Six Nigerians have been selected out of 11 finalists for the second edition of the British Council Future Leaders Connect programme.
Mary Dinah, Edwin Oyoma Akpotor, Dolapo Oladayo Olaniyan, David Oluwadiya Ashaolu, Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi, and Yemisi Christiana Fawibe will join other winners around the world from Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Tunisia, the United States and UK in the British Council’s Future Leaders Connect programme, scheduled to take place in the UK in October.
Members of Future Leaders Connect will meet with members of the UK Houses of Parliament. They will also meet with inspiring leaders and policymakers at The Møller Centre, Churchill College Cambridge.
The Future Leaders Connect programme identifies exceptional individuals (aged 18-35) from around the world and builds a long-term network of emerging policy leaders. At the programme, the young leaders are trained on how to develop their policy making expertise and gain the skills to make genuine impact. To participate in the programme, interested future leaders were asked to apply for the programme stating their area of policy interest and their proposed intervention. In this edition, over 9,000 people applied for the programme in Nigeria and 11 finalists were selected by a panel in the United Kingdom (UK) and in Nigeria. The finalists were invited to a pitch event in Lagos to present their policy ideas to a panel of judges and a live audience.
Each finalist gave a five-minute presentation explaining why their policy idea will improve the world, and demonstrates that they had the competence to lead on the desired change.
British Council Director of Higher Education, Skills and Enterprise Adetomi Soyinka, said: “Through Future Leaders Connect programme, we are helping a new generation to understand practical policy development by putting them in contact with the leaders of today and helping them to develop the skills and international
“Contacts they need to make positive change.”