In his book Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to stop Procrastinating and Get more done in Less time, Brian Tracy says, ‘This is a wonderful time to be alive! There have never been more possibilities and opportunities for you to achieve more of your goals than exist today… you are actually drowning in options’. This was the resounding call at the end of the one week intensive classroom training at the 6th Harambee Africa Leadership Programme held in Lagos Nigeria. The training was facilitated by Anthony Duigan. He challenged the young visionaries, ‘As a leader, you have to find your own sources of inspiration and knowledge’ adding that ‘… Leadership is the ability to exercise your full potential.’
Through group work assignments, role plays, moments of reflection, and story sharing, the participants explored facets that make up the core of authentic leadership as a journey to personal discovery. Through the guidance of experienced and seasoned facilitators and coupled with the support of mentors, the participants shared their personal aspirations and made personal commitments to make the world a better place. During the week, the participants had an opportunity to brush shoulders with the crème de la crème in Nigeria’s communication industry. Zik Zulu, a political commentator and journalist, lauded the great initiative to train young leaders and challenged the team to make sacrifices in order to see the change they need. The team also hosted the top brass from Nigeria’s renowned Nollywood industry. 
The Nollywood team was challenged on the role they could play in stemming corruption using film and media. In response, Chief Justus Esiri, an acclaimed actor and one of the founding fathers of Nollywood, asserted, ‘… corruption is like HIV, it can’t be wiped out in a minute. You have to galvanize your people to think straight.’
Helen Yogo, a Masters Student in Sociology and participant from Cameroon, says: ‘The training was so exhausting and hectic but at the same time interesting and fascinating. There was a lot to comprehend within a very short time. However, it was an interesting exercise for me as I interacted with my peers and the faculty team. I enjoyed the family group. The questions asked in the sessions created awareness of the importance to evaluate and get feedback in my life. I loved the short film we watched about a man - Yacoba - who stopped the desert and provided food for many within his community. It’s a good example of starting small and having a great impact as a reward. As we head out for the outreach programme, I am convinced that the success of our future begins from our preparation today. At the end of the classroom training, I made a commitment to work with young and less privileged girls in my community and mentor them.'
Julius Opara, an accountant in Lagos, Nigeria, who is also participating in this year’s leadership programme, described the one week training as: ‘Rigorous, intense but highly educative. I enjoyed the principles of thinking hats as taught by Anthony Duigan. I hope to explore how it works when I get back to my community with the youth I work with and the workplace too. I also loved the morning reflections. They created a good platform for me to connect with my inner being and to discover more of myself. ‘
Paul Agbih, a mentor and one of the hosts in Nigeria, says: ‘It was a very successful time. I did learn a lot about my own country, interacted with and learnt from the young people. The personal story sharing session was an eye opener to me as it enabled me to understand the participants’ backgrounds and could thus relate with them accordingly. For me, the ability for young people to open up and share not only their successes but weaknesses gives me the hope for the future of the Africa I long for. ‘
Currently, the participants are in Kaduna State, in the Northern region of Nigeria, for the second part of the leadership training – an interactive community outreach programme. On arrival in Kaduna, they were received by Pastor James Wuye of the Interfaith Mediation Centre, Kaduna. For the next two weeks, the participants will work together with Pastor James Wuye and Imam Ashafa in peace-building programmes in different parts of Nigeria. Pastor Wuye and Imam Ashafa have achieved great fame and have been crowned with many accolades in recognition of the great work they have been doing in preaching peace to bridge religious and ethnic divides. (Read more about their work here.)
