Mandela Washington Fellowship: Envoy says over 625 Nigerians beneficiaries
U.S. Consul General Will Stevens says over 625 Nigerians have benefitted from the Mandela Washington Fellowship since its inception in 2014.
This, Stevens said, is nearly one out of every 10 participants in the program across Africa, considering that there had been 6500 fellows from all African countries.
He made this known during a reception organised by the Consulate in honour of the 2024 Class of the fellowship on Thursday night in Lagos.
The consul general charged the new fellows to apply the knowledge gained during the program to the people and communities they served daily.
“We are excited to welcome back the 10th cohort of the Nigerian Mandela Washington Fellows. That means 10 years of sending incredible young leaders to the U.S. to participate in the program.
“Now is when the real work begins. Now is the time to take those things that were learnt and pay them forward to the next generation.”
According to Stevens, the fellows are an example of the commitment and service required to make the world a better place.
He noted that the program was a way to connect with emerging leaders across a variety of fields, including public service, entrepreneurship, and technology, among others.
“This is because we recognise that the problems that we face are global in nature and the solutions become best when we work together,” Stevens said.
Farida Yahya, President, Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Association of Nigeria (MWFAA), reiterated that Nigeria had the largest body of alumni, totalling 678.
Yahya added that achieving such a milestone in 10 years was significant.
She noted that fellows had been able to hone the vision of former U.S. President Barack Obama and are going back to their communities to make sure they contributed to sustainable development in various key areas.
“It is important that we look to the future. Africa is the future of the world, so we need to watch out for these very innovative and creative fellows, as the next 10 years will be spectacular.”
Oluwatomisin Adeyefa, a journalist, gender and disability rights advocate, and 2024 fellow, said her experience at the University of Maryland was an eye-opener—one of learning, unlearning, and relearning.
According to her, it opened her eyes to see things from other people’s perspectives, made her appreciate Nigeria more, and saw the strength in its diversity.
“The support system given to me as a visually impaired person made me realise that inclusion is possible anywhere in the world.
“It will just take intentional efforts and people and structures being deliberate about including persons with disabilities in all strata of life.
“I will ensure that in my advocacies, the values of this fellowship in leadership, inclusion, diversity, and other areas are upheld to the best of my abilities,” Adeyefa said.
