entre outros..
Palavras-chave
Africano, Desafios, Diáspora, Desenvolvimento, Instituto.
How to cite this article
Halidu, Agaba (2026). Reconnecting Africans in the Diaspora and the Continent: Prospects and
Challenges of the African Diaspora Development Institute (Addi). Janus.net, e-journal of
international relations, VOL. 17, Nº. 1, May 2026, pp. 553-567. https://doi.org/10.26619/1647-
7251.17.1.28
Article submitted on 1 March 2025 and accepted on 19 December 2025.
JANUS.NET, e-journal of International Relations
e-ISSN: 1647-7251
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May 2026, pp. 553-567
Reconnecting Africans in the Diaspora and the Continent: Prospects and Challenges of the
African Diaspora Development Institute (Addi)
Agaba Halidu
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RECONNECTING AFRICANS IN THE DIASPORA AND THE
CONTINENT: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES OF THE AFRICAN
DIASPORA DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE (ADDI)
AGABA HALIDU
Introduction
Thus, the movement of Africans, whether forcibly dispersed during the transatlantic slave
trade or voluntarily choosing to migrate, has given birth to what might be considered one
of the most vibrant diasporas in the world today. Pan-African aspirations for a single,
united people of African descent, despite political boundaries, have faced a harsh reality:
the tools for mobilizing diaspora resources for Africa's advancement are fragmented,
mostly rhetoric, and lacking substance. In fact, the African Union recognizes the diaspora
as Africa's "sixth region," but institutional mechanisms for harnessing such a powerful
tool for Africa's advancement are hard to find. This provides the context for any new
initiatives from the diaspora community.
In that context, ADDI, the African Diaspora Development Institute, enters the scene as
a bold entrepreneurial endeavor of Africans, led by Africans, and for Africans, with a
dream of reconnecting Africans in the diaspora with their ancestral home through
economic, cultural, and technological means. They envision a future where ventures such
as Wakanda City in Ghana, repatriation programs for diasporans, empowerment of the
youth and women, and initiatives for regional trade that are aligned with the goals of the
African Union's integration agenda, as well as a digital currency called Oduwacoin based
on blockchain technology, are a reality. The question that this article seeks to explore
and answer is: Will ADDI grow into a credible, viable, and sustainable tool for
reconnecting Africa with her diaspora in a historical sense, or will the barriers of financial
instability, insecurity, corruption, and regulatory challenges bar it from realizing its full
transformative potential?
In order to analyze this question, the authors use institutional theory as an analytical
framework and adopt a qualitative research approach based on a case study design and
secondary data analysis. The structure of this text is as follows: after presenting the
research design and data sources, the authors provide some conceptual clarification on
development, diaspora, and pan-Africanism, and briefly introduce the institutionalist
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e-ISSN: 1647-7251
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May 2026, pp. 553-567
Reconnecting Africans in the Diaspora and the Continent: Prospects and Challenges of the
African Diaspora Development Institute (Addi)
Agaba Halidu
555
framework that guides this analysis. Then, the text focuses on the development,
structure, and strategic center of ADDI, and finally, on the major challenges that this
initiative faces, before concluding with some major findings and policy recommendations
on how to improve institutional collaboration between Africa and the diaspora.
Methodology
The research is a qualitative/interpretive research design that aims to explore the African
Diaspora Development Institute (ADDI) and its capacity to influence Africa-diaspora
relations. It does not attempt to quantify the relationship or run any statistical analyses;
instead, it delves deeper into the stories, developmental underpinnings, and structural
tensions that are embedded in the creation of ADDI and its intended actions. The research
aims to address an exploratory research question about whether or not ADDI has the
capacity to bridge the structural gap between Africa and its diaspora. As such, it is more
appropriate to apply a qualitative research design because it is more appropriate to
address exploratory research questions that require depth, richness, and contextual
information to make more meaningful analyses.
The research design is an exploratory qualitative case study that is more appropriate for
analyzing an organizational initiative in the contemporary world of politics and
socioeconomic challenges. The African Diaspora Development Institute is analyzed as an
experiment in secondary institutions that are informed by the long tradition of Pan-
Africanism, which has been informed by contemporary debates in development theory.
