The African Leadership Institute (AfLI), a not-for-profit network, was established in 2003, following two years of planning. It is built upon a passionate belief in the importance of good leadership and governance, be it in business, government or civil society. After lengthy consultation with a network of eminent Africans across the continent, they found concurrence that the development of leaders in all sectors was vital to the future success of Africa.  In particular, it was concluded that the focus should be on nurturing the leadership talents of high potential Africans in the 25 to 40 age range, who would constitute the next generation of leaders.

It is AfLI’s belief that without good leadership across the various levels and sectors of the continent, all the other excellent initiatives in Africa will be stifled. Investment in good leadership thus has an enormous return in terms of future social, economic, political, technological and environmental benefits.

2009 Archbishop Tutu Fellows and faculty with the Patron

The flagship programme of the Institute is the Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellowship Programme, an annual programme launched in 2006. The Programme is run in conjunction with Oxford University, a variety of institutions across Africa and commercial sponsors, and is designed to provide a wide range of leadership learning experiences to a select group of young Africans who are expected to rise to top leadership positions in their spheres of activity over the next 5 to 20 years. The Fellows are drawn from across Africa and from various sectors, ranging from commerce to charities.  They are selected entirely on merit, without regard to ethnicity or gender.  The object of the Programme is not to “teach” leadership in the classical business school sense, but  to create a variety of opportunities for the Fellows to explore in depth what leadership really means for them, to reflect and internalise the learning, and to apply it in practice.  Particular emphasis is placed on African leadership in a global context.  The classroom work is supplemented by a number of stimulating projects and with talks by established internationally recognised leaders in different spheres, who are more than willing to share their experiences of the challenges and secrets of leadership.

The outcome that AfLI is seeking from its activities is the development of a networked community of future leaders across Africa – members of an alumni who have been exposed to a wide variety of leadership learning experiences from both an African and global perspective – who will have at their disposal the facilities, the connectivity, the intellectual foundation and the rich human resources of the Institute and alumni to influence change and successful development of the continent to reflect its rightful position in the global environment. They will be applying leadership in practical applications that will make a difference to their communities.  As Fellows of the Institute they will feel the collective expectation to make a difference and the peer pressure to do it.

Other Programmes

·                      The African Leadership Institute have been invited by the Private Investors for Africa to design, manage and deliver a prestigious regionally based leadership programme for high potential emerging leaders in the 30-40 age range in government and civil society.  Further information on the Leadership for Change in Africa Programme can be found by following the menu in the left hand column.

AfLI has conducted other high level programmes, working with young leaders, with leadership as an underlying theme, but also building upon an acknowledged expertise in the use of the Scenario methodology in exploring national development and leadership issues. More about these programmes, which each took over a year of constructive visionary analysis by groups of young leaders, can be found in the Projects section of this website. The three major projects conducted were:

·                      Nigeria 2025 – alternative visions of the future of Nigeria completed in 2007, which received a standing ovation as hitting the mark, when presented to the Nigerian Economic Summit

·                      SA 2020 – alternative futures of South Africa created by a multi-disciplinary group of young leaders in 2005. The underlying trends and forces identified by the group are being actively played out in the country as we read this notice years later.

·                      AfLI assisted the government of Cape Verde, an archipelago made up of about 10 islands and 8 islets of the coast of West Africa in formulating national transformation strategy, organizing a national forum, and provided leadership training to the Cabinet, including the Prime Minister, all Ministers and senior advisers.  

Launch of the Young African Leaders Awards by President Karume of Zanzibar on behalf of the Chairman of the African Union, His Excellency Jakaya Kikwete, who had been called away to an emergency meeting of SADC. Aidan Eyakuze (2006 Tutu Fellow) was Master of Ceremonies, and Sean Lance, Chairman of the African Leadership Institute (second from the left at the table) gave the opening address

For more information on the Young African Leaders Conference and Awards see the Young African Leaders Awards page in the project section.

