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Youth Leadership
Development Programme

Our goal is to equip, empower and support young change leaders from across tertiary institutions in Nigeria with the skills, knowledge and resources to enable them to become self-leaders who will lend their voice towards national development issues and drive sustainable social change.

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Background

More than 70 percent of Nigeria’s population is made up of young people, with estimations of continuous growth in the next few decades. Given this significant number, it is evident that the future of Nigeria is linked to having an informed, skilled, and socially responsible youthful population.

In Nigeria, past events such as the ENDSARS protest in 2020, attested to the ability of young people to utilize their agency and power to effect positive change, as Nigerian youths took charge of the protest to advocate for the Nigeria they want.

It became apparent that young people, when given the right tools and resources could influence important decisions and policies. Learning from the protest, it is important to raise a community of young people who are fully equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to take on more active roles in politics and governance processes and to be change leaders in Nigeria especially as we approach the election year.

About The Youth Leadership Development Programme

The Youth Leadership Development Programme is designed to empower, equip, and support young change leaders who are Nigerian undergraduates under the age of 30, by providing them with the knowledge, abilities, and supportive environment needed for them to become self-leaders who bring long-lasting change to their communities.

The Youth Leadership Programme has never been more pertinent to the present problems being experienced in Africa today, especially those bordering on leadership, active citizenship, and sustainable development, as we approach an election year.

Through the Youth Leadership Programme, youth leadership and activism in Nigeria will be strengthened and enabled through outcomes-driven policy engagements and inclusive resourcing that help youth shape the country’s future long-term development plans.

our pillars

  • Leadership
  • Active Citizenship
  • Sustainable/Community Development

Programme Components

Virtual Training on our Learning Management System (LMS)

Participants are onboarded onto the LMS to gain access to the modules. The modules are developed under the three pillars of the Youth Leadership Programme; Leadership, Active Citizenship, and Sustainable/Community Development. Participants have 5 weeks to complete the modules.

Virtual Community of Practice

Participants are incorporated into a virtual community of practice, an online community where learning materials, programme updates, and other opportunities for development are exchanged. Collaboration and information exchange are promoted here.

Change Project Pitching Sessions, Mentorship and Implementation

The participants will be encouraged to form teams of 3-5 persons who will pitch their proposals for community change projects that tackle social issues. 100 successful teams will be selected to receive funding/subgrants and will also be paired with mentors to further aid their development and influence the excellent implementation of their projects.

Leadership Debates

Participants who choose to take part in the debates will also be asked to form teams and submit video entries for the debate competition. The competition will take place in 5 rounds which are: Elimination round 1&2, quarter finals, semi-finals and finals. To further prepare them for the competition, participants will be taught policy accelerator courses by expert professionals, and the goal of this is to build their debating skills and boost their knowledge of civic participation.

Youth Leadership Conference

The Youth Leadership Programme will conclude with a physical Debate National Finale and Awards Ceremony. This will be an opportunity to reward participants/teams and institutions for their work over the course of five months.

Programme Pathways

The Youth Leadership Development Programme will take on two pathways this year; the Sustainability pathway and the Advocacy pathway.

The Youth Leadership Programme (Sustainability Pathway)

The Youth Leadership Programme (Sustainability Pathway) addresses the need to educate, strengthen, support, and enable young people in Nigeria for leadership, activism, and social change through outcome-driven policy engagements and inclusive resourcing that will support youth in shaping and supporting medium and long-term national development.

Participants in the sustainability pathway consist of teams of 5-10 people from the same tertiary institution who will carry out community change projects focused on the following thematic areas:

  • Technology, innovation & entrepreneurship.
  • Human capital development
  • Sustainable development and infrastructure
  • Facilitating good governance
  • Resolving fundamental national questions, such as patriotism, unity, peace, integrity etc.

60 teams will be selected to receive funding/subgrants and will also be paired with mentors to further aid their development and influence the excellent implementation of their projects.

Intercampus Leadership Debates (Advocacy Pathway)

This provides an avenue to reawaken student activism in Nigeria, demystify what leadership means, inspire active citizenship, and support them in collectively articulating their visions of the future while catalyzing pathways for them to decisively participate in that future themselves. This will be done through nationwide leadership debates.

Participants who choose to take part in the debates will also be asked to form teams and submit video entries for the debate competition.

The competition will take place in 5 rounds which are: Elimination round 1&2, quarter finals, semi-finals and finals. To further prepare them for the competition, participants will be taught policy accelerator courses by expert professionals, and the goal of this is to build their debating skills and boost their knowledge of civic participation.

Teams who make it to the semi finals will be assigned coaches who will support their holistic development, build their leadership skills and provide feedback on presentations and debates.

In addition, teams that proceed to the finals will be hosted in a one-day physical residential boot camp where they will be provided intensive training on critical thinking and public speaking, and provided coaching support in preparing for the finals.

