The United States (US) Mission in Nigeria has stated that Africa’s future rests in the hands of extraordinary young leaders who are committed to pursuing and achieving their dreams.
US Consul General, Will Stevens, said this in Lagos at the weekend during a reunion conference and welcome reception for the 2022 Mandela Washington Fellowship (MWF) who participated in a six-week leadership programme, studying business, civic engagement or public management at US colleges and universities in which 55 young Nigerians participated.
He said, “The US government is committed to supporting extraordinary young leaders to achieve their dreams, and it is remarkable to see that the Mandela Washington Fellowship programme is impacting communities through the outstanding and inspiring contributions of more than 24,000 alumni.”
He noted that the outstanding contributions of some YALI alumni such as Grace Jerry, founder of the Inclusive Friends Association; Nkem Okocha, founder of the MamaMoni Empowerment Foundation; and Orondaam Otto, founder of Slum2School Africa, had helped improve the lives of visually challenged persons, women and disadvantaged children in remote communities.
The consul general urged the new fellows to continue working on critical issues that would impact the lives of fellow Nigerians – which include promoting entrepreneurship and education, supporting democratic governance and building a strong civil society.