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February 10, 2008
An Open Letter to Africa's Current and Future Leaders from the 2007 Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellows

“This continent has suffered too much.… We need the assistance and commitment of … young leaders to continue to speak up on behalf of the poor and the marginalized, and seek a better life for all”
– Archbishop Desmond Tutu, April 2007

From Angola to Zimbabwe, questions abound about Africa’s present state. All capitals listed between Abidjan to Zanzibar, are not new to the rising voices of Africa’s sons and daughters who wish to know the fate of their land. Some express this concern through silent hope, others through evident fear, and many others look in no other direction than that of their leaders – those we have come to know as the captains of the ship of the state. Others even argue that Africa’s answers remain with future leaders, and not today’s. But there has been a crisis of leadership in Africa. The hopes and dreams of the citizens of this continent have been dashed by our post colonial leaders – from the heroes of the liberation struggles through to the leaders of opposition parties that subsequently emerged.

The citizens of Africa deserve a brighter future, and that begins with visionary leaders who can answer the challenges that Africa faces as part of a global community in the 21st century. Recent events across the continent are cause for serious concern: from the crisis of corruption in Nigeria, the political tensions in South Africa leading to the 2009 election, or the political crisis in Kenya which is turning a once prosperous country into one that is marred by bloodshed and ethnic tensions. The ongoing conflict in Sudan, the current crisis in Chad, or the socio-political and economic meltdown obtaining in Zimbabwe have all caused great instability in the lives of millions of Africans across the continent.

We do not seek to play the usual game of just listing the problems but join our voices to that of over 920 million Africans to demand fair play in political processes. Though all of our democracies are young we expect our leaders to be men and women of excellence who respect the electoral process and as such the wishes of the people. As young people in Africa who are leaders in politics, business, health and information technology, we stand together and re-commit ourselves to the ideals of true leadership, and we make the following recommendations:

(a) The establishment of a high-level African Union led campaign to fight tribalism and inequality in all its forms across the continent. Each country should establish a Commission Against Tribalism and Inequality (CATI) to fight the scourges, and to protect vulnerable minority groups. CATI should bring politicians using ethnic manipulations to perpetrate violence to justice and stop them from participating in future political contests;
(b) Political leaders must be servant leaders and use their power and influence as a tool for socio-economic change rather than oppression and fuelling personal greed;
(c) The establishment and strengthening of relevant institutions (judiciary, electoral commissions, etc) that ensure independence of the Electoral Regulatory Authorities in each country; and the establishment of an AU Electoral monitoring body which monitors election and has a clear, well defined set of guidelines which it uses to determine if the process is free or fair;
(d) The rediscovery of our true identity as Africans, to embrace and inculcate the moral base of honesty, love, peace and integrity. We believe that people of integrity would not allow a beautiful, socially and economically stable country like Kenya to collapse into political disarray;
(e) The strengthening of our national economies, and systems to ensure the provision of adequate health care, education and other social services that will equip all Africans to partake in a better future.
As young leaders in our own various spheres of influence, we as the 2007 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellows(1) find silence at this critical moment inconvenient. We believe that silence and inaction in the face of yesterday’s challenges are responsible for the anomalies we see across the continent today. We lend our voices to the call for African leaders – today, and in the future – to consider the common good over personal fears or greed. We are proud of those who have shown us that leadership is about service and call on all other leaders to remain true to the spirit of purposeful leadership.

Signed: 2007 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellows [Brilliant Mhlanga (Zimbabwe), Dan Kidega (Uganda), Ed Mabaya (Zimbabwe), Erik Charas (Mozambique), ‘Gbenga Sesan (Nigeria), Grace Ofem (Nigeria), Hassan Usman (Nigeria), Herine Otieno (Kenya), Ipeleng Mkhari (South Africa), Lisa Kropman (South Africa), Mezuo Nwuneli (Nigeria), Niven Postma (South Africa), Saida Ali (Kenya), Takalani Musekwa (South Africa), Tariro Makadzange (Zimbabwe), Terence Sibiya (South Africa), Tracey Webster (South Africa), Yohannes Mezgebe (Ethiopia), Yolan Friedmann (South Africa)]

(1) Each year, 20 high potential individuals from across sub-Saharan Africa are awarded the prestigious Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellowship, following a rigorous competitive selection process. The Awards are aimed at the cream of the continent’s future leaders, specifically targeting the next generation of Africa’s leaders in all sectors of society, between the ages of 25 and 39. The fellowship program is coordinated by African Leadership Institute, and it includes a training program coordinated by the SAID Business School at Oxford University. For more information about the Fellowship, please visit www.alinstitute.org.