By Vera Samuel Anyagafu
THE EducationUSA in Nigeria has urged Nigerian youth to take the opportunity of the Mandela Washington Fellowship to contribute to building their society.

The Mandela Washington Fellowship, a flagship program of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative, encourages Nigerian youth to access a 6 weeks training course at any top US university in areas such as, Civic Leadership, Public Management, Business and Entrepreneurship.

The program expects eligible Nigerian candidates between the ages of 25 and 35 at the time of application, who have demonstrated track record of leadership in a public, private, or civic organization, and a commitment to contributing their skills and talents to build and serve their communities.

As a key part of the US commitment to invest in the future of Africa, the EducationUSA is pleased to announce that applications for the 2017 Mandela Washington Fellowship has begun and interested candidates should visit the Information Resource Center at the US Embassy in Abuja or US Consulate General in Lagos.

Meanwhile, nearly one in three Africans are between the ages of 10 and 24, and around 60 percent of Africa’s total population is below the age of 35.  The Mandela Washington Fellowship is part of the President’s overall effort to invest in the education and training of the continent’s next generation of leaders.

Since its inception, 186 young Nigerians have participated in the Fellowship, and over 45,000 young professionals in Nigeria have joined the YALI network.  In 2016, 100 young Nigerians participated in the Fellowship.