A policy-focused NGO, the Cheetahs Policy Institute, has trained twenty young Nigerian leaders in Ibadan during a two-day Public Policy Leadership Bootcamp held from September 12–13, 2025, aimed at equipping participants with analytical skills, practical tools, and ethical values to address Africa’s policy challenges.
The bootcamp opened with Introduction to African Public Policy, facilitated by Dr. Dotun Famoriyo, founder of the Institute. Participants explored the historical foundations of governance, colonial legacies, and the influence of policy on social outcomes.
Dr. Famoriyo stressed that policy decisions shape the distribution of power, resources, and opportunities, urging the cohort to interrogate Africa’s policy frameworks instead of adopting external models.
Following this, Faozy Gazaly led the session on Key Policy Challenges in Africa, assessing urgent issues such as inequality, poverty, fragile institutions, and environmental risks. Gazaly encouraged participants to generate solutions rooted in local realities rather than rely on foreign strategies that often fall short in African contexts.
During the discussions, participant Adewunmi Adebimpe raised concerns about how evidence is applied in policymaking in Africa, highlighting the risk of adopting borrowed models instead of solutions grounded in local realities.
Other facilitators broadened participants’ perspectives across critical areas. Bayonle Fesobi led the session on Education Policy in Africa, examining challenges of access, equity, and quality, while highlighting creative solutions for improving learning outcomes. Like Fesobi, Stephen Oyedemi delivered Tools and Techniques for Analysing Public Policy, introducing evaluation methods, data-driven processes, and assessment frameworks to aid participants in turning research into actionable outcomes.
Abdulhammed Musodiq Adeniyi facilitated a session on Climate Policy in Africa, stressing mitigation, adaptation, and the continent’s exposure to climate impacts. Chief Solomon Adewole addressed the International Dimensions of African Public Policy, explaining how foreign investment, development aid, and trade influence domestic priorities, urging participants to adopt a strategic view of global factors.
Dr. Ayodeji Ogunleye handled Health Policy in Africa, examining systemic gaps in healthcare delivery and sharing examples of successful models across the continent. Dumebi Mercy facilitated the wrap-up session, helping participants synthesise insights and frame actionable strategies for their communities.
One highlight of the bootcamp was a pitch competition where participants presented innovative community projects and policy solutions. The competition, judged by Dr. Ayodeji Ogunleye and Tosin Ogundeyi, Executive Director of IFREME, tested participants’ analytical capacity, creativity, and planning skills while demanding persuasive presentations before experts.
Participants described the event as transformative. A participant, Sofiyyat Bolanle Lawal reflected,
“The program challenged my assumptions about policymaking. It pushed me to think critically and develop solutions that truly reflect African realities.”
Others noted the sessions built their confidence to take part in policy conversations, advocate reforms, and approach leadership with innovation, integrity, and creativity.
As one participant, Oyejobi Damola, a data analyst, remarked;
“The bootcamp showed me that leadership is not just about holding positions. It is about understanding problems deeply, listening to communities, and creating solutions that work in our context.”
