The West African Regional Leadership Center organized the event for the headquarters of the Young African Leaders Initiative for 2022 in Lome, Togo.
The theme of the event was ‘Building a stronger Africa, the role of the young leader’, and was attended by the United States Ambassador to Togo, Her Excellency, Elizabeth Fitzsimmons and her spouse, Richard; International Communication Executive, Wofai Samuel; Project Director, YALI RLC West Africa, Dr. Esi Sey; YALI Regional Coordinator United States Agency for International Development, David Kamau; USAID DOCs Specialist, Oswald Kyi; US Embassy Lome Exchange Program Specialist, Josita Ekowevi; YALI West Africa Corporate Affairs and Institutional Advancement Manager, James Anquandah; YALI West Africa Officer for Participant Affairs and Alumni, Patricia Hasford; President of West Africa YALI RLC, among other officials.
Moderator, Wofai Samuel noted, “Africa continues to make positive headlines with economic growth, improved attractiveness for investment, governance and leadership.”
The meeting included more than 100 fellows, all from nine countries in the sub-region, spread across the globe and impacting businesses, communities and countries including Togo, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria.
The US Ambassador to Togo, Fitzsimmons, praised the resilience and creativity shown by young Africans in facing the challenges in their communities and reaffirmed his commitment to support them.
He emphasized the importance of young Africans owning their own narratives and using the training and skills that YALI enables them to shape their communities.
Speaking further on the forum, Wofai said: “I am honored to have been selected as the moderator of this important event for the next leaders who will decide the future of our great region. As a leader who is passionate about Africa, I remain committed to offering the best of my people and my continents and regions. to show their stories.
“This has been an incredible opportunity to interact in real time with young people from nine amazing countries in West Africa. No other platform in this region could have done it better. Thank you to the American people, specifically the State Department, USAID and the Ghana Center, for funding and supporting us to excel in everything we do over the years. who guided us.”
Samuel and Kamau also echoed Vice President Kamala Harris’ statement at the US-Africa Leadership Summit in Washington DC, where she said, “I strongly believe that the creativity and ingenuity of young African leaders will help us shape the future of the world and their ideas , your ideas, innovations and initiatives will benefit the whole world.”