YLDP Testimonials

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YLDP Thematic Areas

  • Technology, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
  • Human Capital Development
  • Sustainable Development And Infrastructure
  • Facilitating Good Governance
  • Resolving Fundamental National Questions, Such As Patriotism, Unity, Peace, Integrity, Etc.

Success Stories

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Improving The Health and Wellbeing of Rural Women

A group of students in Kano State, Nigeria developed an initiative that addressed the overall health and wellbeing of women in rural communities in Kano state.

They did this by education and sensitizing the women on appropriate health practices for themselves and their families.

They also taught them how to grow vegetables in their backyard to improve their standard of living, increase the sustainability of household finances and propagate sustainable development goals 1 (No poverty), 2 (zero hunger) , 3 (Good health and well being) and 17 (partnership for the goals).

This project trained 215 women in total.

Team Agrofix
2021/2022 YLP Change Project Team

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Promoting Youth Enthusiasm and Participation in the Forthcoming Elections

Team Register 9JA, a team of 5 people in Benin city, Edo state, Nigeria took part in a project that aimed to promote youth enthusiasm and participation in the forthcoming elections by ensuring that over 100 youths register for their PVCs online, go for their biometrics and capturing.

The team took part in online campaigns and physical rallies and were able to reach over 1200 young people and educate them on the importance of registering for their PVCs and voting in the elections.

Team Register 9JA
2021/2022 YLP Change Project Team

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Mind Shift: From Cyber Crimes to Digital Skills

Team I-Inspire in Edo State, Nigeria, as the name implies, designed a project aimed to educate young secondary school students on the dangers of cyber crimes on society and on them as individuals while empowering them with hands-on skills required to thrive in the digital world.

The team aimed to enlighten the students on the disadvantages of cyber crimes as well as the implications of this.

They also taught them about the vast array of digital skills available and the career choices available to explore. They inspired the students by sharing personal stories with them on the need to be tech savvy in the world today, and finally, they empowered some selected students by carrying out basic digital skills training with them.

The team partnered with EDOJOBS which is a digital skills development agency in Edo State and at the end of the project, 700 students were sensitized across 3 schools and 80 students were trained.

Team I-Inspire
2021/2022 YLP Change Project Team

Leap Africa Debating for Change

Debating for Change: From Novice to Advocacy Champion!

In his interview, Igbinosa Samuel Etinosa, a participant in the advocacy track, expressed how the debate proved to be a transformative experience for him. It’s important to note that he did not possess any official prior debate experience. He conveyed that the programme equipped him with the necessary skills and knowledge, empowering him to engage actively as a responsible citizen within his community. For this debater, the journey was a dynamic blend of personal interests and challenges, contributing to his overall growth and preparedness for civic participation.

Highlights of his experience included successfully qualifying for the debate, advancing to the quarter-finals, and the opportunity to travel for the competition. He also highlighted the chance to network and connect with like-minded individuals passionate about driving positive social change. The coaching sessions and the accelerator courses were a significant highlight of the programme for him. He found these sessions instrumental and beneficial in enhancing his debate performance. Samuel’s experience was marked by personal growth, skill development, and the excitement of participating in a challenging debate that inspired the debater to excel. Furthermore, he shared that he intends to carry on with his new advocacy skills within his community and feels confident in bringing social change.
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SpongeBob and Pals: Saving Ilorin from Plastic Pollution

Ifeoluwa Dada, leading the Eco Champions team at the University of Ilorin, successfully executed their project to combat plastic pollution on campus. Their innovative approach involved installing two character-themed recycling bins strategically positioned to encourage students to dispose of plastic bottles responsibly, ultimately mitigating plastic pollution in nearby water bodies and pathways within the campus.

Notable figures, including the Dean of Student Affairs, the Director of Works, and the Student Union President of the institution, attended the inauguration of these Character Bins. The project team described their experience on this project as positive, engaging, and full of challenges. They expressed their gratitude to LEAP Africa for initiating such a programme for young individuals, as it shed light on various community issues and inspired them to drive positive change to address these challenges. Their project benefitted a substantial number of students, reaching up to 5,000 individuals within the university. Regarding sustainability, a direct plan was established in collaboration with school authorities to ensure the periodic maintenance of the recycling bins. .

Our Impact

YLDP 2021 - 2023 at a Glance
Partners
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Geo-Political Zones in Nigeria
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Tertiary Institutions
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Participants Enrolled
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Male
0 %
Female
0 %
Persons Living with Disabilities
0 %
Indirect beneficiaries through change projects
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Teams supported to carry out change projects
0
Modules on Leadership, Active Citizenship & Sustainable Development
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Teams on the Advocacy Track Trained
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Mentors and Coaches Engaged
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Debate Finales in Collaboration with The Platform Nigeria
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