Israel BAYODE

11th day of October, 18th day of YALI RLC NC3, last of Mandela Washington Fellowship application, was very eventful. It also was the 3rd day we'd been receiving lectures in our different tracks. Physical exercise was observed by those who thought it necessary to do so. Breakfast was taken by those who know its importance. At 8, there was an assembly, anchored by Mr. Kappo. Each track had a representative that gave the assembly summary of what was discussed in their different tracks the previous day. Interestingly, everyone who presented was a 'girl'. This wasn't coincidental as the day, too, was the International Girls' Day. After the recaps, a few information was passed before we all left for our respective tracks. Dr. Obeng continued with the entrepreneurs with the 'Idea Generation Exercise'. Each group came up with some business ideas and presented them for criticism. Questions were asked; answers were given; corrections were made. Then we learnt about...

The 10th day of October was the 17th of the training. It started out just like the previous day. Physical exercise and breakfast weren't left out. At 8, we all assembled at the large lecture room for some briefings. And at 9, each track resumed their respective lecture sessions. The entrepreneurs were taught by Dr. Obeng again, but with contributions from Dr. Pascal and the other wise man. We were taught that entrepreneurs need to recognize opportunities, constitute a formidable team and judiciously utilize resources. Not only did we learn what an idea is and what opportunity, too, is, but we learnt when an idea is an opportunity. We also, among many other things, learnt the key characteristics of an opportunity, and how opportunities can be visualized. There were video sessions and different exercises. Mr. Ajibade gave a succinct summary of what he taught the public managers (or public policy makers) the previous day, and then completed his lecture session which was tagged ...

It was Monday, the 9th day of the month of October, the 16th of the training. It was the third Monday, and it was entirely different from the first two. Everyone received lectures in his or her track. But some participants in the other tracks wished to be in 'Business and Entrepreneurship'. I really don't know why! Maybe it's because of how engaging and interactive the track really was; I can't say, really! As usual, breakfast got served after the period for calisthenics. At 8, most of us were already assembled at the usual lecture room. After some time, Mr. Kappo came and addressed us before those whose tracks are 'Public Management' and 'Business and Entrepreneurship' left the room for the 'Civic Leaders'. The Entrepreneurs were taught by the 'Three Wise Men'. Mehn, these guys are talented; they're 'loaded'. The class was really engaging and interactive. Dr. Bernard Acquah Obeng was the chief speaker; but be...

The 8th day of October, 15th of the training, wasn't like the previous Sunday when everywhere was green and white. This day was just a normal day with its different activities, too. However, nothing much happened. A few of us did some physical exercise in the morning, while most of us extended the night. Even when it was breakfast time, some still extended the night and skipped breakfast in the process. Prevention, they say, is better than cure. To avoid a breakdown, you can skip your breakfast. That's exactly what many people did, just to get enough rest. Those who could worship in the church went to different churches after breakfast. (The church I attended was within my room; it was a get-enough-rest church.) At 1pm, lunch was served. It wasn't difficult to know who didn't eat or have enough breakfast. I saw heaps of food on some people's table. Those heaps were surmounted in no time. That was when I got to know that everyone is skillful at devouring delicious ...

The 7th day of October, 14th of the training was, to a great extent, fun! The day started out, at about 5, with some of us observing some less vigorous calisthenics; most of us did this in our rooms again. At 7, breakfast was served. Then everyone was gearing up for the tour. At about 10:20, after loads of pictures were taken with everyone (except one) well 'YALI-kitted', we set out on the a-little adventurous trip. I observed pedestrians' eyes were well fed with our convoy - they would want to have the same experience. After passing through the market, we got to the 'slave place'. The theme of the place is slavery. All thanks to the tour guide who gave vivid explanation of how the 'oyinbos' - the whites - tortured the African people who lived in those days of slavery. The guy elucidated so ingeniously that you would think he really was there when this act of slavery was rampant, to the extent that you would be very exasperated at the whites' acts. But ...

It's the 6th day of October, the 13th of the training. As usual, physical exercise was carried out, and breakfast, too, was taken at the right time. (Wondering when exactly those cooks cooked and rested.) The day was just like the previous day as we started lectures about one hour late. This day was about Climate Change (Global Warming) and Renewable Energy. The first speaker, Mr. Peter, spoke extensively on both topics. He enlisted geothermal, biomass, hydropower, wind energy and solar energy as the sources of renewable energy. Solar energy is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV), indirectly using concentrated solar power, or a combination. After snacks-break, we resumed to discuss climate change. We looked at external factors and human influences as the causes of climate change, and the effects of climate change to our world. There are quite a number of them, ranging from increase in temperature and ecosystem endanger...

