CSCHEI appoints Imo state – born Sylvester Okere to lead Diaspora engagement

 

Sylvester Okere, CIPM ll, FIIM.

A prominent Nigerian diaspora leader in the United States, Dr. Sylvester Okere, has been appointed to lead the CivilSociety Organization on Community Advancement and Humanitarian EmpowermentInitiative (CSCHEI) as the Director, Diaspora (North America and South America). CSCHEI is an accredited non-profit organization that coordinates various registered community-based organizations (CBOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and civil society organizations (CSOs) to provide community enhancement, humanitarian empowerment, dignity, and societal values for development.

Okere’s latest appointment by CSCHEI is believed to have come to pass due to his commitment to serving the African diaspora and promoting community development between the United States of America, The United Nations, The World Bank Civil Society Policy Forum program; as well as African nations.  As the Director, Diaspora (North America and South America) of CSCHEI, Okere is expected to develop and implement strategies to engage and mobilize the African diaspora community in North and South America to support CSCHEI’s mission of community advancement and humanitarian empowerment in Africa. He will also build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including government agencies, businesses, and civil society organizations.

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.