The U.S. Mission in Nigeria hosted a welcome reception on December 9 to celebrate 54 young Nigerian professionals who successfully completed the 2025 Mandela Washington Fellowship (MWF) for Young African Leaders.
Selected from a pool of more than 7,400 applicants, the Fellows represent Nigeria’s finest talents in business and entrepreneurship, civic leadership, and public management.
Delivering remarks at the Lagos event, U.S. Consul General Rick Swart welcomed them into the 14,000‑strong U.S. government exchange alumni community, urging them to uphold the highest standards of leadership and use their U.S. experiences to strengthen both Nigeria and the United States.
“The experiences you gained and the networks you forged during your exchange program in the United States will continue to shape and elevate the work you do here at home, driving positive change that will resonate for generations to come,” Swart said.
The ceremony also honored 10 outstanding alumni whose achievements exemplify the fellowship’s values of leadership, integrity, innovation, collaboration, and service.
- Aishah Buba – Trailblazer Award for pioneering mental health advocacy.
- Olusola Owonikoko & Emmanuel Mimshach Obioha – Alumni Collaboration Awards for advancing partnerships across MWF, YALI, and U.S. alumni networks.
- Debola Deji‑Kurunmi & Grace Jerry – Leadership & Distinguished Service Awards for contributions to leadership development and disability advocacy.
- Adepeju Jaiyeoba – Leadership in Business: Enterprise & Innovation Award for founding Mother’s Delivery Kit.
- Ifedayo Durosinmi‑Etti – Future Forward & Technology Award for founding Herconomy.
- Asher Adeniyi – Job Creation & Youth Empowerment Award as CEO of Gidijobs and Eazipay.
- Oluwafunke Adeoye – Leadership in Civic Engagement Award for advancing justice for vulnerable communities.
- Chimdi Neliaku – Leadership in Public Management Award for strengthening public institutions and mentoring ethical public servants.
Since its establishment in 2014, the Mandela Washington Fellowship has produced thousands of leaders across Africa.
Nigeria remains the largest contributor, with 678 Fellows out of 7,800 participants in sub‑Saharan Africa.
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