Servant leadership Explained

“Leadership is behavioral, not positional: the capacity to integrate, innovate and mobilize others to bring a common aspiration to life is what leadership is all about, not holding positions of formal authority.” – Nelson Mandela

The above thought reverberated during a two day leadership workshop titled “Rethinking public service in Nigeria through servant leadership” at the National Agency for the Prohibition of the Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). It was an opportunity for NAPTIP officer and 2018 Mandela Washington Fellow, Lawrenta Igoh, to share insights about leadership acquired while on her fellowship and also in compliance with her agency’s capacity development drive. Lawrenta was on the fellowship’s Public Management tract, where she spent six weeks at Bridgewater State University-Massachusetts, with some leadership sessions at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and Kennedy Centre for African Studies.

My Once in a Lifetime Golden Opportunity

by Anthonia Bisola Abayomi-ojo 

On 23rd march, I got the phone call to congratulate me on my selection as a 2016 Mandela Washington fellow. I must have said thank you more than 10 times. I was totally euphoric.
I had chosen the civic leadership track and my fellowship was at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The first two weeks of the program focused on US culture, leadership skills development, human rights and writing elevator and ignite speeches. I never knew I could summarise my work in 1 minute. For me, this one of the most vital skills I learned.

Week 3 and 4 were on religion, mindful and ethical leadership and business and entrepreneurship. I learned how to make ethical decisions that might not be popular but reflect my integrity.

A University Without Borders

By Edem Dorothy Ossai

Applications for the Mandela Washington Fellowship of the U.S. government has closed.  As we anticipate results enjoy stories from this year’s cohorts on their experience.

The first thing that struck me about Arizona State University was that there were no boundary walls separating the campus from the rest of the community. Right behind the law building stood the very cosmopolitan Sheraton Hotel, next to the impressive Walter Cronkite school of Journalism stood the grand Arizona Science Centre. Also a few blocks from the University student centre stood the tall glass offices of Goldman Sachs and McKinsey. I had never encountered a University without walls or borders and so I had been in the ASU Downtown Campus in Phoenix, Arizona, for well over 10 minutes without realising. It wasn’t until we got to the front of an attractive student dormitory building called Taylor Place, which would be my home for the next 6 weeks that I suddenly understood. At that point I looked at the cab driver and escort with surprise and asked “when did we go through the university gates?”

Preparing young Nigerians for leadership

A year ago, 45 young Nigerians from various parts of the country were selected to participate in President Obama’s first ever Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).  The White House developed this program in recognition of the critical and increasing role that young Africans are playing in strengthening democratic institutions, spurring economic growth, and enhancing peace and security on the continent.  Those selected participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship, a six-week academic and leadership program focused on business and entrepreneurship, civic leadership, and public management at select U.S. universities.

Creating extraordinary pathways; How YALI program changed my life!

“The Washington Fellowship of the Young African Leaders Initiative has come and gone.  For all the participants it was a life changing event.  One of the YALI Fellows here writes about her experience.”

Until I attended the YALI program which commenced on June 14, 2014, I was just an ordinary girl, contributing my little quota to the society and changing the world from my own little corner. Today, I'm still that ordinary girl changing the world and lighting the path for many others but the YALI program has made my pathway an incredible and extraordinary one. I am a lawyer, a community advocate and a founder of two organisations promoting maternal and child health in Nigeria. I am Adepeju Jaiyeoba.

December 2013 was my turning point. I woke up to an email from a friend with the link to the YALI program application portal.I opened it and contemplated filling and submitting, I had my program scheduled for 2014 already, YALI was not on it and I really didn't want to apply. Today, I cannot imagine being anywhere else at this time but on this program!