It wa s the 12th day of the training and the 5th of October. Physical exercise was done by those who cared to do so, while breakfast was taken by everyone who needed to. Due to logistics, the day's session started later than scheduled, even though most of us were already seated in the lecture room at 8. Mr. Kappo came around at about 9 to inform us what was going on. Not too long from that time, lectures started. Oluwatoyin Ademole Ayinde, who is an erstwhile commissioner of Lagos State of Nigeria, after his citation was read, started his lecture titled "Resilience, Environmental Security and Peace-Building". He defined disaster as a calamitous event, especially one occuring suddenly and causing great loss of life, damage or hardship and which is beyond the capacity of the local community. He enlisted national (military), economic, health, cultural, political, personal, community, food, environmental securities as elements that make up 'human security'. And just...

It was the 11th day of the training, the 4th of October, 2017. I don't know if anyone did any physical exercise this day, as there was rain and I woke up at 8:15. However, the rain couldn't stop the breakfast. Mr. Kappo, again, addressed us. At about 9, the split we had the previous day was done again. While Dr. S. K. Olowe anchored the group he taught earlier, Dr. Ajoke Ashiru anchored the other group which consisted of all members of the Elephant Group and some of the Eagle Group. Both lecturers taught us on "Healthcare Policies for National Development". In the lecture, factors contributing to health, meaning and goals of a health system, and components and challenges of health systems were discussed. In-between the discourse, snacks-break was had. Group discussion, too, was done. After lunch, guest speakers, Doctors Ayodele O. Fagbemi and Lawal Olufemi spoke on "Gender-based Leadership" and "Health as Contemporary Issue Affecting Africa" res...

The 3rd day of October, the 10th of the training was just like the previous day. Exercises of different kinds were carried out at different venues and at different periods, and breakfast was taken, too, at the usual venue at 7. And as usual, Mr. Kappo came to address us at about 8, and I think he really liked a kind of clap one of us taught him: a big clap... another one... another bigger clap. We weren't surprised when he dittoed it the next day. Dr. S. K. Olowe taught us 'Gender and Diversity' on this day. He started with an exercise which he titled "choosing the sex of your child". Many of us, from the responses given, preferred a male child to a female one, while a few preferred otherwise. Fantastic reasons were also said to back up the preferences. Then, he gave a lot of definitions of gender; one of which is the "culturally and socially constructed rules and identities ascribed to males and females". We saw a short video titled "The White Ha...

It was the 9th day of the training, the 2nd of October, 2017. It was a really wonderful day. Those who did physical exercise did so at 6, but everyone took breakfast at 7. The lecture room had more participants already seated than it used to have at 8; the change had begun! At 8:05, Mr Kappo came on stage and, as usual, talked 'to' us. Stephen Otaro was our lecturer. He titled his lecture as "Africa and Global Technology Landscape". He talked about how digital technology impacts development through innovation, efficiency and inclusion. He allowed us research what disruptive technology is, and give examples. He also asked about areas we think disruptive technologies will dramatically alter in the future. Of course, our brilliant selves even gave him more than what he expected as replies. He asked, too, how technology will change the way we work? Then, there was a short documentary he showed us before snacks-break. During the snacks-break, participants from Nigeria, L...

It was an absolutely different flow of events this day; completely different from the previous days. To everyone, it was the first day of the month; to YALIans, it was the 8th day of the training, but to Nigerians and Cameroonians, it was Independence Day. However, if asked which of the participating countries was the country of the day, the response would be consensus: Nigeria 🇳🇬! At about quarter to 8 in the morning when I checked those playing football at the Phase 2 international 'stadium', I saw only male participants and they were few, and they had been there since about half past 6. We may call them the strong YALIans, because as at that time, many of us were still enjoying our well-deserved rest, rest from a really tiring weekend. On this day, most, if not all, of us didn't skip breakfast, unlike the previous day. After breakfast, it was time to go to church. At ASCON church, Chapel of Grace, it was a wonderful experience for some of us who were first-time atten...

The 30th day September 2017, meant more than the last day of the month to us, the YALIans, because it was the last day of the first week of the rigorous and thorough training we embarked on. Many of us had 'no night'; no thanks to the poster works, which took many of us away from bed. Nonetheless, we all came to the lecture room on time, after physical exercise (which most of us skipped)and breakfast (some of us skipped this, too), and we were commended. Dr. Haruna Abdul lectured us on "Banner Headline, Morality, Law, and Ethics." He defined a banner headline as a newspaper headline running across a whole page, especially one on the front page. He asked us, which we did, to give examples of banner headlines which speak good of us, and also give examples which depict negativity. He taught us that what makes law law is an evolutionary process, which starts from common morality and value, to culture of people, to shared ethical system, and finally to law. "Jou...

It was the 6th day and it was looking as though we had been at ASCON for about 3 weeks. Each of us had made a lot of friends just in about a week. Activities like the physical exercise and breakfast were carried out at the appropriate periods, just that many of us came late to the lecture which was meant to commence at 8am. We, however got scolded for coming later than expected. I personally believed that, sooner than later, we all would adapt to the system of the training, which we joyfully eventually did. We were well informed about our 'yearbook photo-shots' that would commence the next day, immediately after breakfast. The first set of participants to do this were the Burkinabés, Cameroonians and Ghanaians. The second set – the Ivorians, Liberians and Nigerians – were to have theirs on the next Monday morning. While the final set – the Sierra Leoneans, Gambians and the two Togoleses – were to have theirs, too, on the next Tuesday morning. Prince B. O. ...

