ALI West Africa

Given the recognition that there is a crisis of leadership in Africa, the Africa Leadership Initiative (ALI) was designed and, in 2002, launched to capture the energy, the talent and the resolve of an emerging generation of leaders in Africa -- leaders who have already realized a certain level of success -- and to inspire them to move from success to significance by engaging in the foremost challenges of their countries and their times. The Africa Leadership Initiative is an offshoot of the Aspen Institute’s renowned Henry Crown Fellowship Program.

In 2006, the Africa Leadership Initiative – West Africa was launched as a joint venture with the Aspen Institute, LEAP Africa, Databank Foundation (Ghana), and TechnoServe. This initiative seeks to develop a new generation of community-spirited leaders in Ghana and Nigeria. Using the time-tested Aspen method of text-based dialogue, the program aims to provide the tools and perspectives necessary for effective, enlightened leadership in business, government and the nonprofit sector -- and in African society at large. Leaders from these three sectors come together to:

• Identify and address their personal strengths and weaknesses as leaders
• Understand the challenges they face as participants in a rapidly globalizing society
• Share and refine their respective visions of the society they would like to live in
• Lead by example in building this society

The 2008/2009 class of Fellows comprises of 25 outstanding Nigerian and Ghanaians selected following a call for nominations and a rigorous screening process. The Fellows are men and women between the ages of 30 and 45, successful in their fields of endeavor (75% from the business sector, the balance from government and civil society organizations) and committed to promoting – and personally exemplifying – effective values-based leadership in their countries. The overall goal was to assemble classes that are diverse in viewpoint, political affiliation, industry, ethnicity and gender.

Fellows are expected to participate in four seminars in Nigeria and Ghana over a two-year period. These seminars include:

The Challenge of Leadership
A four-day seminar focusing on the qualities of leadership necessary to master the forces of change.

The Executive Seminar
A four-day seminar focused on refining each Fellow’s definition of “the good society” – including the roles of government and business in molding that society and the societal challenges of economic growth.

Leading in an Era of Globalization
A four-day seminar exploring the political, economic, cultural and ethical challenges of globalization and the skills necessary to meet them. Fellows will present prospectuses for their Leadership Projects.

The Promise of Leadership
A four-day seminar to review the Fellows’ leadership projects and lay the groundwork for continuing interaction after the formal program is concluded.

In addition, each Fellow will carry out a project designed to put into practice the principles of values-based leadership in the context of global capitalism. These projects compel the Fellows to put their own visions and leadership styles into action. Click here to view the list of Fellows.

For additional information about ALI –West Africa, contact Obo Henshaw at: ohenshaw@leapafrica.org or visit www.africaleadership.net, www.aspeninstitute.org