U.S. selects 56 young Nigerians for Mandela Washington Fellowship

The United States Mission in Nigeria has selected 56 young ‘changemakers’ for the Mandela Washington Fellowship (MWF) for 2022. Additionally, U.S. Mission Nigeria has selected 16 alumni from the MWF cohort from 2021 to participate in this year’s Alumni Enrichment Institute.

The Deputy Chief of Mission, Kathleen FitzGibbon, disclosed this at the pre-departure orientation programme in Abuja organised for the beneficiaries in preparation for their fellowship in the United States this Summer.

“For the 2021/2022 MWF application cycle, over 19,000 Nigerians started the application, and over 8,000 submitted the application by the deadline.

“Following this, a total of 56 Mandela Washingon fellowship awards were made available to Nigerians this year,” she said.

Elated Fellows

Mayokun Iyaomolere, an environmentalist who will be studying Civic Leadership Track at Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina, said getting selected is an exciting opportunity for him.

“I believe this will be a game-changer for me and every other fellow as we will learn optimised ways to enhance the quality and widen the scope of impact of our works,” he said.

Chisom Nwankwo, a social entrepreneur and cleantech expert who runs the Skilled Women Initiative said: “after having a Virtual fellowship in 2021 as a result of the COVID19 pandemic, I am really excited to be heading to Drexel University Pennslyvania this summer as an Alumni Enrichment participant of the MWF.”

“I am looking forward to creating new relationships that will be pivotal to the growth of my nonprofit TSWINI and the improvement of my knowledge on sustainable clean technology solutions,” she said.

Babajide Oluwase, the founder of Ecotutu, a cleantech company delivering a suite of cold chain solutions to African businesses, said it is really an exciting feeling for him to be selected for the fellowship. “Upon completion of my studies in the United States, I look forward to integrating the learnings into my work to advance Ecotutu’s mission of democratizing access to affordable cooling solutions for African businesses.”

Be Good Ambassadors

While admonishing the fellows, MWF program coordinator, Diran Adegoke, told fellows that the opportunity to travel to the United States is one to be cherished.

While making a presentation on “elevator speech” to the fellows, he encouraged them to present themselves in the best version possible and always remember that they are in the United States to represent Nigeria.

Prestigious Fellowship

Launched in 2014, the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the flagship exchange programme of the U.S. government-sponsored Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) created to further the United States’ commitment to investing in the future of Africa. Each year, U.S. Missions across Sub-Saharan Africa select accomplished leaders, who have established records of promoting innovation and positive impact in their countries.

This summer, the Fellows will travel to the United States to participate in six-week Leadership Institutes studying Business, Civic Engagement, or Public Management at U.S. colleges and universities. At the conclusion of the Leadership Institutes, the Fellows will attend the annual Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit, where Fellows, U.S. government officials, and representatives from businesses and organisations with interest in Africa engage in high-level sessions and workshops.

After completing the Leadership Institutes and Summit, Fellows are eligible to participate in several MWF alumni opportunities, such as the Alumni Enrichment Institute, that build on the skills and connections developed during their summer exchange program.

Since 2014, over 5,000 young leaders from every country in Sub-Saharan Africa have participated in the MWF with 456 Fellows hailing from Nigeria. Thus far, Nigeria remains the largest contributor of Fellows each year.

Commenting on the significance of the MWF, Ambassador Leonard stated, “The United States is dedicated to investing in the next generation of young Nigerian leaders reinforcing the strong partnership between both nations. The vision, courage, and drive to innovate of Mandela Washington Fellows will help shape the future of Nigeria for many generations to come.”