This marks an important milestone in the organization’s mission to strengthen intergenerational leadership across Africa.
The first cohort represents a diverse group of African leaders who are already shaping public life across the continent. They include senior public servants, policymakers, advisors, and practitioners working at the intersection of governance, social development, and systems change. Collectively, they represent leadership—grounded in a deep commitment to Africa’s success.
Africa is experiencing an unprecedented demographic shift, with a rapidly growing, youthful population stepping into leadership roles amid global uncertainty. There is a leadership gap. Emerging leaders are operating within a system not built with their needs or perspectives in mind. Meanwhile, experienced leaders’ wisdom of leading isn’t passed on for others to benefit. The Intergenerational Leadership Accelerator (ILA) is responding to this gap by intentionally convening leaders across generations to learn from one another and strengthen their leadership practice together.
Over the course of the 12-month program, Fellows will engage in immersive convenings, peer learning, and applied leadership labs focused on some of the most complex governance challenges facing the continent. These include areas such as sexual and reproductive health (SRH), education, youth employment, and inclusive economic development.
What distinguishes the inaugural cohort is not only the range of sectors and geographies represented but a shared seriousness about what leadership requires in this decade. but a shared seriousness about what leadership requires in this decade. Many Fellows already hold positions of influence within government and are navigating the realities of reform from the inside. Through the ILA, they will deepen their capacity to lead with integrity, foresight, and collaboration, while remaining anchored in African contexts and priorities.
The quality of leadership we exercise today will echo for generations. Leadership Lab Yetu was founded to ensure that echo is one of progress. We seek to embed intergenerational leadership as a norm rather than an exception by bridging the gap between fresh perspective and seasoned expertise.
As the inaugural Dr. Hage G. Geingob Fellows begin their journey through the Intergenerational Leadership Accelerator, we look forward to learning alongside them and sharing insights from this collective leadership development experience. This cohort represents both the beginning and a commitment to reimagining how leadership in Africa is practised and sustained, together.