TheCable

Japheth Omojuwa, founder and chief strategist at Alpha Reach, has been appointed as member of the board of directors at Halifax International Security Forum (HFX).

Omojuwa made the announcement in a series of tweets on Friday.

I am delighted to announce that I accepted the invitation by the Halifax International Security Forum to join its board. This gives me an opportunity to work with such exemplary leaders& change makers who are devoted to strengthening strategic cooperation among democratic nations pic.twitter.com/hGH1tnEabl

— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) July 16, 2021

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…several other ones and their intersections.

— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) July 16, 2021

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I also want to thank Peter and the board, who unanimously supported my appointment.

I am looking forward to my first board meeting this September and of course, our flagship forum in Halifax, Canada, later in November, 2021.

— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) July 16, 2021

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We are truly delighted to have @Omojuwa on board and everyone here is looking forward to working closely with him to further advance our mission to strengthen cooperation among the world’s democracies.

— Halifax The Forum (@HFXforum) July 16, 2021

HFX, an organisation based in Washington DC, US, is devoted to strengthening strategic cooperation among democratic nations.

The appointment of Omojuwa as a member of board of directors at HFX is contained in a letter dated July 8.

In the letter, Peter Van Praagh, president of HFX, said Omojuwa’s appointment will take effect from the opening of forum’s next meeting.

Praagh said the Nigerian social media influencer would contribute to the works of the organisation globally.

“Your contributions to HFX’s work over the years have been very meaningful and I am delighted to now formalize the relationship,” the letter reads.

“Having you on our Board of Directors—which we would be honored to effect at the opening of its next formal meeting—will amplify the importance of our mission.

“As HFX meets the political and practical challenges to its mission of enhancing strategic cooperation among the world democracies, your guidance will be invaluable to shaping the future of our growing organization.

“Indeed, your leadership as a media entrepreneur standing up for social justice and democracy aligns seamlessly with our work.

“I very much look forward to working even more closely together with you than I already have to making HFX’s work ruthlessly relevant to the world.”

Reacting to the development during an interview with TheCable, Omojuwa expressed delight in his appointment, saying it was unexpected.

“I feel glad because I didn’t see it coming as it is not one of the positions you can lobby for,” he said.

“I have been attending the Halifax International Security Forum for the past seven years but I have never been a member of the forum directly. I have been attending the flagship forum since 2014.”

Omojuwa said the appointment will afford him opportunity to further amplify the voices of those unheard and contribute to positive development globally.

He said HFX would afford him the chance to move influence into the physical space where the “real change” occurs.

“There is a lot that we get to do in the digital space and for me the physical or offline space is even more important,” he said.

“This opportunity is a chance to take influence beyond the virtual space because the real change will happen in boardrooms and physical spaces and for me it is an opportunity to represent the voices and the issues of people that are more often than not are hardly heard and to bring their issues to the table that matters.

“The Halifax International Security Forum comprises some of the most important and influencial democracies in the world and to be at its decision making table is a huge opportunity to put big issues on the table especially as it affects us on this side of the world and on to add to issues that are already on the table.”

Other board members at HFX include Janice Gross Stein, a professor of conflict management; Ahmet Taçyildiz, chairman of GAP Insaat, a global construction company; Cindy McCain, chairman of the board of the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University; among others.