Driving Societal Progress: ALIWA Restates Commitment to Leadership Development

By NAN

In its ongoing effort to drive leadership transformation, the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa (ALIWA) has reiterated its commitment to strengthening institutions, improving governance, and driving social progress across West Africa.

The President of ALIWA, Nigeria Chapter, Mr Soji Apampa, made this known at a media briefing in Lagos on Thursday.

Apampa emphasised that dialogue and values-based leadership were critical to addressing Africa’s most complex challenges.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ALIWA is part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network, a global community of over 4,000 values-based leaders committed to addressing society’s most pressing challenges. 

NAN reports that through its Fellowship and Youth Leadership Programs, ALIWA equips leaders across sectors with the clarity and conviction to move from success to significance.

NAN reports that ALIWA, as a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN), ALIWA connects its Fellows to a global community of over 4,000 high-integrity, entrepreneurial leaders spanning business, government, and civil society in more than 60 countries.

Apampa told newsmen in Lagos that ALIWA believed that societies progress when leaders choose dialogue over conflict, values over power, and service over self-interest. 

The president said ALIWA was building a community of leaders who understand that leadership does not require a title or position, but a commitment to act in the public interest and to help build systems that work for the greater good.

He said: "ALIWA’s immersive Fellowship challenges leaders to reflect deeply on values, ethics, power, and responsibility. 

"Participants engage in rigorous dialogue, peer learning, ethical reflection, and decision-making under pressure, supported by long-term networks that foster accountability and action. 

"Its flagship ALIWA Fellowship Programme prepares senior leaders to confront Africa’s unique challenges, broaden their perspectives, and lead communities toward a more equitable and just society. 

"The ALIWA Youth Leadership Programme extends this approach to emerging leaders, equipping them with the principles of values-based leadership to address critical developmental challenges and create positive change in their communities."

Speaking on the importance of the initiative, the Executive Director, ALIWA, Mrs Ayo Maji said ALIWA was about moving leaders from success to significance. 

According to her, we are challenging a generation of leaders to look beyond personal achievement and ask a deeper question —what responsibility do I carry to my society? 

The executive director said their fellowship was designed to shape leaders who were grounded in values, committed to ethical decision-making, and prepared to use their influence to strengthen institutions and improve lives.

She said: " A key feature of ALIWA’s approach is the emphasis on ventures and initiatives led by Fellows. 

"These ventures, whether social enterprises, policy interventions, or civic initiatives, are designed to translate leadership learning into tangible societal impact. 

"By creating programs, institutions, and initiatives that address community needs, Fellows extend the reach of ALIWA’s principles beyond individual development, fostering innovation, accountability, and sustainable solutions that strengthen institutions and improve the lives of communities across West Africa.

Maji said through its programs, networks, and the impactful ventures of its Fellows, ALIWA continued to develop leaders capable of driving sustainable change, fostering ethical leadership, collaboration, and systems-oriented thinking, and contributing to the long-term progress of communities, institutions, and society as a whole.

She said in line with this purpose, the Fellowship recently launched its National Leadership Dialogue, a forum designed to bring leaders together to tackle pressing societal and institutional challenges through constructive dialogue and shared learning.

Maji said: "Founded over 20 years ago, ALIWA is a regional leadership development organisation affiliated with the Aspen Institute, USA, and is established through a collaboration between Databank Foundation (Ghana) and LEAP Africa (Nigeria). 

"The organisation is guided by the vision of creating a “Good Society”—a just, equitable, and sustainable society.

"Where opportunities are accessible to all, and is committed to developing the next generation of community-spirited leaders in Africa who move from “success to significance” while being equipped to meet the challenges of 21st-century leadership."

She said ALIWA brought together high-achieving, cross-sector leaders from Business and Finance, Public Service and Policy, Technology and Entrepreneurship, and Civil Society and Media across four West African nations - Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. 

According to her, Fellows are senior leaders dedicated to ethical decision-making, long-term societal impact, and the transformation of institutions. 

NAN