MAELF 2026: Over 80 Young Nigerians Complete Leadership Training, Receive ₦17m Startup Grants

More than 80 young Nigerians have received leadership training, mentorship and startup grants worth over ₦17 million under the maiden edition of the Mustapha Abdullahi Energy Leadership Fellowship (MAELF) 2026, an initiative aimed at nurturing the next generation of leaders in Nigeria’s energy sector.

The week-long residential fellowship, sponsored by the director-general and chief executive officer of the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), Dr. Mustapha Abdullahi, through the DAM Foundation in partnership with the APC National Youth Wing, equipped participants with skills in leadership, energy policy, entrepreneurship, innovation, governance and sustainable development.

The programme culminated in a graduation ceremony in Abuja on Friday, where outstanding fellows received startup grants ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million to support innovative business ideas and community development projects.

Speaking at the ceremony, Abdullahi said the fellowship was created to raise a new generation of ethical, innovative and visionary leaders capable of advancing Nigeria’s energy transition and contributing to national development.

“As I look around this hall today, I see not just graduates of a fellowship programme; I see ambassadors of hope, innovators in waiting, solution providers and future architects of Nigeria’s energy future,” he said.

He commended the participants for their discipline, commitment to learning and ability to build friendships across regional, ethnic and religious divides throughout the programme.

“You came here with curiosity. You embraced learning with humility. You challenged ideas respectfully, collaborated with one another and demonstrated that Nigerian youths, when given the right opportunity, possess limitless potential,” he said.

Abdullahi urged the fellows to make integrity, excellence and service the foundation of their leadership journey.

“Certificates may open doors, but character sustains leadership. Knowledge may create opportunities, but integrity preserves them. Influence may attract followers, but service is what builds lasting legacies,” he added.

He stressed that the energy sector extends beyond electricity generation and infrastructure, describing it as a critical driver of economic growth, poverty reduction, improved healthcare, education and industrial development.

Throughout the fellowship, participants engaged in lectures, policy dialogues, innovation workshops and mentorship sessions with senior government officials, academics, development experts and private sector leaders, including the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh (SAN), Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande, former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim, REA Managing Director Engr. Abba Abubakar Aliyu and APC National Youth Leader Dayo Israel.

The organisers said the fellowship marks a significant milestone in the DAM Foundation’s commitment to youth empowerment and human capital development and is expected to become an annual platform for nurturing future leaders in Nigeria’s energy sector.