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Regional Leadership Centers

Regional Leadership Centers

YALI Regional Leadership Centers (RLCs) are located at higher education institutions in sub-Saharan Africa and offer leadership training programs to young leaders between the ages of 18 and 35. By providing in-person and online training, networking, and professional development opportunities, the RLCs serve as a place for young African leaders to collaborate on continent. The RLCs are funded and managed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in close partnership with The MasterCard Foundation and other private sector partners. Each center is managed as a public-private partnership.

There are four Regional Leadership Centers offering leadership training throughout the year. Beginning in 2019, the RLCs began to jointly coordinate and collaborate under YALI Africa, a convening body that connects the Centers and serve as a central point for mobilizing resources and maintaining a unified mandate and vision. To learn more about the YALI RLCs and how to apply for their programs, visit the websites below.

Regional Leadership Center East Africa

Location: Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya

Countries served: Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

Language of instruction: English

Contact: info@yalieastafrica.org

More about this RLC

Regional Leadership Center Southern Africa

Location: University of South Africa (UNISA) School of Business Leadership (SBL), near Pretoria, South Africa

Countries served: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Language of instruction: English and Portuguese

Contact: yalirlcsa@unisa.ac.za

More about this RLC 

Regional Leadership Center West Africa Accra

Location: Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Accra, Ghana

Countries served: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo

Language of instruction: English

Contact: info@yaliwestafrica.org

More about this RLC 

 

Regional Leadership Center West Africa Dakar

Location: Centre Africain d’Etudes Supérieures en Gestion (CESAG), Dakar, Senegal

Countries served: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Niger, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Togo.

Language of instruction: French

Contact: yali.dakar@cesag.edu.sn

More about this RLC 

 

Partner with USAID to support the Regional Leadership Centers

Each Regional Leadership Center (RLC) is run as a public-private partnership, capitalizing on the dynamism and industry expertise of the private sector, the knowledge of African institutions, and the programmatic and educational resources of the U.S. Government.

By collaborating with USAID on YALI, the private sector has an opportunity to build relationships with a network of highly motivated, talented youth emerging as leaders in business, government, and civil society across Africa. Through partnership, companies are uniquely placed to impact these young leaders by sharing industry knowledge and insights and co-investing in YALI alongside USAID.

USAID fosters a wide variety of partnerships to support the Centers. Opportunities include:

  • Contribute to Center Facilities and Infrastructure: Provide access to financial resources, technology, communications, and capital assets to support Center development and expansion to reach young leaders across all of sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Provide Leadership Development Resources & Experiences: Companies can partner with Centers to host sector-specific trainings or design challenges focused on a more narrowed area of Additionally, private sector partners can lend expert speakers, trainers, and mentors or host Center participants for site visits or internships to support their professional development.
  • Offer In-Kind and Financial Contributions to Support Access to Training: Financial and in-kind contributions such as hotel rooms, flights, and local transportation are welcome to ensure young leaders from all countries across sub-Saharan Africa have access to Center programs.
    RLC East Africa: info@yalieastafrica.org
    RLC Southern Africa: yalirlcsa@unisa.ac.za
    RLC West Africa Accra: info@yaliwestafrica.org
    RLC West Africa Dakar: yali.dakar@cesag.edu.sn