President and chief executive officer of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has celebrated the Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGLs) and the tremendous potential of this unique World Economic Forum community to develop the next generation of African leaders from all parts of society.
The Young Global Leaders programme is an accelerator for a dynamic community of exceptional young people from all over the world with the vision, courage, and influence to drive positive change in the world.
This philosophy aligned neatly with Aliko Dangote’s vision for an Africa whose people are healthier, better educated, and more empowered through enhanced opportunities for social change through strategic investments that improve health and wellbeing, promote quality education and broaden empowerment opportunities for individuals and communities.
Now in the 12th year of collaboration with the WEF YGL programme, the Aliko Dangote (WEF Africa YGL) Fellows continue to represent the continent on the global stage and give back to their communities in a multiplicity of impactful ways.
The executive director, Dangote Industries, Fatima Dangote expressed happiness at the diversity and high proportion of female fellows in the 2023 Cohort, where the nine chosen YGLs represent the media/arts/entertainment, technology & innovation, health, and government sectors.
The ADF-YGL Lagos Convening which took place on September 8, 2023, was an excellent opportunity for the participating current and alumni YGL Africa Fellows to meet and interact with their patron, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
After a tour of the Fertiliser and the Refinery complex, the immensely impressed alumni were full of praise for their mentor, describing him as ‘the best hope for Africa’.
Aliko Dangote YGL Alum and executive director of African Youth Initiative Network, Victor Ochen from Uganda, said he was extremely impressed with what he saw at the refinery and that the aggressive investment in the project has shown how much faith Aliko Dangote has in the African continent.
According to him, “I am so happy with what Dangote is doing in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. This is a man that is investing in the youth through his foundation and employing tens of thousands of Africans, in his various plants.
In the same vein, Fatoumata Ba from Senegal, said this trip to the Refinery has further fueled her ambition to put in all it takes into what she does and make Africa proud the way Dangote is doing.”
Explaining what she does and how YGL has impacted her positively, she said, her company, Janngo is Africa’s largest gender equal tech fund and is backed by top-tier African & International strategic and financial investors; a journey that was made possible through her participation in the YGL programme.
She said: “being a YGL has not only been a great opportunity to amplify our dreams but also an opportunity to promote a culture of peace and growth. We are committed to developing and representing Africa with integrity.”
Managing director/CEO of the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), Zouera Youssoufou, thanked Dangote for his continuous support of the YGLs, and assured him that his investment is not in vain, as the young global leaders are achieving exploits in their respective fields and living up to the expectations of being true African future leaders.
Dangote encouraged the YGLs to put in their best in their various fields and not be discouraged when setbacks occur, because those are to be expected.
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