Amb. Entwistle and the 2016 Mandela Washington Fellows on the lawn of the U.S. Embassy.

 One hundred young Nigerians have been selected for entrepreneurship and leadership training in the 2016 Mandela Washington Fellowship in the United States (US), according to United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr James Entwistle.

He spoke in Abuja during a reception organised by the U.S. Embassy for the participants who were selected from six geo-political zones in the country and the Federal Capital Territory.


According to the envoy, the participants would participate in an intensive, six-week programme on academic excellence and leadership on business and entrepreneurship, civic leadership, public management, and renewable energy at U.S. colleges and universities.

“The Mandela Washington Fellowship is the flagship programme of the President’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and a key component of President Barack Obama’s commitment to invest in the future of Africa.  “YALI is an integral part of President Obama’s commitment to invest in the future of Africa.

“The White House developed this initiative in recognition of the critical and increasing role that young Africans are playing in strengthening democratic institutions, spurring economic growth, and enhancing peace and security in Africa,” he said.

The envoy congratulated the new fellows on their competitive selection amongst 10,000 Nigerian applicants and tens of thousands of others throughout Africa.

“Our goal is to select a diverse group, both geographically and socio-economically, representing all segments of Nigeria.

“You represent the best of Nigeria’s youth and the future of the country.

“Your selection says a lot about who you are as young leaders and the level of impact you are having on your communities as entrepreneurs, civic leaders, public servants, and champions of renewable energy,” he said.

He said that 86 Nigerians have participated in the Mandela Washington Fellowship since 2014.
He urged the participants to share what they learn with members of their communities upon returns.

“We hope that you will leverage the U.S. and African connections you have established to their maximum potential,” he said.

