US to train 100 young Nigerian leaders

The US Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria on Wednesday said 100 young Nigerian leaders would be trained at the 2016 Mandela Washington Fellowship in various American universities.

This is contained in a statement by the Public Affairs Section, US Embassy, on Wednesday in Abuja.

It explained that the Mandela Washington Fellowship was the flagship programme of President Barak Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), which was a key part of US commitment to investing in the future of Africa.

It disclosed that 86 young Nigerians had participated in the fellowship since its inception in 2014, adding that more than 26,000 young professionals in Nigeria had joined the YALI network.

According to the statement, the 2016 Fellowship will train 1,000 young African leaders across three tracks, which include business and entrepreneurship, civic leadership, and public management.

It stated that the programme was a six-week, in-depth academic and leadership training at 20 top American universities.

“Afterwards, the fellows will converge in Washington, D.C., for a Presidential summit, featuring a town hall with Obama,” it stated.

It stated that eligible candidates would be between the ages of 25 and 35, adding that the candidate should have a demonstrated track record of leadership in a public, private, or civic organization.

It stressed that the candidates should have a commitment to contributing their skills and talents to build and serve their communities.

It stated that applications for the fellowship would be made between Oct.1 and Nov. 11, 2015.