Cross section of participants at the just concluded 2024 cohort
The Nonprofit Leadership and Management Youth Academy (NPLMYA) Programme recently concluded its intensive 9-week journey starting from May 2 to July 5, 2024, and empowering young and emerging African nonprofit professionals to be better managers and leaders in their respective thematic focus areas. This transformative programme which held at the Lagos Business School campus was designed to enhance the managerial capacity of participants aged 18 to 35, equipping them with essential skills in leadership effectiveness, business fundamentals, and social innovation.
The hybrid programme featured a blend of online and physical sessions. From May 2nd to June 28th 2024, participants engaged in online workshops and discussions, diving into various aspects of nonprofit management. This was followed by immersive physical sessions on July 4 and 5, 2024, where participants gathered to consolidate their learning and network with peers and experts in the field.
Participants were put to task in comprehensive learning experiences covering various topics crucial for nonprofit leadership. These included developing authentic leadership styles and strategic planning skills, understanding governance, board leadership, organisational structure, and learning best practices in managing teams and volunteers. The programme also covered financial management, fundraising, donor engagement, feminist leadership principles and social business models for innovation.
With the generous support of Ford Foundation West Africa, the programme enabled participants with the skills, insights and knowledge to to build purposeful careers and organisations in the nonprofit sector designed for resonating social impact. Through sessions like ‘Pitch Perfect!: Developing your Personal Brand’ and ‘Leveraging Social Media for Social Change,’ participants learned how to elevate their voices and effectively communicate their impact. The programme explored in-depth a broad spectrum of organisational demands, including building personal and organisational values, understanding the legal landscape and risk management, strategic fundraising, investing, supply chain management, essentials of planning, monitoring and evaluation, building high-impact partnerships and leveraging social media.
(L-R)Oreva Atanya, Director, LBS Sustainability Centre; Osayi Alile, Guest Facilitator and CEO, ACT Foundation; Osanua Nwagbara, Programme Manager, NPLMYA; Dr Emeka Azinge, Faculty, Lagos Business School.
The Nonprofit Leadership and Management Youth Academy Programme has successfully prepared a new generation of leaders to tackle the challenges and opportunities in the nonprofit sector. Participants now stand ready to lead important social innovation initiatives with refined tools and greater confidence. As we celebrate this cohort’s achievements, we look forward to witnessing the positive impact these emerging leaders will create in their communities and beyond, underscoring the importance of continued investment in developing young leaders who are passionate about driving social change.
Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the LBS Faculty body, NPLM Senior Fellow Olufunke Baruwa, guest facilitators Osayi Alile, Adenike Adeyemi, Fabia Ogunmekan, Oluseun Onigbinde, Yewande Senbore, Ndifreke Okwuegbunam, and Utibe Henshaw, various subject matter expert facilitators, guest speakers, and partners who brought their expertise and passion to bear on this transformative journey for the participants. Your intellectual investments have made a lasting impression on both the participants and the direction nonprofit leadership is taking. More than anything else, we urge the 2024 NPLMYA cohort to stay focused, energised and inspired in their journey to deliver social good to a world in dire need of it.
Cross section of participants in class
Lagos Business School is Africa’s leading management education institution and the LBS Sustainability Centre is a leading knowledge centre that brings together the theory and practice on business and sustainability for the advancement of performance and development outcomes. For more information about the 2025 cohort of the Nonprofit Leadership and Management Programme Youth Academy (NPLMYA) programme by the Lagos Business School Sustainability Centre, please contact sustainabilitycentre@lbs.edu.ng. Together let’s create more social investments for Africa and Africans. See our programmes at https://lbssustainabilitycentre.edu.ng/training