The focus of the research on the eighth most populous country in the world provides an
in-depth look at the organizational structure of the African Diaspora Development
Institute, its legitimacy claims, its organizational structure, its vision of development,
and its capacity to bridge the gap between Africa and its diaspora. The research relies on
secondary qualitative data sources that are official reports, policy briefs, platform
documents, speeches, statements, and relevant scholarly works on diasporas, diaspora
engagement, and institution-building. The theory that grounds this research is an
application of the theory of institutions that assesses the plausibility, integrity, and
organizational structure of the African Diaspora Development Institute in the context of
the rise of governance structures in Africa.
Conceptual Clarifications
Development
Development constitutes a deeply debated topic in political economy and International
Relations (IR) theory, the conceptualisation of which revolves around economic growth
and the elimination of underdevelopment (Agaba, Bissala, & David, 2022). Modernization
theory has portrayed development as growth, industrialization, and technological
development, and development as a normal path to Western modernity (Todaro, 1985;
Cobbinah & Black, 2011). Yet, such an understanding of development strips the political
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element from the concept of development. Development, as noted by Omotola (2010),
is unknowable because it is ideological.
Development as “a structural transformation of social attitudes, institutions and national
systems, along with sustained growth,” has been proposed by Todaro (1985), cited in
Omotola (2010). This notion of development includes qualitative developments, changes
in institutions, and the general betterment of life of human beings. Development from
an institutionalist perspective of development relies on strong institutions that provide
for accountability (Scott, 2008; Kivisto, 2011).
But postcolonial theory has also stated that development should not be read outside of
its historical connection to global relations of (Under)development (Adejumobi, 2008).
Therefore, in order for development to be real, there must be strong institutions,
profound structural changes, and an awareness of global inequalities.
Concept of Diaspora
Diaspora means the dispersal of people from their homeland to other places. Page and
Mercer (2018) state that diaspora was originally used to mean the Jewish community
during the war years from 640 to 610 BCE, when they dispersed from their homes.
However, today, “diaspora” means any group of people scattered all over the world for
any reason. Longley (2021) states that diaspora means any group of people that has left
their state, either willingly or by force, and moved to another country. There are two
types of diasporas, namely, forced and voluntary, which any sociologist or anthropologist
ought to be aware of.
The reason for forced diaspora often arises from unfortunate circumstances such as wars,
imperialism, slavery, or natural disasters such as famine or drought. However, when
diaspora is forced, there is always an element of threat or desire to return to one’s original
home. On the other hand, voluntary diaspora means any group of people that has left
their country to look for economic opportunities. For example, during the late 19th
century, there was an economic great migration from an economically backward state,
namely, Europe, to America, and today, Africans are moving to Europe, America, and the
Middle East to lead an easy and steady life, thus causing a brain drain.
The Concept of Pan-Africanism
Pan-Africanism is the revival of the African diaspora. It began in the late 1800s and asked
Africans around the world, who were separated from each other because of things that
happened in America, to return to their homeland. It asks all Africans around the world
to come together and share common goals and aspirations. Simply put, Pan-Africanism
was born out of colonization and exploitation of Africa by Europeans (Adejumobi, 2008).
The political idea behind Pan-Africanism is to unite all Africans into one state, into one
homeland that many Africans envision (Appiah, 2006).
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Theoretical Framework
The text that follows is situated within an emerging, ever-evolving debate on Pan-
Africanism, the diaspora, and African development, and it is grounded on four
assumptions.
First, Pan-Africanism remains a living, active, and driving normative force in the 21st
century. From the early, proto-pan-African ideas of Edward Wilmot Blyden and W.E.B.
Du Bois to Kwame Nkrumah’s more politicized version, Pan-Africanism has provided a
vision of Africa and the diaspora as one historical and political entity—separated by the
scars of slavery and colonialism, but united in purpose (Du Bois, 1903; Nkrumah, 1963;
Adejumobi, 2008). Pan-Africanism remains a relevant force today, with scholars
continuing to point to its relevance for African integration and diaspora mobilization
(Tieku, 2017; Murithi, 2020). Second, the African Diaspora is a significant player in
African development, not just through more conventional diaspora theories of identity
and dispersion (Sheffer, 1986), but also through more contemporary versions that
emphasize remittances, cross-border flows, and knowledge as drivers of development
(Brinkerhoff, 2009; Page & Mercer, 2018).
