By Alfred Kollie, alfredkolliejr92@gmail.com
The Young African Leadership Development Institute (YALDI) has graduated over hundred young leaders in basic leadership training across Africa.
YALDI is an online learning platform that affords young leaders in Africa the opportunity to learn basic leadership skills that will transform their communities, Countries and Africa at large. The graduation was held over the weekend.
A nongovernmental Organization, YALDI established to breed young Africans for effective leadership on the continent as it vision and dream.
The three weeks intensive online training brought together participants from thirteen African countries including Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Nigeria, Kenya, South Arica, the Gambia, Uganda, Nigeria, Somalia and Tanzanian among others with speakers from across Africa.
Among the numbers Liberia has the highest number of participants with one hundred and seventy five persons completing the studies successfully.
Speaking at Cohort one graduation exercises in Paynesville City, the Executive Director of the Young African Leadership Development Institute Ambassador Dr. Clarence H. Cole urged young leaders to put in to practice the leadership skills and knowledge attained in transforming Africa.
According to Ambassador Cole, the current leadership in Africa cannot be change due to their current ages as leaders as such new and younger leaders must be trained to take on leadership on the continent of Africa.
“It is our vision to breed young leaders in to effective leadership in Africa, it was against this backdrop that we established the Young African Leadership Development Institute, the Young Leaders of Africa Network to help train effective leaders,” he said.
Ambassador Cole noted that in order to get effective leadership, Africa cannot continue to deal with the current or individuals who are already old and in positions.
‘’Africa problem has not been the lack of resources; Africa problem has never been the lack of man power and will never be the lack of man power. Africa problem has never been the lack of leadership but Africa problem has been the issue of lack effective leadership,’’ he observed.
The young Liberian Executive Director explained that the first cohort one graduation will serve as the foundation and the beginning of producing great leaders in Africa and the World over.
Meanwhile, the participants thanked the School Executive Director and the board for such a powerful and impactful initiative on the continent of Africa.
According to them, the initiative will help transform and prepare young people in the area of leadership for the betterment of Africa.
They however, promised to make positive use of the knowledge by changing the style of leadership of their Organizations, Communities, Country and Africa.
The graduation ceremony, which was held in Paynesville City outside Monrovia, took place in all of the thirteen participating countries simultaneously.