RAYLF Celebrates Fourth Year, Honours 100 Exceptional Young Individuals from 39 African Countries

Iyke Bede

The Royal African Young Leadership Forum (RAYLF) is celebrating its fourth year by recognising and honouring 100 exceptional young individuals from 39 African countries.

These honourees have made significant contributions in various areas such as governance and leadership, innovation and technology, entrepreneurship and empowerment, creative culture, and academic excellence in their respective communities and beyond.

Themed ‘Africa of the Future – Better Together’, the week-long event kicked off in Nigeria (Lagos, Ogun, and Osun states) on Tuesday and will end on Sunday. To familiarise its members with its scope and vision, various programmes were created to offer a dynamic experience that will inspire its members to chart new inspiring courses in their respective fields.

The itinerary will include cultural and educational tours in Ile-Ife, and courtesy visits to various state houses in Lagos, Ogun, and Osun states that will provide members with a rare opportunity to meet and share ideas with state governors. There will also be an additional visit to Nigeria’s first democratically elected president post-autocratic rule, Olusegun Obasanjo, at his residence.

“My greatest joy is the success story that RAYLF has produced in the last five years,” said His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, in an enthusiastic tone.

He continued, “Their success is resounding in so many sectors. We have challenged young minds that they can do it; that they can go all the way out to make an indelible mark in governance, in the corporate world, in the organised sector. All we need to do is redefine things and put things into perspective.”

To deepen the drive for commerce, entrepreneurial advancements, public engagement, and governance leveraging technological advancements, various initiatives have been launched to support these key areas for sustainable development. The event is set to unveil the WIBN WOMB project fund with SMEDAN.

“For us, RAYLF in 2024 is to consider how the continent can improve for each and every one of us. Another project that will emerge from the forum is the Royal African Chamber of Commerce (RACC), which will bring about ‘African Leopards’. African Leopards are the ones to turn around things both in the private and public sectors. What we are doing is to create a very formidable platform out of Africa,” Ogunwusi concluded.