Third, institutional change is a prerequisite for Africa’s sustainable development, and this
assertion is supported by classic development theory (Todaro, 1985) and more
contemporary governance theory (Acemoglu & Robinson, 2012; Omotola, 2010). Fourth,
identity and economic modernization are complementary paths in the postcolonial world
(Fanon, 1961; Mkandawire, 2015).
Institutional theory provides the connective tissue for understanding the development of
legitimacy as norms are institutionalized into a concrete social structure. Following Meyer
and Rowan (1977) and Scott (2008), institutional legitimacy arises as these norms are
objectified into systems of rules and structure. Consider the case of the African Diaspora
Development Institute (ADDI): it could be interpreted as an attempt to institutionalize
Pan-African values of unity, self-reliance, and progress within a system of rules and
structure that mobilizes diasporic resources for transformative development on the
continent. In embracing diasporic participation, collaborative investment, and identity-
based development programs, the ADDI could be understood as an attempt to
operationalize the Pan-Africanist ideal into a system of rules and structure for
development.
Literature Review
The existing literature on the African diaspora, pan-Africanism, and the development of
institutions is vital to contextualize this research in terms of the existing intellectual
debates. The recent literature on the subject reflects an evident shift of focus from
symbolic appeals to African unity under the umbrella of pan-Africanism to more practical
approaches that incorporate the African diaspora in the building of the future of the
African continent. Khisa (2022), in his work, “Rethinking the Pan-African Agenda,”
explains that:
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“Pan-Africanism must transcend symbolism by re-centering Africa and its Diasporas in a
renewed liberation paradigm that prioritizes structural transformation and political
accountability.” Kumah-Abiwu (2024) explains that: “Global African Thought represents
an ever-present site of encounter between classical pan-African ideologies and
contemporary diasporic thought, with its emphasis on the transnational, epistemological,
and collective aspects of global governance.”
ADDI: Evolution, Structure, and Prospects
Evolution and Institutional Genesis
The African Diaspora Development Institute (ADDI) stands at the crossroads of historical
periods: the African Diaspora itself, Pan-Africanism, and current globalization
development narratives. The trans-Atlantic slave trade established the structural
foundation for the modern-day African Diaspora. This is also noted by Lituchy (2019) and
Thompsell (2020). Professional migration from Africa to other continents following
colonialism extended Africa’s influence intellectually and economically, giving rise to
debates on brain drain versus brain circulation (Tucho, 2009).
For most of the 20th century, Pan-African Congresses promoted the ideals of unity and
solidarity among Africans everywhere. Yet the connection between the diasporas and the
development of the African continent remained disjointed. The African Union’s recognition
of the diaspora as the “sixth region” of Africa signaled inclusion but did little to alleviate
the problem of disunity among Africa’s 55 nations.
From the perspective of institutionalism, the disjointedness of the diasporas’ connection
to the development of the African continent stems from the disconnection between
universalized development ideals and local institutions (Meyer & Rowan, 1977). New
organizations are formed to provide order to the expectations and interactions of
individuals within a system. The birth of ADDI itself is a product of the fact that such a
body did not previously exist—an alternative to a non-existent transnational platform for
engagement with the diasporas.
The birth of ADDI itself is a product of institutional entrepreneurship—individuals
developing organizational routes to create development ideals from Pan-Africanism that
the world will recognize (Meyer & Rowan, 1977; Scott, 2008).
Institutional Structure and Organizational Architecture
ADDI’s organizational structure combines a tight top-down leadership with its arms and
a wide transnational network that helps to maintain its connectivity.
