Matilda Kerry, Adebola Williams, Otto Orondaam & other outstanding Young Nigerians selected for 2016 Mandela Washington Fellowship

Yesterday, the U.S. Embassy recognized 100 young Nigerians selected to participate in the 2016 Mandela Washington Fellowship. The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship program of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and a key component of President Barack Obama’s commitment to invest in the future of Africa. The White House developed this initiative in recognition of the critical and increasing role that young Africans are playing in strengthening democratic institutions, spurring economic growth, and enhancing peace and security in Africa.

Speaking at a special gathering in Abuja, U.S. Ambassador James F. Entwistle congratulated the new fellows on their competitive selection amongst 10,000 Nigerian applicants and tens of thousands of others throughout Africa.

“Our goal was to select a diverse group, both geographically and socio-economically, representing all Nigeria has to offer,” said Ambassador Entwistle. “You represent the best of Nigeria’s youth and the future of the country. Your selection says a lot about who you are as young leaders and the level of impact you are having on your communities as entrepreneurs, civic leaders, public servants, and champions of renewable energy,” he added.

On the list were over 90 outstanding young Nigerians including former beauty queen/MBGN 2000 Dr. Matilda Kerry, she has worked consistently to improve the lives of underprivileged children via the George Kerry Life Foundation; Adebola Williams, co-founder of Red Media who has set an indelible standard in the world of media and PR via the Future Awards, YNaija and more; Otto Orondaam who founded Slum2School which is now one of the largest volunteer driven non-profits in Nigeria.

Congrats to everyone selected!

Since 2014, 86 Nigerians have participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship. Fellows participate in an intensive, six-week program on academic excellence and leadership focused on business and entrepreneurship, civic leadership, public management, and renewable energy at U.S. colleges and universities.

 

