The African Leadership Institute (AfLI), a not-for-profit network, was established in 2003, following two years of planning, with some seed funding by Novartis International AG. The primary focus of AfLI is to build the capacity and capability for visionary and strategic leadership across Africa, especially among the promising leaders of the future. It is AfLI’s belief that without good leadership across the various levels and sectors of the continent, all the other excellent initiatives in Africa will be stifled. Investment in good leadership thus has an enormous return in terms of future social, economic, political, technological and environmental benefits.

 If you would like to make a donation to the African Leadership Institute, you can now donate on line by selecting the following link [click here]

 

Announcement of the 2009 Archbishop Tutu Fellows

The call for nominations of candidates for the prestigious Archbishop Tutu Fellowships resulted in 150 nominations from 20 different countries in Africa for the 23 places on offer. The award of the Fellowship secures the candidate a place on the Archbishop Tutu Leadership Programme, which is run by the African Leadership Institute in partnership with Said Business School, Oxford University.

Competition for the 2009 Fellowships was again intense, and all candidates were of an exceptionally high calibre. Condition for acceptance of nominations is that the candidate must already have demonstrated, by their actions and achievements and the values and principles by which they conduct their affairs, their potential to be a leader.  They must be between 25 and 39 years of age, and show they have the characteristics required to be a successful leader in Africa. Candidates can come from any sector of society – business, government or civil society.

The 2009 Archbishop Tutu Fellows are (in alphabetical order): 

Name	Country	Bio
Lakhsman Bheenik	Mauritius	Head of Global Markets Division, Standard Bank, Mauritius. Winner of the Kwezi Khulu Award by Standard Bank in 2007, for excellence in performance
Elinor Chemonges	Uganda	National Coordinator Paralegal Advisory Services in Uganda; Rhodes Scholar, Member of the Board of Action for Children
Cephas Chikande	Zimbabwe	Medical Doctor. Healthcare & Management Consultant. Has worked extensively in the area of HIV/AIDS, Human Rights & Health
Paulino Dias	Cape Verde	Executive Director & Board Member of Caixa Economica de Cabo Verde, the country's second largest bank
Dominic Dimbo	Kenya	Finance Manager GlaxoSmithkline East Africa, who have won first prize in Kenya's Financial Reporting Awards
Kumbirayi Gaza	Zimbabwe	Engineering Superintendent of Rio Tinto's Murowa diamond mine and processing centre
Geci Karuri-Sebina	Kenya/South Africa	Specialist Advisor to Neighbourhood Development Programme in SA Government Treasury; Director of SA node of the Millenium Project
Mapule Kgomongoe	South Africa	Scientist, researcher and management consultant with considerable experience of large sacle complex business consulting with Accenture
Samson Kironde	Uganda	PhD in Epidemiology from Oxford University; Rhodes Scholar; Chief of Party for Ugandan Programme for Human & Holistic Development, the largest USAID project in sub-Saharan Africa
Akeem Lawal	Nigeria	Technical Director InterSwitch, a company providing payment switching network services to banks and companies in several countries in Africa. Electrical & Electronics Engineer
Julie Makani	Tanzania	Senior lecturer in haemotology & blood transfusion; global expert on research in Sickle Cell Disease and its link to malaria
Susan Mashibe	Tanzania	Founder, CEO of Tanzanite Jet Centre, providing logistical support to private jets in East Africa; first qualified female commercial pilot and maintenance engineer in Tanzania
Nehemia Mchechu	Tanzania	CEO Commercial Bank of Africa Tanzania, which he has turned around from loss making to 100% growth year on year
Theo Mothoa	South Africa	Medical Doctor, Strategic Funding Manager Roche Products striving to ensure improved access to healthcare in Africa
James Mwangi	Kenya	Partner Dalberg Global Development Advisors, consulting on strategic challenges related to sustainable development and economic transformation. Founder & Leader of the Africa office based in Johannesburg
Andrew Mwenda	Uganda	Founding Managing Editor of The Independent, a current affairs newsmagazine. Winner of International Press Freedom Award. WEF Young Global Leader
Abimbola Pariola	South Africa	Architect; property developer in Commercial Office of Investec; project manager for major reconstruction of Investec's head office in Johannesburg; motivational speaker
Robin Perks	South Africa	CEO of Personnel Recruitment company; on the Board of a number of businesses and social entrepreneurial organisations, and active in not for profit initiatives
Sa'ida Sa'ad	Nigeria	Lawyer, political & social activist. Candidate for the Nigerian National Assembly for the Congress Action Party; Nigerian Captain of the Women's Democracy project
Hazel Shelton	South Africa	Attorney of the High Court of SA, Founder & Director of Ashira; has represented South Africa on several legal related issues in the international arena, including on various United Nations entities
Madjiguene Sock	Senegal	Founder & Managing Director of FocusAfrica, management consulting firm advising on development issues in several West African countries
Lai Yahaya	Nigeria	Lawyer and Consultant; Senior Policy Advisor Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility; Special Advisor to Nigerian Minister of Power

The 2009 Archbishop Tutu Fellowships are sponsored by (in alphabetical order);  GlaxoSmithKline, Interswitch, Investec, Rio Tinto, Roche and Standard Bank, to whom we are very grateful.