(a) The Executive & Legitimacy:
The core organizational leadership is a tight top-down structure headed by the
Founder/President, with other key directors responsible for finance, compliance,
outreach, human resources, project management, etc. It has a corporate organizational
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structure that fits into widely accepted organizational models across the globe. It has
organizational legitimacy based on widely accepted corporate organizational models
across the globe (Meyer & Rowan, 1977). ADDI is privately founded, unlike other
organizations formed through interstate treaties like the African Union or ECOWAS. It’s
privately founded by influential Pan-African intellectuals who enhance its normative
organizational legitimacy through its connection to dominant cultural systems of knowing
(Scott, 2008).
(b) Sector-Based Differentiation:
The organization has been differentiated into various sectors like agriculture, health,
education, trade & investment, finance, media, engineering, mining, law, culture,
technology, etc. Sector differentiation is a product of rationalization, whereby modern
organizations gain organizational legitimacy through formal structuring into sectors that
align with widely accepted organizational models of knowing (Meyer & Rowan, 1977). It’s
a technocratic shift towards development planning.
(c) Non-National Chapters:
ADDI has a decentralized organizational structure with chapters across North America,
Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America, Oceania, Africa, etc. It’s a wide transnational
network with localized organizational structures that provide organizational legitimacy
through its cognitive legitimation as a necessary actor within organizational structures,
normative organizational legitimacy through its Pan-African values, and cultural
embeddedness within diasporas’ neighborhoods. It’s a product of the current wave of
organizational change that’s shifting towards development thinking (Scott, 2008).
Prospects of ADDI
The future of ADDI will depend on whether it is able to provide an institutional framework
that produces results in sustainable development. Its promise is anchored on five
strategic pillars.
African Development and Wakanda City
An important part of the ADDI vision is the development of Wakanda City in Cape Coast,
Ghana. This futuristic Pan-African city is envisioned to embody utopian ideals of
development (Sam, 2020). Wakanda City physically represents the ADDI vision. The city
received support from the people of Ghana in the form of the country’s previous
president, Nana Akufo-Addo. The president supported the city through his initiative to
place part of the city near the harbor from which enslaved Africans were transported
from the continent. This is an important act of place-making in which the city converts
the trauma of slavery into an act of development.
Diakite (2020) indicates five phases of development in Wakanda City:
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i. A 1,000-bed teaching hospital facility.
ii. A university and technical college facility.
iii. Pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.
iv. Five-star hotel facility.
v. Green parks and innovation facility.
vi. Smart mobility facility
This facility is envisioned to provide about 3,000 jobs in Cape Coast. Wakanda City
represents the “rationalized myth” (Meyer and Rowan 1977) of globally known smart
cities and innovation centers.
The tourism and infrastructure sub-modules are consistent with global data on travel and
construction. Travel and tourism comprised 10.4% of global GDP and 10.6% of total
global employment before COVID-19 (WTTC, 2019). Travel and Tourism contributed to
6.9% of GDP and 6.5% of total employment in Africa before COVID-19. Wakanda City
would thus find its place within a conventional global development industry, with jobs,
foreign exchange earnings, and infrastructure modernization to offer. At an institutional
level, Wakanda City is the developmental anchor for ADDI, transmuting Pan-African
ideology into material form.
Returning Africans to History and Heritage
However, ADDI is not just about growing an economy; it’s also about reclaiming culture.
It’s about reconnecting diasporic Africans to their precolonial past, to their oral history,
and to their sense of history (Sam, 2020). The oral recorded history of Africa was
disrupted by colonial invasion, and ADDI’s idea of restoring a sense of heritage is its
fundamental principle, which seeks to create institutional spaces for cultural education
and the construction of identity.
In terms of its institutional application, this approach seeks to legitimize cultural
understanding by establishing a sense of common identity narratives among dispersed
populations (Scott, 2008). Wakanda City is not just an economic center; it’s meant to be
a symbolic pilgrimage site for diasporic Africans looking to reconnect to their historical
roots (Diakite, 2020).
Promoting Regional Trade and Continental Integration
Regional economic integration is still at the center of the AU’s policy agenda, particularly
through the formation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). ADDI actively
advocates for diaspora awareness and participation in Africa’s trade liberalization agenda
(ADDI, 2022). ADDI’s goals are:
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i. Mobilize the diaspora for Africa’s development.
ii. Facilitate diaspora investment participation
iii. Engage diaspora communities to participate in AfCFTA
By engaging in the wider debates on regional integration, ADDI acquires normative
legitimacy and positions itself as a regional actor based in Africa, as opposed to a global
actor.
