Nkafu Policy Institute Trains New Generation of Cameroonian Leaders

YAOUNDE, PAV – The fifth edition of the Emerging Leaders Programme, organised by the Nkafu Policy Institute, ended in Yaoundé, with participants urged to turn their leadership potential into practical action in their communities and across Cameroon.

The three-day programme, which ended on Wednesday 9 September, brought together 20 young Cameroonians aged between 18 and 35 from the country’s 10 regions for leadership training, public policy, civic engagement and strategic thinking.

Held under the theme “Vision. Action. Impact.”, the programme sought to move young leaders beyond ideas and equip them with the skills and networks needed to influence policy, strengthen their communities and contribute to national development.

Dr Denis Foretia, co-chair of the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation, told participants that the programme was deliberately designed to challenge their assumptions and expose them to new ideas and experiences. “Our goal has been to take you out of your comfort zone and challenge you with new ideas, different ideas,” Foretia said.

He said the programme had also sought to give participants a deeper understanding of Cameroon by connecting them with experienced leaders and practitioners working in areas they aspire to enter.

Dr Denis Foretia urged the cohort to maintain the relationships formed during the programme, describing networking as one of its fundamental objectives. He encouraged participants to see their cohort as a lifelong network rather than a group whose relationship ends with the closing ceremony.

“Don’t be surprised that 20 years from now, when one of you is President of the Republic, and then you realise that the other is the Foreign Minister,” he said, while imagining the different leadership roles members of the cohort could occupy in future.

The challenge, he added, was to ensure that the relationships built during the programme continued beyond the three days in Yaoundé. “We are all Cameroonians in here. North, South, East, West. We are united,” Foretia said, stressing the importance of maintaining connections across the country’s regions.

Building a new generation of leaders

Muriel Kinkoh, a Research Associate with the Peace and Security Division of the Nkafu Policy Institute and one of the event leads, said the programme had been designed to strengthen capacities that participants were already using in their communities.

She said the 20 participants were selected from across all 10 regions, with many already involved in community initiatives or running small organisations. The training covered leadership and organisational success, integrity, accountability, emotional intelligence, civic engagement and public speaking, alongside practical sessions designed to help participants apply what they had learned.

“We wanted to start on a very high level, giving them the role of leadership in organisational success,” Kinkoh said, describing the feedback from participants as encouraging, with many saying they felt better prepared to return to their communities and expand their work.

For Kinkoh, the networking component was equally important, giving participants an opportunity to establish relationships that could support future collaboration.

‘Be ready for me’

Among those who participated in the Emerging Leaders Programme this year was Serge Angyiba Andigema, a public health scientist and the founder of Bisons’ Scholars Institute of Research and Mentoring.

Andigema said the three days had exposed him to new people and ideas and left him determined to apply the lessons in his community. “My take-home message for my community is that be ready for me. I am coming like a storm, like fire,” he said.

He called for the programme to expand so more young people could benefit from the training. “20 is just a number,” he said, urging potential funders to support the initiative so that future editions could reach a wider group of young people.

Another participant, Grace Nanyongo Molua, a youth leader and founder of ECOAID Association from Fako in the South West region, said the programme had been a long-awaited opportunity to strengthen her leadership capacity.

An environmentalist, Grace said she planned to return to her community and use the knowledge gained during the programme to advance work in waste management. She added that the experience had reinforced her belief that personal circumstances should not prevent young people from pursuing leadership and community impact.

At the end, participants were encouraged to take the lessons beyond the training room, applying their knowledge of ethical leadership, strategic planning, governance, public policy and civic engagement to the challenges facing their communities.