Initiative urges Builders to know their local leaders, engage their communities and take action on governance challenges
The Forge Project Africa has challenged young Africans within its Builders community to identify and take action on at least one problem affecting their local communities, as the organisation begins a broader effort to encourage practical participation in local governance across Africa.
The call was made during the inaugural webinar of The Forge Project Africa, held on Saturday, August 29, 2026, under the theme, “Strengthening Local Governance Through Young African Leadership.”
The virtual event brought together the organisation's founders, Faculty Advisors and members of the Builders community for a conversation focused on local governance, ethical leadership and the responsibility of young Africans to contribute to the development of their communities.
Opening the webinar, Omobolaji Sampson welcomed participants and introduced the focus of the conversation, noting the importance of looking beyond national politics to understand how governance affects people at the community level.
She subsequently handed over to the Chief Executive Officer of The Forge Project Africa, Comrade Bolu Michael-Biyi, who introduced the organisation and explained its vision of developing a new generation of young African leaders equipped to understand local governance, serve their communities and lead with integrity.
The webinar's main conversation was moderated by Tola Grillo, who guided discussions between Michael-Biyi and Dr. Ikechukwu Agbo on the importance of local governance and the role of young African leadership.
Speaking on why local governance matters, Dr. Agbo explained that citizens often experience government most directly through services and decisions made at the local level. He emphasised that local government is where trust is built and where leadership can be tested through its direct impact on communities.
The discussion also stressed that young Africans should move beyond simply complaining about poor governance and begin taking responsibility for what happens within their communities.
Michael-Biyi reinforced the importance of developing young leaders who are prepared not only to discuss governance but to understand problems, take initiative and contribute to practical solutions.
The conversation reflected the central philosophy behind The Forge Project Africa, which seeks to build a pipeline of ethical and capable young Africans who can contribute meaningfully to local governance and community development.
Faculty Advisors Share Perspectives
The webinar also featured contributions from FORGE Faculty Advisors Paschal Offordum, Ibukunoluwa Adebayo, Motolani Abe and Nathaniel Ojobo, who offered different perspectives on the challenges and opportunities surrounding local governance and leadership development.
Offordum highlighted the influence of society on young people's understanding of leadership, noting that young leaders can sometimes reproduce the same negative behaviours they observe among existing leaders. He suggested that deliberate leadership development can help reshape how young people understand public service and governance.
Adebayo, drawing from his background in technology project management and entrepreneurship, spoke about the importance of reindustrialisation and digital governance in addressing challenges such as rural to urban migration. He also encouraged young people to seek leadership roles within their communities and develop a better understanding of public policy.
Motolani Abe focused on the quality of people entering politics and the need to intentionally groom future leaders. She also challenged the negative perception of political participation and emphasised the role of parenting and societal values in shaping future leaders.
Ojobo stressed the need to move young people's potential into practical action, particularly at the local government level. He also highlighted the importance of legal and institutional support for local governments, including financial autonomy that can enable them to perform their responsibilities more effectively.
Meet the Builders
A major part of the webinar was the “Meet the Builders” segment, which provided an opportunity to introduce members of the FORGE community and hear directly from young people involved in the initiative.
The segment was led by Omobolaji Sampson, who introduced Builders Folashade Ogunnaike and Adeniran Samson and highlighted the importance of the Builders to the FORGE vision.
Ogunnaike explained that she was attracted to FORGE because of its mission to create a platform and support system for talented young people to develop into leaders. She also identified drug abuse prevention and youth engagement as areas where she would like to see meaningful community action.
Adeniran Samson spoke about the practical approach of FORGE to local governance and highlighted the need for education and community enlightenment to address issues such as drug abuse and political thuggery.
Both Builders were challenged to think beyond identifying problems and consider practical steps they could take to create change within their communities.
The discussion reinforced a central message from the webinar: young people do not have to wait until they hold political office before they can begin contributing to their communities.
From Discussion to Action
One of the clearest outcomes of the inaugural webinar was a set of practical expectations for the FORGE Builders community.
Members were encouraged to identify and take action on one local problem in their respective communities.
They were also encouraged to know their local government chairman and ward councillor, understand the major issues affecting their local government area and become more familiar with how governance works around them.
Builders were further encouraged to report local governance failures, successes and other relevant developments to The Forge Project Africa. Such information may be amplified through the platform, commended where good work is being done or brought to wider attention where intervention or accountability is needed.
The initiative also called on members to serve as FORGE ambassadors in their localities by engaging actively with their communities and contributing to conversations around governance and development.
Watch: FORGE Inaugural Webinar Highlights 1
Watch: FORGE Inaugural Webinar Highlights 2
Building Beyond the Webinar
The inaugural webinar also provided an overview of activities expected to continue within the FORGE community.
These include personal and professional development sessions, newsletters, spotlight features, the FORGE Fellowship and other opportunities designed to help members develop their knowledge, networks and leadership capacity.
The organisation also plans to launch the FORGE Report, which will provide further attention to local governance issues across Africa.
The webinar concluded with Dr. Agbo encouraging members to become active ambassadors for FORGE and to use the platform to share information about governance issues and positive developments within their communities.
The inaugural event ultimately presented a simple challenge to the young Africans who make up the FORGE community: know your community, understand its challenges and take action.
For The Forge Project Africa, the goal is not simply to produce young people who can speak about leadership, but to develop people who are prepared to practise it through responsibility, integrity and measurable community impact.
All well said
ReplyDeletePost a Comment