The third edition of the Africa Emerging Leaders Conference and Awards (AfELCA) was successfully held on 28 August 2026 at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos, bringing together emerging leaders, policymakers, professionals, business executives and development advocates from across Africa.
Organised by the West African Leadership and Empowerment Centre (WALEC), the conference was held under the theme, “Strengthening Leadership for Africa’s Sustainable Future.” It created a platform for discussions on leadership development, institutional growth, youth empowerment and stronger collaboration across the continent.
Participants examined the responsibility of African institutions to prepare young people for leadership and give them meaningful opportunities to contribute to economic and social development.
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Speaking at the conference, Fodeba Daboh, Director-General of the Sierra Leone Local Content Agency, delivered remarks titled, “Leading the Future: Empowering Africa’s Next Generation of Transformational Leaders.”
Daboh said Africa’s growing youth population should be treated as a mandate for governments, institutions and industry leaders to create the systems, opportunities and trust required for the next generation to lead.
“The question is no longer if the next generation of African leaders will arrive. They are already here. The real question is if we are building the systems, platforms and trust required for them to lead,” he said.
Drawing from the work of the Sierra Leone Local Content Agency, he explained that local content policies should extend beyond employment targets and procurement quotas. According to him, they can also serve as practical leadership development platforms by placing young professionals and entrepreneurs in environments where major economic decisions are made.
He noted that structured local participation can give young engineers project management experience, connect local entrepreneurs with multinational companies and prepare professionals to contribute to decisions involving national resources.
Daboh identified competence, institution-building, integrity and regional solidarity as important qualities for Africa’s next generation of transformational leaders. He encouraged young professionals to focus on mastering their fields and building systems that can continue beyond individual leadership tenures.
“Africa does not lack talented individuals. What we have too often lacked is talented individuals who build institutions that outlast them,” he said.
He also described integrity as essential infrastructure for emerging leaders, particularly in sectors where contracts, allocations and regulatory decisions require public trust.
The responsibility for developing the next generation, he added, does not rest primarily with young people. Government agencies, regulators, companies and established leaders must create deliberate pathways through which emerging professionals can gain practical experience and assume greater responsibilities.
Daboh called for internships that provide real project exposure, skills-transfer agreements that are properly monitored and supplier development programmes that lead to actual contracts for local businesses.
He also emphasised the importance of structured mentorship, clear pathways for local firms to progress from subcontractors to primary contractors and the publication of data measuring local participation.
“To my fellow institutional leaders and policymakers, let us commit to moving beyond youth engagement as rhetoric. Let us open our boardrooms, project sites and decision-making tables to the next generation, not as an act of generosity, but as sound institutional strategy,” he said.
The conference also reinforced the value of collaboration among African countries. Daboh encouraged emerging and established leaders to build partnerships across borders, noting that isolated national achievements would not be sufficient to secure the continent’s sustainable future.
AfELCA 2026 concluded with an awards segment recognising individuals for leadership, innovation, professional excellence and contributions to social impact across Africa.
The Lagos gathering followed the first two editions held in Accra, Ghana, and further strengthened AfELCA’s position as a platform for leadership conversations, professional networking and cross-border partnerships.
Daboh congratulated WALEC and the conference organisers for creating a platform that celebrates achievement while renewing the responsibility of African leaders to prepare those coming behind them.
“Africa’s future will not be led by a single generation acting alone. It will be led by an unbroken chain of transformational leaders, each one deliberately equipped, tested and trusted by those who came before them,” he said.
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