Peace Hyde, Simidele Adeagbo & Olufemi Taiwo selected for Inaugural “Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa” Programme | Full List

President Barack Obama speaks at the Obama Foundation Community Event. (Photo by Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images)

Obama Foundation has announced the participants selected for the inaugural Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa programme.

The “Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa” programme is a year-long initiative to inspire, empower, and connect 200 emerging leaders from across Africa.

The leaders were chosen from 44 countries across the continent, from Egypt in the north, to Magadascar.

Among those chosen from Nigeria include Winter Olympian Simidele Adeagbo who is currently empowering girls across the nation.

Others include Forbes Africa’s Peace Hyde and LEAP Africa’s Olufemi Taiwo.

The one-year leadership development and civic engagement programme launches on 14 July in Johannesburg, South Africa, with a five-day gathering designed to train, support, and connect emerging African leaders working across different sectors to create positive change in their communities.

“The leaders selected have already demonstrated extraordinary potential for impact, a clear commitment to integrity, and a capacity to advance the common good within their spheres of influence. They represent 44 countries and every region in Africa and are working in a range of disciplines including health, agriculture, media, government, education, business, and technology, and on issues such as climate change, conservation, entrepreneurship, food security, and girls’ empowerment,” Obama Foundation said.

“The Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa programme is our largest and most ambitious international effort to date – the launch of what will become a global network of changemakers,” said Bernadette Meehan, Chief International Officer of the Obama Foundation. “We want to inspire, empower, and connect this pan-African group of leaders who show so much potential to change our common future for the better. We look forward to hearing their ideas and to supporting them to scale their work and reach.”

The Nigerians on the list are:

• Simidele Adeagbo.
• Pamela Adie.
• Omolara Ajele.
• Noel Ify Alumona.
• Kehinde Ayanleye.
• Taiwo Ayanleye.
• Olamide Ayeni.
• Moses Enokela.
• Victoria Fajemilehin.
• Sunday Faleye.
• Brenda Fashugba.
• Peace Hyde.
• Temitope Isedowo.
• Bryan Mezue.
• Adaeze Nnamani.
• Chinenye Nnoli.
• Paul Ojajuni.
• Peter Okeugo.
• Mark Okoye.
• Uchenna Onwuamaegbu-Ugwu.
• Oluwaseun Ayodele Osowobi.
• Olufemi Taiwo.
• Nichole Onome Yembra.

Another Nigerian Ifeanyi Orajaka was also selected for the programme but listed under Sierra Leone

See the full list of all the Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa programme below:

