18 Ghanaians participate in Young African Leaders programme

Eighteen young Ghanaians selected out of a total of 3,000, who submitted applications for the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) programme, are to participate in the programme.

Drawn from across the country, those who were selected are already in the United States of America for the six-week programme.

They are Hillarius Asiwome Abiwu, Harriet Yayra Adzofu, Regina Agyare, Johannes Arthur, Lily Asare, Ethel Cofie, Ruka De-Liman, Frank Akowuge, Kwasi Owusu and Araba Hammond.

Others are Oteng Karikari, Williams Kwarah, Laud Boateng, Christiana Okyere, Afua Prempeh, Dziedzorm Segbefia, Moses Tia and Valerie Larbie.

The 18 were selected from 25 applications submitted by the US Embassy in Accra to organisers of the YALI programme.

Focus of programme

The YALI, a flagship programme of the US President, Barack Obama, empowers 500 young people from Africa to acquire leadership skills through academic coursework, leadership training and network to strengthen the democratic institutions, spur economic growth and enhance peace and security in Africa.

According to the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Mrs Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the fellows for the programme were selected based on their demonstration of leadership skills in their various communities and different fields of endeavour.

“Citizens and residents of a sub-Saharan African country, proficient in spoken and written English and between the ages of 25 and 35 were the  basis for an eligible candidate,” she added, in an interview telecast live from the US State Department on Wednesday.

The Assistant Secretary said the youth were attracted by the extremist ideology because they had no other ideology to focus on, which is what the Young African Leaders Initiative   is about.  

“It’s about finding a way to provide for the future of these young people so they’re not attracted to the Boko Harams of the world; they’re vested in the future of their country, they are employed, they’re in successful businesses, they’re educated, and then they are less attracted to extremism,” she said.

Details of programme

She explained that the Washington Fellows would participate in a six-week academic programme in 20 United States universities, which would include courses at Business and Entrepreneurship Institutes, Civic Leadership Institutes and Public Management Institutes.

Mrs Thomas-Greenfield said there would be a Presidential Summit from July 28-30, 2014, in Washington DC, where the fellows would meet President Obama and leaders from the public and private sectors. 

She added that a few of the selected fellows would remain in the US for an additional eight weeks after their university programme, to undertake internship in the public and private sectors.