US Consulate Holds Reunion for Mandela Washington Fellows, Emphasises Knowledge Sharing
Funmi Ogundare
The Public Affairs Section of the US Consulate in Lagos hosted the 2022 Mandela Washington fellows who had completed their fellowship programs at various institutes and universities in the US.
The forum aimed to ensure that they share their fellowship experiences and discuss how to expand and increase the sustainable impact of the fellowship programme in their communities and in Nigeria as a whole.
During the programme, the fellows were able to forge networks that will go a long way in promoting positive changes they are already accomplishing through community service and mentoring young people in the country.
Thepublic affairs officer, Joseph Kruzich, told THISDAY in an interview that aside from sharing experiences, the fellows would be able to utilise the skills and knowledge they acquired in the US to develop Nigeria.
The President of the fellowship alumni association, Ahmed Adetola Kassim, who is of the 2017 cohort and majored in civic leadership at the Presidential Precinct, Virginia, said, “The greatest impact was the lesson of leading leaders and being able to influence your community with other leaders.”
He advised the fellows to stay in touch with the community, adding that since fellows are doing different things in different sectors, such as business and entrepreneurship, public management and civic leadership tracks, they should be able to pull their resources together to scale their impacts further.
The Mandela Washington fellowship was established in 2014 by the US government to empower young African leaders in Sub-Saharan Africa through coursework, leadership training, and networking opportunities. Since its inception, about 511 Nigerians have participated in the programme out of 5,800 young leaders.
