From Potential to Public Leadership: Equipping Africa’s Next Generation to Lead, Negotiate and Deliver
On 5 September 2026, the Youth Leadership Cohort – Model UN General Assembly 2026 held its first training session for members of the 2026 cohort under the theme, “From Potential to Public Leadership: Equipping Africa’s Next Generation to Lead, Negotiate and Deliver.”
The training, held at the All-Africa Students Union, brought together young leaders for an engaging and practical session focused on developing the skills, mindset and professional competencies required to make meaningful contributions to society.
The first session featured insightful presentations on public speaking, legal education, leadership, professional communication and workplace readiness.
Public Speaking, Legal Education and Leadership
One of the speakers, Yudah Brown, a Brand Strategist, Consultant and Content Creator, challenged participants to embrace their present circumstances and begin their leadership journeys from where they are.
Encouraging the cohort members, he stated:
“Start from where you are, not from where you want to be. The best cup of tea is the one in your hands.”
Speaking on public speaking, Brown emphasized that effective public speaking goes beyond simply being able to speak before an audience. He encouraged participants to understand the problems they seek to address and develop the ability to communicate solutions effectively.
He also stressed the importance of practice, self-evaluation and continuous improvement. According to him, aspiring speakers should not be afraid of failure, as repetition and deliberate practice are essential to mastering the art of public speaking.
He encouraged participants to record themselves while speaking, evaluate their performances, identify weaknesses and deliberately work towards improving them.
Legal Education and Content Creation
On legal education, Brown encouraged the young leaders to create valuable and educational content that can make knowledge more accessible to the public.
He noted that educational content can take different forms, including videos, audio content, written scripts and other digital formats, and urged participants to use available platforms to share knowledge and create impact.
Leadership Beyond Positions
Addressing the subject of leadership, Brown explained that leadership is fundamentally about the ability to influence people positively.
He emphasized that one does not necessarily need a formal position or title to become a leader. Rather, leadership can be demonstrated through one's ideas, actions, influence and contribution to society.
He further observed that society is increasingly experiencing an era of leadership through content creation, where individuals can influence conversations, educate communities and inspire change through the content they produce.
Professional Communication and Workplace Readiness
The second speaker, Mr. Bismark Amefianu Kadiafor, Principal Programmes Officer for Capacity Building, Skills Development and Employability, delivered a session on “Professional Communication and Workplace Readiness.”
His presentation focused on equipping participants with practical communication and professional skills that would prepare them for successful transitions into the workplace.
Participants were encouraged to leave the session with four key principles:
• Choose the right channel for the situation.
• Speak and write in a way that makes action easy.
• Listen, clarify and confirm before acting.
• Communicate upward with facts, options and support requests.
Why Professionalism Matters
Kadiafor emphasized that while a degree may open the door to an opportunity, professionalism is what helps keep that door open.
He noted that success on campus often rewards individual performance, whereas workplace success increasingly depends on one's ability to make a dependable contribution while working effectively with others.
He summarized this principle as:
Competence + Conduct + Communication = Trust
Workplace Readiness Is Visible
Participants were reminded that workplace readiness is not only about what a person knows but also about what others can observe in their conduct and performance.
Workplace readiness involves the ability to enter a professional environment and meet reasonable expectations in communication, conduct and task delivery.
The speaker highlighted four important dimensions:
• Knowledge: What I understand — “I know the leave process.”
• Skill: What I can do — “I can prepare clean minutes.”
• Attitude: How I approach work — “I learn from correction.”
• Behaviour: What others observe — “I confirm instructions.”
The Standard for Professional Communication
Kadiafor explained that professional communication succeeds when people arrive at a common understanding and agree on the next action.
He outlined the key components of effective communication as:
Sender: Who needs to communicate?
Message: What is the point?
Channel: Should the communication be through a conversation, phone call, chat or email?
Receiver: Who will interpret the message?
Feedback: What is the response or agreed action?
Context/Noise: Factors such as timing, emotions, distractions, culture and assumptions can distort meaning.
As a practical safety measure, participants were encouraged to use clarification statements such as:
“Please confirm I understood correctly.”
The 4 Ps of Professional Communication
Before speaking or sending a message, participants were encouraged to consider the 4 Ps of Professional Communication:
1. Purpose
What do I need the person to know or do?
2. People
Who is the audience, and what do they need?
3. Politeness
How can I remain respectful without becoming vague?
4. Precision
What facts, deadlines or actions need to be communicated?
For example, instead of sending the vague message:
“Please help me.”
A more effective professional message would be:
“Please review the attached two-page concept note by 3:00 p.m. so I can submit the final version today.”
The latter makes the requested action, deadline and purpose clear.
Writing Emails That Get Responses
The session also highlighted the importance of writing professional emails that make it easy for the recipient to understand and respond to the request.
An effective email should contain:
• A clear subject line
• A professional greeting
• Brief context
• A specific request
• A clear deadline, where necessary
• A professional closing
Participants were advised to avoid empty subject lines, excessive use of capital letters, slang, writing “see attached” without providing context, and lengthy paragraphs without a clear action point.
A Commitment to Professional Excellence
The session concluded with a Professional Communication Pledge, encouraging participants to commit themselves to habits that build trust and professionalism.
The commitments included being clear before asking others to take action, communicating early when risks arise, listening before becoming defensive, respecting people's time and deadlines, and building trust through consistent conduct.
The first training session of the Youth Leadership Cohort – Model UN General Assembly 2026 therefore provided participants with more than theoretical knowledge. It offered practical tools for communication, leadership, public speaking and professional development.
As Africa prepares its next generation of leaders, the message from the session was clear: leadership does not begin with a position; it begins with potential, discipline, influence, competence and the willingness to take action.
The journey from potential to public leadership has begun.