Youth and Women Empowerment
ADDI emphasizes the importance of empowering youth and women as a key strategy
(ADDI Report, 2022). It suggests providing micro-enterprise financial assistance between
$250 and $1,000 to fund business ventures.
From an organizational viewpoint, being supportive of gender and youth empowerment
is consistent with existing global development norms outlined in Sustainable
Development Goal structures. This not only serves to increase the organization’s moral
and normative legitimacy but also reinforces its position as a responsive organization to
address social concerns.
Regional Monetary Innovation: OduwaCoin
ADDI has introduced its digital currency, referred to as OduwaCoin, which has been
described as Africa’s cryptocurrency (ADDI Report, 2022). It has been developed using
blockchain technology to create a decentralized financial system of trading and unite
Africans across the globe.
In terms of its institution-building role, ADDI has set its sights on a wide-ranging digital
finance system across the globe. By embracing technology, ADDI has conformed to
recognized patterns of development of financial technology across the globe. The nuts
and bolts of monetary governance are a private, cross-border, multi-layered enterprise
that demands moral clarity among financial institutions at both state and continental
levels. ADDI is a hybrid institution that draws on diasporic energy, Pan-African ideals,
and development blueprints across the globe. It is a case of institutional entrepreneurship
with its architecture drawing on widely recognized concepts of financial governance
across the globe, with security guaranteed through a combination of infrastructure,
culture, economy, and technology.
Challenges of ADDI
The African Diaspora Development Institute (ADDI) is giving rise to new hopes about the
potential of diaspora networks to achieve things from building infrastructure and
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increasing regional trade to advancing digital technologies. Of course, to enumerate the
problems of the African Diaspora Development Institute – financial dependency, conflicts
among members, and corruption – is to provide only part of the picture. To gain an
adequate understanding of what impedes the African Diaspora Development Institute, it
is necessary to consider these challenges in the context of institutional theory to assess
their implications for the legitimacy, stability, and continued survival of the institution.
Following Meyer and Rowan (1977) and Scott (2008), it is not only grand and innovative
ideas and programs that sustain institutions; it is also the extent to which they can gain
and regain legitimacy through regulation, norms, and shared cultural meanings.
Ultimately, it is the "institutional" environment of Africa upon which the future of the
African Diaspora Development Institution will depend more than upon the sweep of their
ambitions.
Financial Dependence and Institutional Isomorphism
The Achilles’ heel of ADDI is its dependence on external sources of finance. Currently,
ADDI depends on philanthropic support and the goodwill of the diaspora community.
From the institutional theory point of view, ADDI is currently in a pre-institutionalized
phase, as stated by Meyer and Rowan (1977). In this phase, although institutional
structures exist, the flow of resources has not yet been fully institutionalized.
The three institutional risks that ADDI currently faces are:
a. Legitimacy,
b. Decoupling, and
c. Isomorphism.
a. Legitimacy Fragility – Ventures such as Wakanda City may be more symbolic in nature
if finance does not materialize.
b. Decoupling Risk – According to institutional theory scholars, organizations may
develop institutional structures such as blueprints for smart cities or blockchain
technology to gain institutional legitimation, but in practice, they may not be as powerful
as they seem.
c. Isomorphism – To raise finance for its activities, ADDI may feel compelled to align
itself with the policy agendas of the major financiers, which may compromise its Pan-
African values.
Rather than telling ADDI to “raise money,” institutional theory would suggest that ADDI
should seek to work with the various continental governance structures, such as the
African Union, or sub-regional governance structures such as ECOWAS, which would give
ADDI a regulatorily legitimated status, rather than just a dependently philanthropically
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legitimated status. ADDI, therefore, would become a quasi-public actor, embedded in the
broader context of African development, with a commitment to the implementation of
Agenda 2063 and AfCFTA, rather than just a private initiative.
