Njema Afrika Siku

The Africa Social Work and Development Network (ASWDNet) wishes you a happy Africa Day. Africa Day was started in 1963, initially as Africa Freedom Day and Africa Liberation Day. Our message to you on this important day is short and simple, we say keep doing the good things you are doing for the continent and its future generations. Remember to do something on Africa Day.

See Africa Day timeline below, if you have more time to read. If you still have more time, the website of the AU has more details and events.

Year/Date	Event
1958, 15 April	First Congress of Independent African States held in Accra, Ghana. Attended by Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, and Tunisia. African Freedom Day declared.
1959–1963	African Freedom/Liberation Day observed across newly independent African states (e.g. Guinea, Nigeria, Cameroon) and in diaspora communities in the UK, USA, Caribbean, and Brazil.
1963, 25 May	32 independent African nations—Algeria, Benin (then Dahomey), Burkina Faso (then Upper Volta), Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa (then Zaire), Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania (then Tanganyika), Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Egypt, and Malawi (then Nyasaland)—founded the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
1963–2001	Africa Day celebrated annually in member states and diasporic spaces to promote unity, anti-colonial solidarity, and pan-African progress.
2002, 9 July	OAU transformed into the African Union (AU) in Durban, South Africa, with 55 member states.
2002–present	Africa Day marked continent-wide and globally, with AU themes such as Agenda 2063, peace, climate action, and youth empowerment.
2025, 25 May	62nd anniversary of the founding of the OAU/AU celebrated in all AU member states and in diaspora centres.