Participants of the YALI Regional Leadership Center West Africa-Accra’s Ghana Cohort 13 have been urged to impact their communities, countries and Africa. The 116 participants, drawn from nine countries within the sub region, were encouraged to give back to their countries and continent the best they will receive from their three-week on-site training at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). The YALI West Africa Regional Coordinator at USAID West Africa, Mr. Pape Moumar Sow, made this call during the opening ceremony of the YALI Accra RLC Ghana Cohort 13 in Accra. Mr. Sow encouraged participants to treasure the resources placed at their disposal by the initiative’s main partner, USAID, stressing that this was a call for participants to equally devote their time to harnessing their leadership potentials during and after receiving YALI training.
The Project Director of the YALI Regional Leadership Center West Africa-Accra, Dr. Mrs. Shola Safo-Duodu, welcomed participants to the three-week in-person workshop, acknowledging the commitment of all participants throughout the initial two-week online training component of the program. In all, over 14,000 young Africans attempted applying for the program during the application period, with some 4,600 completing the process. Out of this number, a total of 135 applicants were enrolled onto the mandatory online training, from which 116 participants completed and duly qualified for the on-site training.
Dr. Mrs. Shola Safo-Duodu extolled the achievements of the Emerging Young Leaders initiative in the fourth year of implementation, stressing on the initiative’s training of some 4,416 young Africans till date. The Project Director encouraged participants to remain focused, and network with others from different countries to collectively find solutions to Africa’s developmental challenges.
The Deputy Rector of GIMPA, Prof. Philip Duku Osei, in his remarks, welcomed Ghana Cohort 13 participants to GIMPA adding that it has always been a pleasure for GIMPA to host Africa’s finest brains as part of their preparations towards their leadership journey.
Participants from all nine participating countries then showcased the rich culture of their respective countries through poetry recitals, traditional and contemporary dance performances. Ghana Cohort 13 is the 28th Cohort organized by the YALI Regional Leadership Center West Africa-Accra. The three-week onsite training is also the last to be organized during the initiative’s Phase One, which ends in April, 2019.
