Adapted from Chidoonumah.com.

Amb. Dr. Chibuzo Okereke has been honored with the YALI Spirit of Leadership Award as the Most Interactive Participant and formally conferred with the highest distinction of the Young African Leaders Initiative Regional Leadership Center: The YALI Ambassador.

The recognition was presented by organizers at the prestigious closing ceremony held at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) auditorium, following a rigorous five-week intensive leadership program. Okereke’s representation, participation, excellence, and delivery skills were commended by program directors as an exemplary display of resourceful and visionary leadership.

About the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI)

Launched by former U.S. President Barack Obama in 2014 as a signature effort to invest in the next generation of African leaders, YALI focuses on empowering youth through academic coursework, leadership training, and professional networking.

Statistical imperatives drive the initiative: nearly 1 in 3 Africans are between 10 and 24 years old, and approximately 60% of Africa’s total population is below the age of 35. To address who will shape the future of business, civic leadership, and public policy management, YALI operates three core models:

• The YALI Mandela Washington Fellowship

• The YALI Network

• Regional Leadership Centers (RLCs) across Africa

The Accra Regional Leadership Centre (RLC)—hosted by the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) with ASCON serving as the Nigerian campus—delivers this transformative training. YALI Nigeria Cohort One brought together 150 change-makers from seven West African nations (Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Liberia, and Sierra Leone), organized in partnership with USAID, GIMPA, The MasterCard Foundation, Africa 2.0, University of Notre Dame, Presidential Precinct, Howard University, Lagos Business School, Microsoft, Atlasmara, IBM, and ASCON.

Rigorous Curriculum and Collaborative Case Studies

The intensive five-week curriculum covered a comprehensive spectrum of governance and developmental modules, including:

• Visioning & Leadership Dynamics: Vision and motive for leadership, culture and leadership, leading change, and new venture creation.

• Public Policy & Governance: Public policy cycles, stakeholder management, public finance, resource mobilization, health and policy, gender and diversity, and urbanization.

• Strategic Management & Innovation: Emotional intelligence, effective communication, business model canvases, ethics, morality, and legality.

Participants worked in specialized tracks—Public Policy Management, Civic Leadership, and Entrepreneurship—and collaborated in animal-themed energy groups (Elephants, Lions, and Eagles). They tackled complex strategic challenges, including the famous corruption simulation case study of La Paz, Bolivia from the Harvard Kennedy School and a leadership simulation scaling Mount Everest from Harvard Management School.

Okereke’s Charge to African Youth and Stakeholders

Addressing the press at the conclusion of the summit, Amb. Okereke expressed deep gratitude to President Barack Obama, USAID, the U.S. Embassies in Nigeria and Ghana, the U.S. Department of State, Africa 2.0, YALI-RLC Accra, GIMPA, and ASCON.

Reflecting on the transformation of the cohort, Okereke stated:

“We came into this program five weeks ago as raw materials, but now we have been processed into quality finished products that are ready to be consumed in the educational sector, public policy management, health, politics and governance, business management and entrepreneurship, civic leadership, and all other sectors of our national and continental lives.”

Presenting a take-home document detailing 150 problems and practical solutions engineered by Cohort One participants, Okereke emphasized that African youth have transitioned from passive observers to active problem-solvers. He urged young changemakers across the continent to leverage YALI Regional Leadership Centers to build capacities and access mentorship via yaliwestafrica.org. Furthermore, he called on national governments, regional bodies, the private sector, and international missions to partner with USAID and the U.S. Embassy in expanding capacity-building frameworks for African youth.

Amb. Okereke serves as the Regional Representative (West Africa) for the African Union Chapter (AUC) focusing on African Union Agenda 2063, Founder/Executive Director of Project Hope Alive, and Convener of GreenThumbAfrica.