Nigerian youths are pressed for action and eager to lead and create change. However, there are questions about whether they have all the knowledge and skills required to succeed in such positions. Do they have the right models to follow? Do they fully understand what it means to lead themselves first and then others?
To bridge this gap, LEAP Africa designed the Youth Leadership Development Programme to equip undergraduates in tertiary institutions with the skills, knowledge and resources needed to play active roles in nation-building, community development and policy advocacy.
Are you a Nigerian undergraduate passionate about driving meaningful change in your community and speaking up about key national issues? Here’s your chance! The Nigerian Youth Futures Fund Youth Leadership Development Programme 2025 is seeking to make you an activist for social change!
The 2025 Cohort has two key thematic focus areas. To be a member of the cohort this year, you are welcome to submit a project proposal under one of the focus areas.
Facilitating Good Governance
Transparency & Accountability in Governance
Got a project that will support members of your community to request for accountability in governance?
Voter Education
As 2025 ushers in preparations for National elections in 2027, how well do your community members know about their rights as voters?
Are members of your immediate student community aware of how elections are conducted at student representative level? What can be changed in how elections are run in your institution?
National Policy Engagement
Do members of your community know the provisions of the National Youth Policy?
Are there policy reforms that you can advocate for?
What are the policies attainable in your school community? What can you do to change them?
Social Media Advocacy
How would you use digital platforms to amplify governance issues and promote the inclusion of student voices in university administration decisions and policy decisions at national level?
Resolving Fundamental National Questions
Group Conflict Resolution & Peacebuilding
Do you have a project idea that will foster unity in your immediate community?
What can you do about communal and inter-tribal conflicts around your choice community?
Gender & Social Inclusion
Do you have a project idea that will Advocate for inclusive policies on your campus or any other community of your choosing?
Civic Rights Awareness
Can your project idea empower your community members to know their rights?
Can your project provide aid for students facing injustice within and outside the campus?
Eligibility
Participants must be between 18-35 years of age;
Participants must be undergraduate students at any tertiary institution in Nigeria;
Participants must be available to participate in the program for the 5-month period;
Participants must commit to at least 85% total participation in the program;
Participants must have a working mobile phone/personal computer and access to stable internet at all times during the program;
Participants must show proof of studentship at the claimed tertiary institution (course form for the current session/ID Card);
Participants must be open to travel at any stage of the program (careful considerations are made so that participants do not miss out significantly on academic activities);
All participants admitted into the program after completing the applications must undergo the 10 compulsory virtual courses before proceeding to the track divisions of their choice.
Benefits
Leadership training & mentorship from top social innovators & policy experts
Access to micro-grants for community change projects
A chance to participate in national debates on key policy issues
Recognition as a youth leader driving change in Nigeria
A vibrant community of young, passionate change-makers
Receive up to N200,000 to N2.5M in grants and other prizes.
