Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), a platform set up by President Barack Obama of United States (U.S.), has selected two former CAMPUSLIFE reporters as ambassadors.
Hameed Muritala, who graduated from Mass Communication Department of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), and Reuben Agu, a graduate of Biotechnology at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), were part of 105 African youths selected from eight West African countries to participate in the just-concluded five-week YALI leadership training programme held at Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in Accra.
At the graduation ceremony where the participants were certified as YALI ambassadors, Dr Victor Osei, YALI’s Director of Regional Leadership Centre (RLC) for West Africa, advised them to initiate developmental programmes and take actions that would contribute to the growth of their immediate environment and the continent.
Reuben currently works as a Biotechnologist at the Department of Genetics and Biotechnology of the University of Calabar (UNICAL).
Hameed, a media practitioner, is working on climate justice advocacy, which entails educating rural dwellers on the impacts and solutions to climate change.
Speaking on the achievement, Hameed said he felt highly-motivated and inspired, given the skills and knowledge he acquired at the YALI leadership training. He promised to continue to make impacts in his community and transfer the knowledge to his fellow youths.
Reuben, who received Cross River State Governor’s award for community development projects he initiated as Corps member, is the founder of Reuben Agu Foundation, a non-profit organisation that promotes community development and empowerment.
YALI is a signature programme of President Obama aimed at investing in the next generation of African leaders by equipping and empowering them with the right leadership training to reposition Africa.
Participants were trained in Business and Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership and Public Management. Thirty-five Nigerians participated in the programme; they were selected out of 9,000 applications received from West Africa.