YALI West Africa Cohort Six Commences Leadership Training

Dr. Shola Safo-Duodu speaking and a cross section of YALI Cohort 6 participants

20^th March, 2017. One hundred and twenty participants (120) from nine West African countries have commenced their leadership training at the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Regional Learning Center (RLC) for West Africa in GIMPA. These participants form the sixth cohort of YALI West Africa participants. The opening ceremony took place at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Executive Conference Hall.

In her welcome speech, the Director of YALI West Africa, Shola Safo-Duodu (Ph.D) said: “It is a great pleasure to welcome young leaders from nine West African countries after months of recruitment and careful planning.” She indicated that her goal is to make the RLC, a world-class leadership training institute.

Participants, between ages 18 and 35 years from Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Togo, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Burkina Faso and Cameroon, were selected through a highly transparent and competitive process. They will undergo a 5 week residential innovative leadership training featuring ethics, contemporary Issues Affecting Africa, and three specialization tracks of study namely: Business and Entrepreneurship, Civil Society Leadership, and Public Management. The training will be followed by a 12-week of Mentoring and Internships in their various countries.

Dr. Safo-Duodu thanked partners namely: USAID, the MasterCard Foundation, The Private Enterprise Foundation, Africa 2.0., Microsoft, The DOW Chemical Company, GIMPA and other potential supporters such as Care International, YNG interns Africa, TY Danjuma Foudnation, GLOBACOM, Guinness, Integriti PR and Impact Hub.

She announced on-going efforts at enacting global networking opportunities between YALI West Africa and institutions such as the Harvard Business School and the Saginaw Valley State University.

YALI was launched by former President Barack Obama as a signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders. So far, out of 22,000 applicants, about 300 young African leaders from West Africa have been trained at the RLC and are currently influencing their societies positively with several projects and initiatives.

According to the Head of Corporate Affairs at YALI West Africa (Accra RLC), Mrs. Sefa Gohoho-Boatin: ‘The Centre provides and promotes collaboration and a forward-leaning culture of diversity that entails dreaming and thinking differently to define and realise one’s potential. The three available tracks are inclusive, embracing future leaders regardless of gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, religion or disability.’

Mr. Kojo Williams, Co-Founder, Centre for CSR, West Africa and other YALI West Africa Alumni shared their post-YALI experiences and concluded that the leadership and networking opportunity offered them have broaden their horizon and worldview, helping them to impact society better.

In July 2014, President Obama announced the creation of four YALI Regional Leadership Centres in Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Senegal.

The YALI regional Leadership Centres are a project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in close partnership with the MasterCard Foundation and other local and international partners across Africa.