His Imperial Majesty, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, through his Royal African Young Leadership Forum (RAYLF) is celebrating its fourth year by recognising and honouring 100 exceptional young individuals from 39 African countries.
The five-day event, with the theme: ‘Africa of the Future – Better Together’, started on July 9 and to conclude on July 14 and aims to foster the spirit of collective progress and development. The week-long event will feature a range of activities, including a state dinner at the Lagos State House, visits to the Dangote Refinery and the Ogun State Governor, and a cultural and educational tour of Ile-Ife town and Obafemi Awolowo University.
According to the Ooni, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, “Africa’s young population is the continent’s greatest asset, and it is crucial that we empower them to drive sustainable development and achieve our shared aspirations. These honourees have made significant contributions in various areas such as governance and leadership, innovation and technology, entrepreneurship and empowerment, creative culture, and academic excellence in their respective communities and beyond.
“The week-long event has kicked off across Nigeria (Lagos, Ogun, and Osun states) since Tuesday and will end on Sunday. To familiarise its members with its scope and vision, various programmes were created to offer a dynamic experience that will inspire its members to chart new inspiring courses in their respective fields.
“The itinerary will include cultural and educational tours in Ile-Ife, and courtesy visits to various state houses in Lagos, Ogun, and Osun states that will provide members with a rare opportunity to meet and share ideas with state governors. There will also be an additional visit to former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, at his residence.
“My greatest joy is the success story that RAYLF has produced in the last five years”, he said.
To deepen the drive for commerce, entrepreneurial advancements, public engagement, and governance leveraging technological advancements, various initiatives have been launched to support these key areas for sustainable development. The event is set to unveil the WIBN WOMB project fund with SMEDAN.
“For us, RAYLF in 2024 is to consider how the continent can improve for each and every one of us. Another project that will emerge from the forum is the Royal African Chamber of Commerce (RACC), which will bring about ‘African Leopards’. African Leopards are the ones to turn around things both in the private and public sectors. What we are doing is to create a very formidable platform out of Africa”, Ogunwusi concluded.
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