Below is the list of fellows

S/N	First Name	Last Name	State Of Origin	Track	Fellowship Institution
1.	Adams	Adeiza	Kogi	Business & Entrepreneurship	Northwestern University
2.	Adamu	Ishiyaku	Gombe	Civic Leadership	Indiana University Bloomington
3.	Adaora	Uche-Ugwonna	Enugu State	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Iowa
4.	Adebola	Williams	Lagos	Business & Entrepreneurship	Clark Atlanta University
5.	Adebukola	Shonibare	Osun	Civic Leadership	Presidential Precinct
6.	Adedayo	Adeniyi	Osun	Civic Leadership	Kansas State University
7.	Adeniyi	Adedokun	Oyo State	Public Management	Bridgewater State University
8.	Ahmed	Ogunlaja	Ogun	Civic Leadership	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
9.	Andidiong	Okon	AkwaIbom	Business & Entrepreneurship	Virginia Commonwealth University
10.	Anita	Tele-Oduloye	Delta	Business & Entrepreneurship	Clark Atlanta University
11.	Anthonia	Abayomi-Ojo	Osun	Civic Leadership	Duquesne University
12.	Apolmida	Tsammani	Bauchi	Public Management	University of Wisconsin-Madison
13.	Arinze	Ekwem	Anambra	Business & Entrepreneurship	Rutgers University
14.	Ayodele	Odeogbola	Ogun State	Public Management	Bridgewater State University
15.	Babafemi	Adebola	Ekiti	Public Management	University of Wisconsin-Madison
16.	Balarabe	Ismail	Kano	Public Management	Ohio State University
17.	Ballason	Gloria	Kaduna	Business & Entrepreneurship	Bridgewater State University
18.	Charity	Isa	Borno State	Civic Leadership	Purdue University
19.	Charity	Isa	Borno State	Public Management	Purdue University
20.	Chidinma	Mbanasor	Abia	Civic Leadership	Wagner College
21.	Chinelo	Uchendu	Anambra	Civic Leadership	University of California, Berkeley
22.	Chinenye	Ezeakor	Enugu	Civic Leadership	Arizona State University
23.	Chukwudi	Anyanaso	Imo State	Public Management	Appalachian State University
24.	Chukwuemeka	Ubaka	Imo	Public Management	Ohio State University
25.	Cosmos	Anweh	Benue	Business & Entrepreneurship	Ohio State University
26.	Danladi Saleh	Idrisa	Borno	Public Management	Virginia Commonwealth University
27.	Dauda	Sanusi	Ogun	Civic Leadership	Purdue University
28.	Ebunoluwa	Farinde	Lagos	Business & Entrepreneurship	Dartmouth College
29.	Edemawan	Ossai	Cross River	Civic Leadership	Arizona State University
30.	Egbuna	Obianuju   Maureen	Anambra	Public Management	Cambridge College
31.	Ehigie	Imarhiagbe	Edo State	Public Management	Ohio State University
32.	Emana	Imona	Cross River	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Maine
33.	Emeka	Ossai	Delta	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Texas at Austin
34.	Emmanuel	Obioha	Imo	Civic Leadership	Drake University In Des Moines, Iowa
35.	Ese	Ovabor	Edo	Energy	Duquesne University
36.	Fadekunayo	Adeniyi	Lagos	Public Management	University of California, Davis
37.	Fatima	Mohammed	Yobe	Energy	University of Illinois
38.	Fatima Oyiza	Ademoh	Kogi	Public Management	University of California, Davis
39.	Feyisara	Ogunranti	Oyo State	Public Management	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
40.	Folahanmi	Aina	Oyo	Business & Entrepreneurship	Syracuse University
41.	Gbenga	Oni	Ekiti	Public Management	Lincoln University (Missouri )
42.	Grace	Ihejiamaizu	Abia	Civic Leadership	Kansas State University
43.	Hadiza	Kasimu	Plateau	Civic Leadership	Presidential Precinct
44.	Hauwa	Liman	Katsina	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Texas at Austin
45.	Hussaini	Saraki	Bauchi	Civic Leadership	University of Delaware
46.	Ibrahim	Sawab	Borno	Civic Leadership	Wagner College
47.	Ibrahim Audu	Salisu	Yobe	Business & Entrepreneurship	Duquesne University
48.	Ifeoluwa	Oluwole	Ondo State	Business & Entrepreneurship	Dartmouth College
49.	Immanuel Charles	Akhimien	Edo	Civic Leadership	University of Notre Dame
50.	Ishaku	Haruna	Gombe State	Civic Leadership	Kansas State University
51.	Jamila	Bashir	Kano	Civic Leadership	Virginia Tech
52.	Jocelyne	Agbo	Enugu State	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Wisconsin-Stout
53.	John Paul	Usman	Kogi	Civic Leadership	Virginia Tech
54.	Jude	Onwujei@Gmail.Com	Delta State	Civic Leadership	Howard University
55.	Juliana	Owolabi	Osun State	Business & Entrepreneurship	Indiana University Bloomington
56.	Kenneth	Ati	Benue	Business & Entrepreneurship	Appalachian State University
57.	Kyela	Gadi	Kaduna	Civic Leadership	University of Maine
58.	Lukman	Lawal	Zamfara	Public Management	University of Iowa
59.	Maalum	Nadine	North West Province	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Notre Dame
60.	Matilda	Kerry	Delta State	Business & Entrepreneurship	Georgia State University
61.	Miriam	Odabe	Ebonyi	Public Management	University of Texas at Austin
62.	Mohammed Kabir	Ibrahim	Adamawa	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Minnesota
63.	Mojisola	Ojebode	Osun	Public Management	University of Wisconsin
64.	Mubarak	Tiamiyu	Oyo	Business & Entrepreneurship	Arizona State University
65.	Muhammad	Abdullahi	Bauchi	Business & Entrepreneurship	Rutgers University
66.	Muhibbat	Abdullahi	Bauchi	Business & Entrepreneurship	Purdue University
67.	Nana	Samuel	Borno State	Business & Entrepreneurship	Lincoln University (Missouri )
68.	Nari	Welye	Adamawa	Public Management	Syracuse University
69.	Nkechi	Okwuone	Delta State	Public Management	Arizona State University
70.	Nneoma	Albert-Benson	Imo State	Business & Entrepreneurship	Arizona State University
71.	Obiefule	Iroabueke	Abia State	Public Management	Georgia State University
72.	Obinna	Ebirim	Imo	Civic Leadership	University of Wisconsin-Madison
73.	Olajide	KabirOluwatosin	Kwara	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Nevada, Reno
74.	Olakunle	Owoeye	Ekiti	Public Management	University of California, Davis
75.	Olanrewaju	Suleiman	Kwara State	Public Management	Drake University
76.	Olorunfunmi	Adebajo	Ogun	Energy	Rutgers University
77.	OlufuntoOpeoluwa T	Akinterinwa	Ondo State	Business & Entrepreneurship	Howard University
78.	Olumide Mukaila	Lawal	Lagos	Civic Leadership	Virginia Commonwealth University
79.	Oluwabusola	Majekodunmi	Lagos	Public Management	University of Minnesota
80.	Oluwaseun	Olaseinde	Ondo State	Public Management	University of Maine
81.	Oluwaseun	Sangoleye	Oyo	Public Management	Clark Atlanta University
82.	Oluwatobi	Popoola	Oyo	Business & Entrepreneurship	Howard University
83.	Oluwatobiloba	Ajayi	Osun	Public Management	Presidential Precinct
84.	Omolara	Rasheed	Ogun	Public Management	Cambridge College
85.	Orondaam	Otto	Rivers State	Civic Leadership	Portland State University
86.	Sylvester	Sede	Bayelsa	Business & Entrepreneurship	Indiana University Bloomington
87.	Temitope Oluwaseun	Okupe	Ogun-State	Civic Leadership	University Of California, Berkeley
88.	Tessie-Nkechi	Udegboka	Anambra	Civic Leadership	Northwestern University
89.	Thaddeus	Akpa	Kogi	Civic Leadership	University of Minnesota
90.	Theophilus	Odaudu	Kogi	Public Management	Syracuse University
91.	Titilope	Babafunso	Osun	Public Management	Georgia State University
92.	Tochukwu	Ikpegbu	Abia	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Iowa
93.	Tolulope	Sangosanya	Ogun State	Civic Leadership	Portland State University
94.	Toochukwu	Emerem	Imo	Business & Entrepreneurship	Virginia Commonwealth University
95.	Tukur	Garba Gada	Sokoto	Public Management	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
96.	Uchenna	Igbokwe	Anambra	Public Management	Florida International University
97.	Vanessa	Willie	Edo State	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Illinois
98.	Veronica	Bakam	Kaduna	Civic Leadership	Clark Atlanta University
99.	Vweta	Chadwick	Delta	Business & Entrepreneurship	University of Delaware
100.	Wasiu Peter	Oladipupo	Ogun State	Business & Entrepreneurship	Purdue University

 Source : sunnewsonline