Inaugural Speech by the Newly Elected President of The Tangale Community Overseas (TCO), Andele Tadi
Introduction
Tangle malele!
Some weeks ago, you cast your votes and elected me as the president of this great family of sons and daughters of Tangale who live across the oceans. Alongside me, you also elected many others to the TCO leadership, forming a truly remarkable team. I wish to express my profound appreciation to all of you for the confidence you have placed in me to lead this elite group. I am humbled to serve a community that has consistently demonstrated commitment to our culture, our people, and our collective progress. With God on our side, we will expand, strengthen, and prosper TCO for the benefit of all members and for the development of the entire Tangale nation—to the glory of God.
I thank God for allowing me to serve Him by serving my own people. My gratitude also goes to my wife, Malame, for her unwavering support, especially since the day we crossed the Atlantic. To our children—YambanNe (13), Yambankude (10), Yambankong (10), and Dulyamba (3)—thank you for your patience whenever I am on the phone for several hours discussing TCO or Tangale matters. May God bless you all.
This speech is the product of over twenty hours of phone calls with many individuals and groups—from founding members of TCO, past and current leaders, elders, youths, and community leaders who live overseas and those in Nigeria. Though I wrote the original draft and developed its central ideas, the contributions of many sons and daughters of Tangale enriched the speech greatly. This is therefore “our speech,” not “my speech.” It is a Tangale speech.
I also want to commend the immediate past TCO leadership team for their excellent service. They guided our union and the Tangale nation during one of its most difficult periods. The Mai Tangale stool crisis of early 2021 shook our people and revealed the challenges we faced. Yet, TCO became a strong voice for our nation. Beyond advocacy, the past leadership contributed significantly in the legal battle against injustices faced by the Tangale people. They also helped improve security in some villages threatened by Fulani terrorists and offered moral and financial support to individuals and groups experiencing hardships.
The last TCO leadership showed love by welcoming new Tangale people overseas, helping them adjust to life abroad. The leadership has also been present in weddings, child dedications, clergy ordinations, graduations, funerals, and many other events, celebrating or mourning with members. All these activities are in line with the original intent of TCO when it was founded on December 23, 2000—to create a fellowship that cares for each other while serving as a voice for the Tangale people and a platform for development initiatives in Nigeria.
It is in the spirit of this original intent and purpose of TCO that the new leadership casts the following vision for the benefit of members and for the development of Tangale people in Nigeria.
- Expanding and Strengthening TCO
- a) Physical Meetings:
Our first priority is to meet physically at least once a year. The Tangale proverb reminds us: “Molgo ya waim ka diyen ka nung?”—“If your brother/sister is not there, with whom will you live?” This emphasizes the critical importance of brotherhood, which is essential for our survival and progress. Our upcoming meeting will be on the weekend of July 4, 2026. We will confirm the host family soon and encourage every member and family to attend. Even if only two families attend, the meeting will go on. We will celebrate our culture with storytelling (Sindi), proverbs (Sam kwi bolji), traditional dances (Kollu Tangle), Tangale dishes (San’ Mana), genealogies, and other enriching activities.
- b) Unearthing Hidden Brethren (Molle):
Our research shows that many Tangale sons and daughters overseas have yet to join TCO. We will search for them through information technology and word-of-mouth and will bring all into the fellowship. Please inform us of anyone living abroad who is not yet a member.
- c) Comprehensive Data Collection of Members:
We discovered that members often know only a few people by name, not personal backgrounds. To address this challenge, we will collect detailed information to create a data bank that allows members to help each other with school admissions, employment opportunities, business connections, mentoring, and other support.
- d) Regional Coordinators:
TCO spans Tangale people worldwide. We will appoint regional coordinators in Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South/Central America to organize activities locally and report to central leadership. These coordinators will foster regional cohesion and provide opportunities for members to meet and strengthen unity at the local level.
- Health and Education Intervention Fund
Many members sometimes face health crises or urgent educational needs. We will establish a fund to support members during these challenges. The Tangale proverb says, “Na mollen wok lawishin”—we stick together through thick and thin, in both sunshine and in rain.
- Guiding Tangale Youth in Wealth Creation
In the past, Tangale youth abroad focused on education and employment. Today, wealth creation is critical. Education alone no longer guarantees power; wealth determines influence. As our ancestors said: “Muum ka wani an Mai”—he who has wealth is king. We will guide youth to focus on entrepreneurship while pursuing degrees in practical, marketable fields such as health sciences, engineering, and business. Our goal is to produce at least three millionaires within TCO over the next 15–20 years.
