An
Imo state indegene, Dr. Sylvester Okere, has bagged the prestigious award of ‘Ambassador
Of Humanitarianism’ from CSCHEI, an accredited non-profit organization based in
the United States of America.
The
award by COSHEI is coming nine months after Okere was appointed to lead
the Civil Society Organization on
Community Advancement and Humanitarian Empowerment Initiative as
the Director, Diaspora (North America and South America).
Presenting
the award to Okere during the "79th UNGA Side Event High Level Global
Executive Sustainable Investments, Grants and Interventions Roundtable in New
York on the 17th of September 2024, the Director
General of CSCHEI, Kunle Yusuff ,MON, described Dr.
Okere's contributions to the society as “positive”.
In
his words, “This is to officially inform
you respectfully that, having scrutinized and analyzed your resuming and
personality, most especially on your positive contributions to "Community
Enhancement, Social Development, Humanitarianism, Capacity Building and Service
to Humanity, Civil Society Organizations on Community Advancement and
Humanitarian Empowerment Initiatives, CSCHEI an accredited platform with
partnership agreement with United Nations Institute For Training and Research,
UNITAR, United Nations Satellite Center, UNOSAT, Nigeria Institute For Policy
and Strategic Studies, Kuru to coordinate, organize, supervise and promote
NGOs, CSOs, CBOs and FBOs within the scope of socio economic development has
considered, approved and honoured you "Ambassador
of Humanitarianism".
Congratulations!!!.
“This
is to further strengthening you into Development Space.”
Kunle
Yusuff, MON.
Director
General,CSCHEI.
Sylvester
Okere led the AGOA International Trade and Commerce Fact Finding
Workshop held at Hilton Manhattan New York in February 2013. The initiative
brought some leaders from Africa to participate, along with US lawmakers, the
UN, Civil Societies, NGOs, and heads of government agencies to discuss critical
issues surrounding AGOA.
He
facilitated, and mobilized the African Diaspora for The White House Policy
Briefing of February 22, 2016
Okere
championed USAID's
Global Innovation Exchange program for Africa. The Global Innovation Exchange
is a global online marketplace for innovations, funding, insights, resources,
and conversations, allowing the world to better work together to address
humanity’s greatest challenges; and a unique resource by Center for Development
Innovation | U.S. Global Development Lab in the U.S. Agency for International
Development.
Okere is a member of the World
Association of Detectives (WAD), Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE),
National Council of Investigators & Security Services (NCISS), Overseas
Security Advisory Council (OSAC), American Security Foundation, American
Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), Public Record Retriever Network (PRRN),
Maryland Investigators and Security Association (MISA), and other esteemed
associations. He is a certified institutional protection manager (CIPM II) with
a primary focus on industrial security, infrastructure, and trade facilitation.
He is also the Founding President of Strategic Groups USA LLC, a private
security and private detective firm, and the United People for African Congress
(UPAC), a 501c3 non-profit umbrella organization that advocates for the rights
of African nationals across the United States.
Sylvester Okere hails from Obibi Ezena, in Owerri-North Local Government Area
of Imo state. He is a former Nigeria Immigration officer with 18 years of
federal service (Kano and Imo state combined). He lived a few years in Europe
prior to migrating to the United States where he settled as a businessman,
politician, Security Professional and an activist. He has received many
national and continental awards; amongst two recent recognition: Prominent
African Activist Award by NELAS UK, 2018 ; Presidential award of
Nigerian-American Lawyers Association; The Outstanding Nigerian In Diaspora
award 2017; Nollywood Who Is Who USA magazine African Community
Leadership Award and African Champion a community service award.