NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 29— The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), through its Leadership Academy and in partnership with the Government of Japan, has rolled out the second cohort of its Leadership Development Training Programme at the Kenya School of Government in Nairobi.
The initiative brings together emerging young leaders from IGAD member states, with the aim of equipping them with skills in leadership, governance, and accountability to better serve their communities and the region.
Delivering opening remarks on behalf of IGAD Executive Secretary Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD’s Director of Administration and Finance, Josephat Onyari, reminded participants that the future of the Horn of Africa lies in the hands of its youth.
“There is immense wealth of ideas among the youth. This programme is meant to stoke that fire in you to go out actualize those ideas and shape the destiny of our region,” Onyari said.
The training was officially opened by Kenya School of Government (KSG) Director General Prof. Nura Mohamed, who pledged KSG’s commitment to continued collaboration with IGAD in nurturing ethical and visionary leaders.
Prof. Mohamed challenged the young participants to uphold integrity and accountability in public service, noting that transformational leadership begins with individual responsibility.
“No one is too small to make a difference,” he said.
The IGAD Leadership Academy was established as a regional platform to build a pipeline of leaders capable of addressing governance challenges in the Horn of Africa.
The programme targets youth drawn from diverse professional and social backgrounds, empowering them to contribute to peace, development, and integration across the region.
The second cohort follows the successful rollout of the inaugural training held in 2024, which saw participants take part in mentorship, peer-to-peer learning, and policy innovation sessions.