The 28th day of September which was the 5th day of the training, was eventful. As usual, physical exercise was observed. Breakfast, too, was taken. We had a long but absolutely interesting lecture. It was handled by Dr. Haruna Abdul which he titled "Ethical Leadership". Dr. Abdul started by defining ethics as a set of rules or principles that defines right and wrong conduct. He said, to attain ethics, there has to be a unification of values, principles, morals and virtues. Acting ethically means making decisions that would have been preceded by evaluating and choosing among alternatives in a manner consistent with ethical principles. He said, an ethical leader shows the way, and tells his followers about their identity, what they are and what they can become, how they live and how they could live better. He quoted Baradarcco, 'real morality is not binary but rather emerges in shades of gray'. We paused to have lunch at about quarter past 1. We returned to continu...

The 27th day of September 2017 which was the 4th day of YALI RLC, Nigeria Cohort 3 leadership training, was a day filled with a lot of activities. Just like Monday and Tuesday, physical exercise was done by everyone either on the field or in the room. Afterwards, we had breakfast. I saw some participants taking either oats or pap with bread. I never knew people take such a combination until this day; I wondered how it tastes, and I thought I may, maybe the next day, also try it, but unfortunately, I never did. Who knows if it's sweeter like that? Dr. Joseph Darmoe, after having anchored the proper reviewing of 'Invictus', started his final lecture titled 'Culture and Leadership' by describing culture as the learned beliefs, values, rules, norms, symbols, and traditions that are common to a group of people. He argued that part of being an effective leader is understanding business, political, and cultural environment worldwide; and that leaders should, as much as po...

The 26th day of September 2017 was the 3rd day of YALI RLC, Nigeria Cohort 3 leadership training. It started, just like the previous day, with the physical exercise but got more attendance. All sorts of aerobics were carried out, without any music though. The exercise officially ended at about quarter past 6. Stark from Togo, Innocent from Ghana and I did some extra trotting around the ASCON campus before retreating to the hostels to prepare for breakfast and lectures. The breakfast was such that it's practically difficult for any participant to escape egg, except if one really hates egg; the yam was fried with egg, there's a serving dish full of purely fried egg which would be nice for either yam or bread, and the stew was absolutely ‘egged’. So, we can conveniently say that Day 3's breakfast was eggy! Dr. Uwem Akangson, after breakfast, started by recapitulating what was done the previous day, especially the not-the-formal-type-of-debate he moderated. He said he was thr...

Monday, the 25th day of September 2017, started with the physical exercise which was carried out by virtually every participant in his or her room (if you did yours outdoors, please signify), between 6 and 7am. What followed was the breakfast. Why many participants (including me) came late to the restaurant for breakfast may not be as a result of the physical exercise that was personally 'carried out'; the lateness may be traced to the long day coupled with the inaugural dinner we had yesterday. Nonetheless, almost everyone got him/herself some good breakfast between 7 and 8am. After breakfast, of course, was Leadership and Accountability session with the title 'Leading Self' which was brilliantly handled by Dr. Joseph Darmoe from Ghana. He started by stating how the stage of leadership can be well set: attracting capable people; motivating them to put forth their best efforts in everything they find worth doing; and, together with these capable people, solving problem...

Sunday, the 24th day of September 2017, was the official commencement of the YALI RLC, Nigeria Cohort 3 training. The day started well but wet as there was rain for about 3 hours. However, before then, some of the participants from other countries came into ASCON at about 2am. At about 8am, breakfast was served at the restaurant, and all of us proceeded to a very chilly large room where we had a fantastic coaching session. A lot was said, and good answers were given to sensible questions asked. In the session, we were informed on how we would go about our forthcoming elections. This action provoked the interest of many of us: some wanted to play some roles in the electoral committee which, as at that time, had not been constituted, while few others desired to lead in one capacity or the other. Immediately after the not-so-long but interesting Coaching Session was lunchtime. Lunch break ended at about 3pm when everyone got involved in the guided tour which indeed was guided by one of ...

It really won't be nice not to let the world know what the Young African Leaders Initiative, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State, that was instituted by Former President Barack Obama, and continued by President Donald J. Trump, is doing in investing in the next generation of African leaders. Nearly 1 in 3 Africans are between the ages of 10 and 24, and approximately 60 percent of Africa’s total population is below the age of 35. Former President Obama launched YALI in 2010 to support young African leaders as they spur growth and prosperity, strengthen democratic governance, and enhance peace and security across Sub-Saharan Africa. The Young African Leaders Initiative, or YALI, is not just a fellowship, or an online community, or a place to go for regional leadership training. YALI is all three! The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is YALI’s flagship program, bringing African civic, business, and community leaders for academic coursework, leade...