Insecurity and the Decay of Cognitive Legitimacy
Insecurity is a major problem in Africa, which affects the success of the diaspora return
programs as a structural issue. Applying institutional theory, Scott (2008) explains that
for an organization to endure as an organization, it must possess some form of text-
based relevance, or “legitimacy.” Insecurity, therefore, affects:
a. The confidence of the diaspora population.
b. The predictability of investments.
c. The viability of tourism activities.
d. The sustainability of infrastructural growth
From the point of view of cultural cognition, it is important for the Diaspora Africans to
feel that it is “safe” to return to Africa and invest in the respective countries. The stories
told by the public also reflect this, as once insecurity becomes the dominant story in
Africa, the cognitive legitimacy of Wakanda City as a pilgrimage or investment site
declines significantly.
Insecurity, therefore, is not just a problem; it is an institutional problem that affects the
regulative pillar of governance in Africa. ADDI cannot resolve national security issues on
its own, but it must sustain itself as an organization by forming strategic alliances with
continental security mechanisms through the African Union Peace and Security
Architecture. In this regard, ADDI will no longer be a target but a co-evolved actor in
these efforts.
Corruption and Institutional Decoupling
Corruption, however, could be the biggest challenge for ADDI in terms of establishing
credibility in the long run. Institutional theory refers to decoupling, where an organization
might adopt certain rules and structures, but the actual work environment contradicts
these rules (Meyer & Rowan, 1977).
If not well governed, ADDI might lose:
a. Normative legitimacy.
b. The trust of the Diaspora.
c. Regulatory attention.
d. Reputation
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In the governance arena, corruption in Africa has been a major challenge, causing the
failure of development initiatives due to funds being misdirected and a lack of
accountability. Thus, ADDI needs to ensure that it has good compliance and auditing
systems in place and that it demands transparency. Institutionally, fighting corruption
not only ensures ethical behavior but also ensures that an organization maintains
legitimacy within itself. This, in essence, ensures that an organization that is fair and just
in its processes increases not only its normative and cognitive legitimacy but also the
chances of a successful partnership.
Thus, the aim should not be to demand zero corruption at all costs, but to ensure that
there are effective checks and balances within an organization, as required within the
governance arena on the continent, and that it is ratified within the AU anti-corruption
framework.
Digital Monetary Innovation and Regulatory Constraints
The idea of OduwaCoin is a reflection of the global move to digital currency, but true
innovation is done within the context of existing national and continental systems of
finance. The institutional theory of innovation argues that if an idea is not in conformity
with existing laws, it will never be sustained. Thus, if OduwaCoin is not endorsed by
central banks and other key financial institutions, it may be reduced to a mere gesture.
To go from being legitimate to being functional, it has to be integrated into the growing
digital finance systems in Africa.
Conclusion
To further enhance the depth of analysis and policy relevance of the research, it might
also consider conducting a critical discourse analysis of its institutional reports and policy
pronouncements, and speeches of its leadership. This would enable it to conduct a more
nuanced analysis of areas of convergence and divergence between ADDI’s vision and the
ideas of the Pan-African nationalists and diasporic intellectuals of the past, and to obtain
a preliminary indication of whether it indeed represents ideological continuity or merely
symbolic ideological continuity.
On the policy side, it must position itself in Africa’s governance architecture to secure
sustainability. This means it must formalize engagement with the African Continental
Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as an economic integration mechanism for the African diaspora.
The Wakanda City initiative must also be formalized and positioned as a transparent and
multi-level initiative grounded in solid partnership relationships and sound anti-
corruption and security considerations. It must also align itself with Agenda 2063 in areas
of youth employment, women’s economic empowerment, skills development, and brain
circulation. Financial sustainability must also be achieved beyond philanthropy through
blended finance and diaspora investment products and instruments. Finally, it must also
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e-ISSN: 1647-7251
VOL. 17, Nº. 1
May 2026, pp. 553-567
Reconnecting Africans in the Diaspora and the Continent: Prospects and Challenges of the
African Diaspora Development Institute (Addi)
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work to strengthen transparency in governance to secure better levels of regulatory,
normative, and cognitive legitimacy.
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