TCO Engagement with the Tangale nation in Nigeria
As mentioned earlier, two of the objective of TCO according to its founding members are to pursue initiatives that foster socioeconomic and cultural development, and to be a voice for the Tangale people. The following are some of the ways and strategies that this leadership team hopes to employ in order to engage and to help the Tangale nation in Nigeria.
- Tangale Agribusiness Project
We plan to establish a stream of businesses that will process and market farm products, creating jobs and increasing prosperity in Tangale land. “Kanan min yammu tag layo anawei”—we must take control of our economic future. Our aim is to provide opportunities for young people, directly benefiting farming communities and indirectly uplifting the entire economy. It is time we stop selling our produce at low prices to foreigners who profit from our labor while we remain in a cycle of poverty. As a people, we must redesign our socioeconomic future and pursue it with wisdom and courage. TCO will set an example by starting its own businesses on Tangale soil, God willing.
- Tangale Skills-to-Wealth Project
We will help our young people acquire the necessary skills to create, develop, and transfer wealth to the next generation. This will be achieved through:
- a) Hands-on training in critical service areas needed in today’s world.
- b) Introducing innovative business strategies and modules that place our youth at a competitive advantage in the global economic landscape.
- Health System Development
With some of our public health facilities resembling museums more than functional hospitals, Tangale needs more than just another clinic or hospital. We need a modern, community-driven health system—designed, developed, run, and sustained by our people. This will include ultramodern facilities equipped with advanced technology and staffed by some of the best doctors in the state. Tangale has the potential to build a health system capable of attracting health tourists from neighboring countries. What is required is the willpower and a trusted leadership team.
- Tangale Language and Cultural Development
We will actively promote the Tangale language, history, and culture in schools, neighborhoods, and online. Storytelling, plays, proverbs, songs, comedy, and Tangale cuisine will be digitized to make learning accessible worldwide. We will collaborate with the Tangale Community Development Association (TCDA), the Local Government Councils, the Local Government Education Offices, and other authorities to implement this project. Our approach will focus on “tulmana” (neighborhood-based units) and annual competitions to encourage participation. Tangale sons and daughters will help digitize content and provide a structured curriculum for online and social media pedagogy, using both human and artificial intelligence.
- Collaboration with TCDA and Traditional Leaders
We will continue to work closely with TCDA and our traditional leaders to preserve our culture, promote peace, and foster development. TCO is proud of the efforts led by the current National President of TCDA, Comrade Danladi Bako, and his team, and we will strengthen this partnership for the advancement of Tangale land.
- Supporting Local Initiatives
We will shine a spotlight on Tangale sons and daughters, and groups that are making meaningful contributions to education, peacebuilding, economic and cultural development in Tangale land. TCO will collaborate with and support these efforts. Whoever prioritizes Tangale, we will prioritize them.
- Advocacy and Political Engagement
TCO is nonpartisan but committed to advocating for Tangale interests. We will engage strategically to ensure the welfare of our people remains a top priority. TCO will work within existing systems to attract developmental projects and promote socioeconomic growth in Tangale land. We will also continue to stand with our people on legal matters. We want to appreciate the legal team that worked tirelessly to ensure the release of 14 out of 16 of our people who were randomly arrested and incarcerated in 2021, including a then nursing mother. These lawyers worked pro bono for Tangale. We deeply appreciate your efforts. Yambu woppu kong tu kwi gu.
We will continue to be a strong voice for our people whenever the need arises, ensuring that Tangale is never ignored or left behind. In March 2021, TCO was one of the Nigerian ethnic nationalities in the USA that wrote letters to members of the U.S. Congress, reporting the persecution of our people and the violent Fulani attacks on some of our villages. We are glad that efforts like this one are now bearing fruit. We have also been in dialogue with the Nigerian Ethnic Nationality leaders representing us in Washington. These efforts will continue until meaningful change is achieved in Nigeria. We as a people are grateful to President Donald J. Trump for his willingness to intervene in the sufferings of communities like ours in Nigeria. May God use him to bring an end to the activities of terrorists and their sponsors in Nigeria.
- Collaboration with Neighboring Communities
TCO is ready to work with ethnic groups that share cultural, historical, and economic interests with Tangale people. Many of these communities face similar challenges, including underrepresentation in political appointments and civil service promotions, lopsided infrastructure development, and imposition of leaders against traditional norms. We are committed to working together with you for self-emancipation, socioeconomic development, peaceful coexistence, and cultural revitalization.