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Young African Leaders Conference and Awards

Launch of the Young African Leaders Awards by President Karume of Zanzibar on behalf of the Chairman of the African Union, His Excellency Jakaya Kikwete, who had been called away to an emergency meeting of SADC. Aidan Eyakuze (2006 Tutu Fellow) was Master of Ceremonies, and Sean Lance, Chairman of the African Leadership Institute (second from the left at the table) gave the opening address

For more information on the Young African Leaders Conference and Awards see the Young African Leaders Awards page in the project section.

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February 10, 2008
An Open Letter to Africa's Current and Future Leaders from the 2007 Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellows

“This continent has suffered too much.… We need the assistance and commitment of … young leaders to continue to speak up on behalf of the poor and the marginalized, and seek a better life for all”
– Archbishop Desmond Tutu, April 2007

From Angola to Zimbabwe, questions abound about Africa’s present state. All capitals listed between Abidjan to Zanzibar, are not new to the rising voices of Africa’s sons and daughters who wish to know the fate of their land. Some express this concern through silent hope, others through evident fear, and many others look in no other direction than that of their leaders – those we have come to know as the captains of the ship of the state. Others even argue that Africa’s answers remain with future leaders, and not today’s. But there has been a crisis of leadership in Africa. The hopes and dreams of the citizens of this continent have been dashed by our post colonial leaders – from the heroes of the liberation struggles through to the leaders of opposition parties that subsequently emerged.

The citizens of Africa deserve a brighter future, and that begins with visionary leaders who can answer the challenges that Africa faces as part of a global community in the 21st century. Recent events across the continent are cause for serious concern: from the crisis of corruption in Nigeria, the political tensions in South Africa leading to the 2009 election, or the political crisis in Kenya which is turning a once prosperous country into one that is marred by bloodshed and ethnic tensions. The ongoing conflict in Sudan, the current crisis in Chad, or the socio-political and economic meltdown obtaining in Zimbabwe have all caused great instability in the lives of millions of Africans across the continent.

We do not seek to play the usual game of just listing the problems but join our voices to that of over 920 million Africans to demand fair play in political processes. Though all of our democracies are young we expect our leaders to be men and women of excellence who respect the electoral process and as such the wishes of the people. As young people in Africa who are leaders in politics, business, health and information technology, we stand together and re-commit ourselves to the ideals of true leadership, and we make the following recommendations:

(a) The establishment of a high-level African Union led campaign to fight tribalism and inequality in all its forms across the continent. Each country should establish a Commission Against Tribalism and Inequality (CATI) to fight the scourges, and to protect vulnerable minority groups. CATI should bring politicians using ethnic manipulations to perpetrate violence to justice and stop them from participating in future political contests;
(b) Political leaders must be servant leaders and use their power and influence as a tool for socio-economic change rather than oppression and fuelling personal greed;
(c) The establishment and strengthening of relevant institutions (judiciary, electoral commissions, etc) that ensure independence of the Electoral Regulatory Authorities in each country; and the establishment of an AU Electoral monitoring body which monitors election and has a clear, well defined set of guidelines which it uses to determine if the process is free or fair;
(d) The rediscovery of our true identity as Africans, to embrace and inculcate the moral base of honesty, love, peace and integrity. We believe that people of integrity would not allow a beautiful, socially and economically stable country like Kenya to collapse into political disarray;
(e) The strengthening of our national economies, and systems to ensure the provision of adequate health care, education and other social services that will equip all Africans to partake in a better future.
As young leaders in our own various spheres of influence, we as the 2007 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellows(1) find silence at this critical moment inconvenient. We believe that silence and inaction in the face of yesterday’s challenges are responsible for the anomalies we see across the continent today. We lend our voices to the call for African leaders – today, and in the future – to consider the common good over personal fears or greed. We are proud of those who have shown us that leadership is about service and call on all other leaders to remain true to the spirit of purposeful leadership.

Signed: 2007 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellows [Brilliant Mhlanga (Zimbabwe), Dan Kidega (Uganda), Ed Mabaya (Zimbabwe), Erik Charas (Mozambique), ‘Gbenga Sesan (Nigeria), Grace Ofem (Nigeria), Hassan Usman (Nigeria), Herine Otieno (Kenya), Ipeleng Mkhari (South Africa), Lisa Kropman (South Africa), Mezuo Nwuneli (Nigeria), Niven Postma (South Africa), Saida Ali (Kenya), Takalani Musekwa (South Africa), Tariro Makadzange (Zimbabwe), Terence Sibiya (South Africa), Tracey Webster (South Africa), Yohannes Mezgebe (Ethiopia), Yolan Friedmann (South Africa)]

(1) Each year, 20 high potential individuals from across sub-Saharan Africa are awarded the prestigious Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellowship, following a rigorous competitive selection process. The Awards are aimed at the cream of the continent’s future leaders, specifically targeting the next generation of Africa’s leaders in all sectors of society, between the ages of 25 and 39. The fellowship program is coordinated by African Leadership Institute, and it includes a training program coordinated by the SAID Business School at Oxford University. For more information about the Fellowship, please visit www.alinstitute.org.