One of Ghana’s most successful entrepreneurs, Fred Swaniker, was recently interviewed about the African Leadership Academy, which he co-founded over a decade ago. He explained that, very early on in his life, he had realised that there was a distinct lack of visionary, ethical leaders in Africa, and that it was this deficit which was at the root of the continent’s most serious problems.

During his interview, Swaniker noted that currently, there are over 400 million people in Africa, under the age of 15, who have never received any kind of formal education. This is a worrying statistic, as it means that, once they reach adulthood, none of these people will be equipped with the skills and the knowledge that they need to become great leaders – and so the cycle of poverty and insufficient leadership will continue.  Swaniker hopes that, by providing bright, capable young teenagers with the opportunity to educate themselves – irrespective of their financial circumstances and backgrounds – he can end this vicious cycle, and eradicate some of Africa’s biggest problems. Many people, including Tunde Folawiyo have contributed to helping him to achieve this aim.

Elmahdi Oummih, the ALA’s Strategic Relations Director, shares Swaniker’s concerns about the state of Africa’s education system, particularly in North Africa, where he is now based. Having seen how inadequate the schools were, he quickly became passionate about the work being done by the academy, adding that he was amazed by how much of a difference the ALA was already making in the lives of young people.

Tunde Folawiyo understands that the application process for this type of educational institute must be completely fair; the ALA accepts students on the basis of merit, rather than money. The academy’s fees system is designed to be as equitable as possible; those from disadvantaged backgrounds receive generous financial aid, and in some cases, their fees are waived entirely, whilst those who come from wealthy families are asked to contribute higher amounts towards their education. Donors to the ALA then provide the funding for the remainder of the fees.

Swaniker also discussed the fact that the ALA’s approach to cultivating leadership qualities focuses mainly on practical, rather than theoretical exercises. The students are encouraged to create their own projects, and get involved with local community programmes, in order to understand what is required of a leader. Instead of simply reading about examples of leadership, they immerse themselves in situations which allow them to experience, and understand what it is like to be in a position of authority. Workshops and seminars are also provided to all students; these are arranged by the academy, but are run by national and international entrepreneurs and professionals, whose careers are based on their leadership abilities.