Algeria

Walid Serir

Angola

Zedilson Almeida

Benin

Victor Agognon

Botswana

Stephen Molatlhegi

Kgomotso Phatsima

Burkina Faso

Yaya Dama

Burundi

Nzoyisenga Fikiri

Innocent Magambi

Jean Njari

Cameroon

Candace Emma Nkoth Bisseck

Axel Etoundi

Patu Ndango Fen

Atem Lefu

Awah Mbuli

Emilia Miki

Cape Verde

Pedro Nuno Lopes

Comoros

Keke Haina

Cote D’Ivoire

Bi Touvoly Donatien Foua

Sefore Kodjo

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Brown Kabuyanga

Jeremy Lissouba

Patricki Mugula

Lunanga Wakilongo Stewart

Egypt

Hossam Eldeen Abdelfatah

Yara Al-Braidy

Mostafa Amin

Sara Gabr

Mohamed Shaheen

Alia Soliman

Ethiopia

Nejat Abdella

Atnafu Ayalew

Mehret Dubale

Yohannes Tsehai Gezahagne

Seblewengel Tekalign

Gambia

Blamo Yaadam

Ghana

Prince Chisom Agbata

Alimatu Bawah

Kwabena Danso

King Gyan

Akosua Hanson

Priscilla Naa Aklerh Okantey

Christian Osei-Bonsu

Naa Quartey

Miora Randriambeloma

Kenya

Paul Ekuru

Joan Kabugu

Linda Kamau

Ngatia Kirungie

Dysmus Kisilu

Venoranda Rebecca Kuboka

Richard Magerenge

Mbugua Njihia

Antony Nkuubi

Peter Nyamai

Sandra Ochola

Kennedy Odede

Mercy Odongo

Eddy Oketch

Scheaffer Okore

Daniel Omondi

Lilian Otiso

Joshua Sandler

Nerima Wako

Caren Wakoli

Lesotho

Mabatho Makatla

Liberia

Gbovadeh Gbilia

Jarius Andrew Greaves

Mlen-Too Wesley

Hh Zaizay

Libya

Wail Moammer

Madagascar

Lea Razafimanitsony

Malawi

Edith Amin

Francis Folley

Ulala Kondowe

Chimwemwe John Paul Manyozo

Mali

Ippet Letembet Bernadette Mah

Mauritania

Aminetou Bilal

Morocco

Ayman Cherkaoui

Hayat Essakkati

Zineb Lahbabi

Mozambique

Berta Guambe

Namibia

Dirck Kuzatjike

Shikongeni Ntinda

Josef P. van der Westhuizen

Niger

Issoufa Bachir Bounou

Yachou Mamane

Rwanda

Dominique Alonga

Umwari Monica

Yvette Mukamuhoza

Gilbert Nsabimana

Veda Sunassee

Rene Uwamugirimfura

Conde Lysa Uwizeyimana

Senegal

Marieme Gabar Diop

El Hadji Abou Gueye

Racine Ly

Khadidiatou Sall

Sierra Leone

Mohamed Sallieu Barrie

Theresa Cooper

Fatmata Kamara

Aminata Fatmata Kandeh

Max Katta

Ifeanyi Orajaka

David Sengeh

Somalia

Mohamed Dore

Samatar Gahnug

Hodan Osman

South Africa

Regina Bezuidenhout

Amanda Blankfield-Koseff

Kabelo Chabalala

Shakira Choonara

Andrew Ihsaan Gasnolar

Mandlesizwe Isaacs

Siyabulela Jentile

Thulile Khanyile

Jonathan Kingwill

Irene Kiwia

Loyiso Kula

Shamiso Kumbirai

Kudzai Kutukwa

Taryn Lock

Lusanda Magwape

Dikeledi Mokoena

Zukiswa Mqolomba

Rufaro Mudimu

Kubuya Mwisa

Chaeli Mycroft

Sebenzile Nkambule

Mokgadi Rapetswa

Melene Rossouw

Lindiwe Tsope

Lesley Williams

South Sudan

Ajak Bior

Kenyi Kenyi

Sudan

Basma Saeed

Swaziland

Ntokozo Dlamini

Togo

Jean-Luc Kossigan Agboyibo

Samuel Sarr

Tunisia

Racha Haffar

Faten Ghriss

Yassine Harzallah

Uganda

Kiyingi Amos

Francis Xavier Asiimwe

Robert Katende

Kevin Lubega

Abaas Mpindi

Andrew Mukose

Elizabeth Nalugemwa

Enock Nkulanga

Monica Nyiraguhabwa

Manuela Pacutho

Ogik Peter

Mushusha Richard

United Republic of Tanzania

Sophia Hamis Assenga

Amnah Feisal Amin Ibuni

Zainab Katimba

Lucky Komba

Gamariel Mboya

Joshua Nassari

Bernard Otieno

Clemence Shuma

Zambia

Bwalya Maketo

Francis Mbewe

Chubili Moses

Regina Mtonga

Dr. Lubeya Mwansa

Thandiwe Mweetwa

Paul Shalala

Zimbabwe

Takunda Chingonzo

Willson Chivhanga

Godfrey Kurauone

Upenyu Makoni-Matenga

Tinevimbo Terry-Anne Matambanadzo

Nqobile Q. Moyo

Siphiwe Moyo

Tinoda Moyo

See full profiles of the participants HERE

Photo Credit: Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images