S/N	First Name	Last Name	State Of Origin	Track	Fellowship Institution
	Adams	Adeiza	Kogi	Business & Entrepreneurship	Northwestern University
	Adamu	Ishiyaku	Gombe	Civic Leadership	Indiana University Bloomington
	Adaora	Uche-Ugwonna	Enugu State	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Iowa
	Adebola	Williams	Lagos	Business & Entrepreneurship	Clark Atlanta University
	Adebukola	Shonibare	Osun	Civic Leadership	Presidential Precinct
	Adedayo	Adeniyi	Osun	Civic Leadership	Kansas State University
	Adeniyi	Adedokun	Oyo State	Public Management	Bridgewater State University
	Ahmed	Ogunlaja	Ogun	Civic Leadership	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
	Andidiong	Okon	Akwa Ibom	Business & Entrepreneurship	Virginia Commonwealth University
	Anita	Tele-Oduloye	Delta	Business & Entrepreneurship	Clark Atlanta University
	Anthonia	Abayomi-Ojo	Osun	Civic Leadership	Duquesne University
	Apolmida	Tsammani	Bauchi	Public Management	University of Wisconsin-Madison
	Arinze	Ekwem	Anambra	Business & Entrepreneurship	Rutgers University
	Ayodele	Odeogbola	Ogun State	Public Management	Bridgewater State University
	Babafemi	Adebola	Ekiti	Public Management	University of Wisconsin-Madison
	Balarabe	Ismail	Kano	Public Management	Ohio State University
	Ballason	Gloria	Kaduna	Business & Entrepreneurship	Bridgewater State University
	Charity	Isa	Borno State	Civic Leadership	Purdue University
	Charity	Isa	Borno State	Public Management	Purdue University
	Chidinma	Mbanasor	Abia	Civic Leadership	Wagner College
	Chinelo	Uchendu	Anambra	Civic Leadership	University of California, Berkeley
	Chinenye	Ezeakor	Enugu	Civic Leadership	Arizona State University
	Chukwudi	Anyanaso	Imo State	Public Management	Appalachian State University
	Chukwuemeka	Ubaka	Imo	Public Management	Ohio State University
	Cosmos	Anweh	Benue	Business & Entrepreneurship	Ohio State University
	Danladi Saleh	Idrisa	Borno	Public Management	Virginia Commonwealth University
	Dauda	Sanusi	Ogun	Civic Leadership	Purdue University
	Ebunoluwa	Farinde	Lagos	Business & Entrepreneurship	Dartmouth College
	Edemawan	Ossai	Cross River	Civic Leadership	Arizona State University
	Egbuna	Obianuju   Maureen	Anambra	Public Management	Cambridge College
	Ehigie	Imarhiagbe	Edo State	Public Management	Ohio State University
	Emana	Imona	Cross River	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Maine
	Emeka	Ossai	Delta	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Texas at Austin
	Emmanuel	Obioha	Imo	Civic Leadership	Drake University In Des Moines, Iowa
	Ese	Ovabor	Edo	Energy	Duquesne University
	Fadekunayo	Adeniyi	Lagos	Public Management	University of California, Davis
	Fatima	Mohammed	Yobe	Energy	University of Illinois
	Fatima Oyiza	Ademoh	Kogi	Public Management	University of California, Davis
	Feyisara	Ogunranti	Oyo State	Public Management	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
	Folahanmi	Aina	Oyo	Business & Entrepreneurship	Syracuse University
	Gbenga	Oni	Ekiti	Public Management	Lincoln University (Missouri )
	Grace	Ihejiamaizu	Abia	Civic Leadership	Kansas State University
	Hadiza	Kasimu	Plateau	Civic Leadership	Presidential Precinct
	Hauwa	Liman	Katsina	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Texas at Austin
	Hussaini	Saraki	Bauchi	Civic Leadership	University of Delaware
	Ibrahim	Sawab	Borno	Civic Leadership	Wagner College
	Ibrahim Audu	Salisu	Yobe	Business & Entrepreneurship	Duquesne University
	Ifeoluwa	Oluwole	Ondo State	Business & Entrepreneurship	Dartmouth College
	Immanuel Charles	Akhimien	Edo	Civic Leadership	University of Notre Dame
	Ishaku	Haruna	Gombe State	Civic Leadership	Kansas State University
	Jamila	Bashir	Kano	Civic Leadership	Virginia Tech
	Jocelyne	Agbo	Enugu State	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Wisconsin-Stout
	John Paul	Usman	Kogi	Civic Leadership	Virginia Tech
	Jude	Onwujei	Delta State	Civic Leadership	Howard University
	Juliana	Owolabi	Osun State	Business & Entrepreneurship	Indiana University Bloomington
	Kenneth	Ati	Benue	Business & Entrepreneurship	Appalachian State University
	Kyela	Gadi	Kaduna	Civic Leadership	University of Maine
	Lukman	Lawal	Zamfara	Public Management	University of Iowa
	Maalum	Nadine	North West Province	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Notre Dame
	Matilda	Kerry	Delta State	Business & Entrepreneurship	Georgia State University
	Miriam	Odabe	Ebonyi	Public Management	University of Texas at Austin
	Mohammed Kabir	Ibrahim	Adamawa	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Minnesota
	Mojisola	Ojebode	Osun	Public Management	University of Wisconsin
	Mubarak	Tiamiyu	Oyo	Business & Entrepreneurship	Arizona State University
	Muhammad	Abdullahi	Bauchi	Business & Entrepreneurship	Rutgers University
	Muhibbat	Abdullahi	Bauchi	Business & Entrepreneurship	Purdue University
	Nana	Samuel	Borno State	Business & Entrepreneurship	Lincoln University (Missouri )
	Nari	Welye	Adamawa	Public Management	Syracuse University
	Nkechi	Okwuone	Delta State	Public Management	Arizona State University
	Nneoma	Albert-Benson	Imo State	Business & Entrepreneurship	Arizona State University
	Obiefule	Iroabueke	Abia State	Public Management	Georgia State University
	Obinna	Ebirim	Imo	Civic Leadership	University of Wisconsin-Madison
	Olajide	Kabir Oluwatosin	Kwara	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Nevada, Reno
	Olakunle	Owoeye	Ekiti	Public Management	University of California, Davis
	Olanrewaju	Suleiman	Kwara State	Public Management	Drake University
	Olorunfunmi	Adebajo	Ogun	Energy	Rutgers University
	Olufunto Opeoluwa T	Akinterinwa	Ondo State	Business & Entrepreneurship	Howard University
	Olumide Mukaila	Lawal	Lagos	Civic Leadership	Virginia Commonwealth University
	Oluwabusola	Majekodunmi	Lagos	Public Management	University of Minnesota
	Oluwaseun	Olaseinde	Ondo State	Public Management	University of Maine
	Oluwaseun	Sangoleye	Oyo	Public Management	Clark Atlanta University
	Oluwatobi	Popoola	Oyo	Business & Entrepreneurship	Howard University
	Oluwatobiloba	Ajayi	Osun	Public Management	Presidential Precinct
	Omolara	Rasheed	Ogun	Public Management	Cambridge College
	Orondaam	Otto	Rivers State	Civic Leadership	Portland State University
	Sylvester	Sede	Bayelsa	Business & Entrepreneurship	Indiana University Bloomington
	Temitope Oluwaseun	Okupe	Ogun-State	Civic Leadership	University Of California, Berkeley
	Tessie-Nkechi	Udegboka	Anambra	Civic Leadership	Northwestern University
	Thaddeus	Akpa	Kogi	Civic Leadership	University of Minnesota
	Theophilus	Odaudu	Kogi	Public Management	Syracuse University
	Titilope	Babafunso	Osun	Public Management	Georgia State University
	Tochukwu	Ikpegbu	Abia	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Iowa
	Tolulope	Sangosanya	Ogun State	Civic Leadership	Portland State University
	Toochukwu	Emerem	Imo	Business & Entrepreneurship	Virginia Commonwealth University
	Tukur	Garba Gada	Sokoto	Public Management	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
	Uchenna	Igbokwe	Anambra	Public Management	Florida International University
	Vanessa	Willie	Edo State	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Illinois
	Veronica	Bakam	Kaduna	Civic Leadership	Clark Atlanta University
	Vweta	Chadwick	Delta	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Delaware
	Wasiu Peter	Oladipupo	Ogun State	Business & Entrepreneurship	Purdue University

Photo Credit: Olaoluwa Aworinde/U.S. Embassy)