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The Africa-Irish Development Initiative (AIDI) CLG Limited is the organisation behind Black History Month Ireland. From a pilot begun in Cork in 2008, AIDI made Ireland the fourth country in the world to officially celebrate Black History Month in 2014. Today AIDI runs cultural diplomacy, heritage craft, youth leadership and social enterprise programmes, including the Erasmus+ UnityStream learning stream across four countries.

The Africa-Irish Development Initiative (AIDI) CLG Limited is the Irish-registered organisation behind Black History Month Ireland (BHMI). Initiated in Cork in 2008 by founder Zephrynus Okechi Ikeh and developed through a community pilot in 2010, BHMI was officially launched on 4 October 2014 by the European Commission Representation Office in Ireland and the African Diplomatic Corps in Ireland — making Ireland the fourth country in the world to officially celebrate Black History Month, after the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Each October, AIDI coordinates a national programme of musical and cultural performances, university lectures, religious services, African art and craft, film, food and fashion. Through the Erasmus+ UnityStream programme (2025–2026), AIDI also leads a four-country learning stream with modules in Dublin, Rome, Tokat and Curtea de Argeș. AIDI's guiding principle: not to count differences — but to let the differences count.

Key facts

Initiated

Cork, 2008 — pilot programme 2010

Official launch

4 October 2014, Dublin — 4th country worldwide

Launched by

European Commission Representation Office in Ireland & the African Diplomatic Corps in Ireland

Founder

Zephrynus Okechi Ikeh

Chairperson

Immaculata Ndey

Flagship

Black History Month Ireland, every October

European programme

UnityStream Erasmus+ (2025–2026): Dublin · Rome · Tokat · Curtea de Argeș