Left to Right: M.N. Cobham, Nigerian Consul; Chief Tunde Adetunji, Africa World Museum Center and Bill Edwards, Fulton County Commisioner. photo by Mike Rast Jr.

African interest in Atlanta, including a pan-African economic conference and plans to build an African cultural center in Fulton County, will bring a substantial investment to Georgia over the next 10 years, according to Chief Tunde Adetunji, president and CEO of the Africa World Museum Center.

Mr. Adetunji told GlobalAtlanta at a press conference Sept. 28 held at the Fulton County Public Safety Training Center in College Park that he has been seeking the support of local corporations and government officials for projects to draw African investment to Atlanta.

The USAfrica Economic Development Conference and Expo will be held at Kennesaw State University Oct. 25-28 to bring together representatives from each of the 53 African countries with local leaders and businesspeople.

“Africa is the missing link in the global economy,” said Mr. Adetunji, adding that the conference is the latest initiative by the center to educate people as to why Africa will be expanding its presence in the world economy.

Mr. Adetunji said that the buildup to the conference provides the atmosphere to begin raising funds for the African Village project, an effort to build an African cultural center in south Fulton County.

“The African Village will bring the interest of all the people of the world to Georgia,” Mr. Adetunji told GlobalAtlanta.

At the press conference, Mr. Adetunji presented a T-shirt bearing the newly unveiled USAfrica logo to Fulton County Commissioner Bill Edwards.  The logo will be featured in ad campaigns for the economic conference and on merchandise to help raise funds to build the village.

Mr. Edwards said that the USAfrica logo “will be all over south Fulton, to tell people that the future is coming.”

Organizers of the project have identified a 540-acre site in south Fulton suitable for the village and are to unveil plans for its design at the conference in October.

The USAfrica logo on a baseball cap.

Mr. Edwards gave his endorsement to the project and said that such a center would give “the opportunity for the citizens of the county to have the true African experience.”

“We will do all we can to make this vision a reality,” he added.

Organizers of the African Village project are seeking to raise funds from Atlanta-based businesses including Coca-Cola Co., Delta Air Lines Inc., and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.

The African Village project has the endorsement of the African Union, which is comprised of all 53 African nations, and the Nigerian consulate in Atlanta.

Mr. Adetunji presented a Georgia state flag to the chairman of the Union’s first Pan-African Cultural Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2006 to symbolize the growing relationship between Georgia and Africa.

The project also has the support of regional director of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, Joe Beasley; Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and U.S. Congressman John Lewis.

Efforts to gain further support for the conference and the building project are ongoing.  Individuals or organizations interested in participating should contact Kennesaw State’s Institute for Global Initiatives or the African World Museum Center.