The Future Africa Leaders Foundation, FALF, has unveiled the 30 nominees for the 2019 Future Africa Leaders Awards, FALA.
This was announced at a press conference organized by the Foundation/organisers of FALA on Friday in Lagos.
According to the Senior Executive Officer of the FALF, Dave Ogbaka the awards which is in its 7 year is an initiative to explore and expand leadership potentials across Africa; reaching 54 countries in the continent with the aim of building young African leaders, who impact on their communities positively through education, youth empowerment and mentoring through other projects aimed at building young people and preparing them for the future”.
“We have selected 30 nominees from 21 African countries for this year’s award. Ten winners will be selected and one star prize winner will also emerge”.
“The winners will get cash prize of $10,000 each as well as awards and the star prize winner will get an additional N25,000 at the awards night on the 31st of December, 2019 in Lagos”.
“The money is to enable them enlarge the scope of their humanitarian works and also be able to reach more youths in their various countries,” he added.
Ogbaka noted that FALA Awards is not a religious agenda, but open to all African youths irrespective of their religious inclinations as long as the criteria are met.
“Over 15 million young Africans signed up for this year’s programme across 54 countries in Africa and went through a rigorous selection process spanning several months, where 1.2 million were able to complete their project”.
He said the awards is instituted by the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation to identify, celebrate and support young Africans who have demonstrated exemplary leadership by impacting their generation.
Speaking earlier, a member of the Central Executive Council of the LoveWorld Inc. Pastor Ambrose Isesele said the Future Africa Leaders Foundation, an initiative of the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation is aimed at exploring and expanding the leadership potential in Africa and for Africa, by identifying, celebrating and supporting young Africans who have demonstrated exemplary leadership by impacting their generation positively through education, youth empowerment and mentoring, and through other projects aimed at building young people and preparing them for a positive future.
Isesele noted that African youths have a lot to offer. “We do not have to wait for the West to help us.”
“FALF has identified and recognized young Africans who have from all 54 African countries who have demonstrated exemplary leadership by taking responsibility of the social, economic and political space of their countries”.
“The nominees who are within the ages of 16 and 23 would have met all the criteria, including being a registered applicant of the Growth Initiative Award, graduated from basic level to the intermediate, as well as having registered youths through their GIA referral link, and produce 50 graduates from the basic level to the Intermediate level.
Among other criteria, Pastor Isesele said the nominees have demonstrated exemplary leadership potential by impacting no less than 500-1,000 young people through programs and initiatives that empowered young people positively, building them and preparing them to be strong and confident individuals in future.
“Selected nominees have also mentor definite sets of young people, whose mentorship is providing the young people with guidance and direction that will in turn make them leaders and people of repute in future, encouraging the leadership of youth by youth,” he said.
According to him, the ten finalists and the star prize winner would be announced by the former President of Liberia, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first black female democratically elected President in Africa, during the 31st of December, 2019 night service of LoveWorld (Christ Embassy) at the LoveWorld Convocation Arena (LCA) in Lagos.
