Blog

Through my advocacy for young women to be involved in politics, I realised the issues young girls and young women face are not mutually exclusive; they are interwoven and linked at every turn. For example, a lack of access to quality education or gender-based violence impacts young women’s involvement and leadership in climate change, politics, business and other critical sectors of national development. It also enhances how these young women are seen in international and national development efforts, and whether or not they will be recognised as a critical and powerful force for change. It is inspiring to witness the increasing number of women entering various fields, such as technology, business, entertainment, and politics. However, it is disheartening to acknowledge that despite this progress, the younger generation of women often faces double discrimination – not only due to their gender but also due to their age. Through my journey, I have engaged powerful young women as co-creators and advocates in eradicating gender-based violence in their university communities; witnessing their passion, dedication, and innovative ideas has shown me their immense capacity to drive long-term, sustainable, and inclusive change.

The U.S. Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria is thrilled to announce the selection of 56 outstanding young Nigerians for the 2024 Mandela Washington Fellowship programme. This year marks the programme’s 10th anniversary, celebrating a decade of investing in Africa’s future leaders. These fellows, chosen through a rigorous selection process, will embark on a six-week journey across the United States from June 19th to August 1st. Their programme will culminate in a Washington D.C. summit where they’ll engage with American leaders from the business, government, and non-profit sectors. Three exceptional fellows will extend their stay for a four-week Professional Development Experience at a U.S. organisation. The Mandela Washington Fellowship, the cornerstone of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), provides a comprehensive programme of academic coursework, leadership training, and invaluable networking opportunities.

In Mid-March, I was ecstatic to discover that I had been chosen for the Mandela Washington Fellowship in Nigeria. To be one of the 54 chosen leaders out of 20,000 applications in my country is no mean feat. My next point of excitement was finding out I had been chosen to be placed at the Presidential Precinct; a truly visionary organization which really creates the best leaders. Not just intellectually but morally. I came into the program, doubtful, unsure, and sometimes unaware of the power I held to create change. However I left empowered, powerful and confident that I had an ecosystem of leaders and community changers supporting my journey to truly impact the world.

The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.Martin Luther King. I said this quote when I and my fellow YALI colleagues were able to jump on a podcast and talk about – Constitution Building Across Continents. During the Mandela Washington Fellowship, we had the opportunity to be at the Montpelier Foundation for a 3-day rigorous simulation and classes on constitutionalism. It is an intellectually enriching conversation, and I do hope you can listen and share.