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U.S. Consulate Supports Mentoring Programme for 125 Young Nigerian Leaders

The Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Association has launched a mentoring programme for 125 Young African Leaders Initiative, YALI, Network members at the American Corner in Ikeja with support from the U.S Consulate General in Lagos.

During the three-month programme, the YALI Network members will gain new skills and knowledge from their mentors who are alumni of the Mandela Washington Fellowship.

Through this initiative, the YALI Network members will gain the skills and resources they need to accelerate their careers and contribute more robustly to strengthening good governance, promoting disability rights, empowering and creating opportunities for women and girls, and protecting the environment.

Delivering remarks at the launch of the programme, President of the Mandela
Washington Fellowship Alumni Association, Nigeria, Ahmed Adetola-Kazeem said the association members were inspired to create the mentoring programme because of challenges they faced pursuing their own career goals.

Adetola-Kazeem praised the participants for joining the programme and thanked the mentors who are volunteering their time to develop the next generation of Nigerian leaders in public management, business and entrepreneurship, and civic leadership.

“Some of the features of this programme include a job and career fair to bolster the impact of the YALI Learns programme. We are hopeful that this initiative will strengthen the synergy between all three branches of the YALI family: Mandela Washington Fellows, YALI Regional Leadership Centre participants, and active members of the online YALI Network,” Adetola-Kazeem said.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship programme of the U.S. Government’s Young African Leaders Initiative.

Established in 2014, the Fellowship has brought nearly 5,100 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa to the United States for academic and leadership training.

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria supports a variety of international exchange programmes each year, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

These people-to-people exchanges are designed to enhance mutual understanding between the United States and other nations. The U.S. Mission in Nigeria is committed to supporting alumni of these programmes by providing resources that will help them to build upon their exchange experience.

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