UNDP, African School Launch Women Leadership Academy

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the African School of Governance Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Kigali, Rwanda, to create the African Academy for Women in Political Leadership. This initiative is the first significant outcome of the West Africa Women’s Political Leadership Forum held in Abuja.

The five-year partnership, signed by Dr. Jide Okeke, Director of the UNDP Regional Programme for Africa, aims to strengthen women's participation in governance through leadership development, mentorship, campaign financing, coalition-building, and training aligned with Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The inaugural cohort includes 40 ministers, parliamentarians, mayors, and party leaders from 28 African countries and the Caribbean, selected from over 1,300 applicants. Participants are currently engaged in leadership sessions in Kigali.

Women leaders at the Abuja forum emphasized the need for education, capacity strengthening, and support systems for women aspiring to leadership, with a focus on overcoming structural barriers and increasing women's representation in politics.