SONGHAI LEADERSHIP ACADEMY: 25 CANDIDATES FOR A SECOND BATCH

Six months to open their eyes to acquire knowledge that will transform them into leaders capable of creating goods and services that meet the needs and desires of African communities. This is what motivated the twenty-five (25) aspiring leaders who have successfully participated in the short-listing and final selection phases of candidates applying for the second batch of Songhai Leadership Academy (SLA) program.

On Friday, April 15, 2016, launching day of the training, they met with the Director of Songhai Centre, Fr Godfrey Nzamujo who discussed about the objectives of SLA program. The goals of this program, he told them, is “to really open our eyes to change vision, to change our ways of doing.” Because, he says, “… we still use in the 21^st century the old world map while it is out of date.” He then deducted that “The old view is outdated.” That is why, he insisted, “… we need a new vision based on the realities of today’s world.”

To enroll in this logic of ”new vision”, the aspiring leaders must learn to shine their eyes. What Songhai Centre will strive to do with them, throughout their training so that they are equipped with the skills required. And the first skill as Fr Nzamujo made them understand is “knowledge“, Songhai, being a “knowledge enterprise“. They must then show “discipline, determination and passion” as he says, we must “work before enjoying“; because “nothing is easy“; “truth” because it is the “process of search for knowledge“; “judgment and prudence”, thus “wisdom”, because without ability to judge every moment to challenge and define new ways of doing, we risk falling into the abyss.

SLA is an ambitious innovative training program designed and implemented by Songhai Centre, with support from the French Development Agency. It aims at training in three years some one hundred and eighty leaders in the Songhai culture and who are able to effectively fight the battle of the socio-economic and sustainable development, to lift Africa and the world from poverty, food insecurity, unemployment and youth employment, environmental crises. The twenty-four aspiring leaders of the second batch are from Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Congo Brazzaville, Ghana, Haiti, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Togo.

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