Fundraising and Financial Accountability
Financial resources are critical to achieving the goals discussed above. Our target is for TCO members to raise a minimum of $20,000 from their pockets annually. We also encourage members to reach out to philanthropists, governments, NGOs, churches, and circle of friends to help support the TCO vision. We are pleased to announce that TCO leaders have already started contributing funds and our target as leaders is to raise at least $2,000 from our pockets – representing 10% of this year’s goal. We call on all of you members to consider donating to the TCO purse beginning today.
We are committed to transparency and accountability. Hence, quarterly financial reports will be shared on TCO platforms, and an annual summary will be presented at the congress, ensuring every contribution is accounted for and is used for the benefit of the Tangale people.
Conclusion
Rooted in the original intent of the founding members of TCO, and transfixed on a better future for TCO members and the Tangale people at large, we the current TCO leadership aim to expand the union, establish support systems, guide youth abroad, and continue developmental projects in Nigeria. We are committed to putting Tangale first in our political engagement, to continue to be the voice of the Tangale people and to collaborate with local institutions and individuals to drive socioeconomic development and to foster peaceful coexistence in Tangale land.
Let me end this speech with an historical observation. From the defunct Bauchi State to the current Gombe State, the Tangale people have always been in the forefront of developing others through education, civil service, farming, cultural development, science, and technology. The only thing the Tangale people have failed to do is to chart their own collective future and pursue it just as other people are doing for themselves. *Those days of “wuton la babba” are over!* Charity begins at home. We the Tangale people will from now henceforth put Tangale first in all that we do. If nothing, the Mai Tangle stool conundrum of early 2021 has taught us that there are people who intend to take over our God-given traditional institutions; destroy our cultural values, norms, and traditions; stall the development of our land; deny our people their basic rights to free speech, freedom of association, and fair hearing in the court of law.
The night is over! It is a new down for Tangale land. We can see hope rising in the horizon. Our ancestors have adjusted their positions in their graves, Ballin is nodding her head, our elders have awakened from their slumber, our mothers have moved their wrappers up to their chests, the young people are rising to their feet, and our children are looking up to us. Posterity is begging us to make it proud. The Mighty Tangale is awake. And with God by our side we shall overcome! Tangale is rising again; never to go down. The engine room of the Jewel of the Savannah has been reignited.
In his 1961 inaugural address, President J.F. Kennedy of the United States of America told Americans, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” We call upon all the sons and daughters of Tangale to join in this awakening. Be a part of this spiritual rejuvenation, identify with this cultural renaissance, and contribute to the Tangale economic revitalization. “Bol petugo; Tangle ya dubyo; nun nun illei illuji.” Let us join hands together to rebuild our nation. Like Israel in the days of Nehemiah, let us build with tools in one and with resources of self defence in another. While we pray and plan in the night, we must also arise in the morning to work hard and to help each other. Let us work tirelessly to create opportunities for our youth, empower our women, defend our land, and celebrate our rich cultural heritage. The future of our children and of our children’s children depends on what we do today. We do not wait for the future, we create the future.
We call on our local politicians to always put the Tangale nation over their political ambition, to replace political expediency with sacrificial leadership, to put the people over party, and above all, to put God first in all things. We implore the clergy and our traditional leaders to work towards uniting our people; to preach peace, love, justice, and truth; but never to sacrifice truth and justice on the altar of peace and love. Our bond of unity must spring from the fountain of truth and justice. Neither politics nor religion; neither poverty nor riches; neither foreign enemies nor inside traitors shall separate us from the love we have for one another. Nothing can break the cords of history, genetics, and traditions that unite us. Whether we are Christians or Muslims, or we practice the Tangale traditional religion; we are one people, indivisible, unbreakable, and unshakable. Tangale is a tamarind tree that cannot be uprooted, because it was planted by God himself. Tangale is a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. Tangale is a guiding light that cannot be extinguished.
These efforts to unite and develop our community are not born out of ethnic or political cynicism. Rather, they are a product of our shared patriotism, our cherished unity, and our resolve for a collective future. This is a future that we want to build for our children and our children’s children: that they will grow up in a better, safer, freer, peaceful, and prosperous Tangale land. A better future for Tangale is possible.
May God bless TCO
May God bless Tangale land
Ma ya Lai Yesu tom!
Yambu Wokku Tangale
Andele Tadi
President, TCO
