ALUMNI
The YALI
Accountability
and Transparency
Summit
by Diran Adegoke
L -R: Moderator, Dayo Benjamins-Laniyi,
Guest Speaker, Sentell Barnes,
U.S. Embassy Cultural Affairs Officer, Sterling Tilley,
YALI Network Coordinator (U.S. Consulate Lagos) Austin Emeanua
during the summit in Abuja
O
n Tuesday September 4,
2018, delegates of the Young
African Leaders Initiative
(YALI) Network gathered in
Abuja for the YALI Accountability and
Transparency Summit. The summit
was the first national gathering of the
network since its inception in 2014.
The YALI Network in Nigeria consists
of over 120,000 members organized
into state hubs in 23 states, with seven
more hubs scheduled to launch in the
coming weeks.
The YALI Accountability and
Transparency summit was convened
with the goal of enhancing the abilities
of young Nigerians to constructively
raise advocacies that will achieve a
8
more transparent and accountable
leadership at State and Federal levels
in Nigeria. The summit featured panel
sessions, trainings, and a UN-style
assembly that focused on coming up
with ideas and projects of how the
youth can support the government in
delivering the dividends of democracy
to her citizens.
Speaking at the summit, Sterling Tilley,
Cultural Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy
Abuja stated “The YALI Network is a
group of young Nigerians who are not
just talking but are already turning
that talk into action. That is why the
U.S. Embassy is proud to support this
summit in order to amplify your voices
and make your work equally visible
CROSSROADS | December 2018/January 2019
in the national discourse”. Mr. Tilley
also used the occasion to announce the
launch of YALI Network NaijaVotes
campaign, a series of online and in-
person activities aimed at educating
Network members and propel them
to take action to address voter apathy,
vote buying, spread of false information
and hate speech, and election violence,
as Nigeria prepares for her forthcoming
general elections.
The summit ended on Thursday
September 6, 2018 with the drafting
of a 47-point communique addressing
issues of health care delivery,
education, security, trade and
investment; which will be presented to
government and media.