International Youth Leadership Academy

The International Youth Leadership Academy is a short-term (two to six week) exchange program offering an accelerated course for in-school students in Nigeria and the United States. The Leadership Academy seeks to develop a critical mass of youth leaders who value their African and African-American heritage, and embrace democratic freedom and economic security as the primary mechanisms for propelling Nigeria into a model of African economic power.

Over the next 10 years, the Academy seeks to prepare 300,000 youth for leadership. The Academy also seeks to develop ethical and responsible future leaders; teach the principles of democracy and public service; nurture and develop empathy and sensitivity to the needs of the underprivileged, the underserved, and the environment; and teach the skills of entrepreneurship and benefits of a free market economy. The curriculum also emphasizes Nigerian and African languages, culture, and artistic expression.

The Academy also offers a summer school in Nigeria. This is a two-week college exchange program for US-born/raised students of Nigerian and African ancestry. This program helps young adults learn about opportunities to participate in Nigeria's socio-economic development; establish ties with Nigerians in Nigeria; and share American values of democratic governance, free market enterprise, and global security with Nigerians.