Amidat Olajide
Reshaping the Future of Africa through Leadership Development
The Fort Institute (TFI) serves young people aged 15–35 across sub-Saharan Africa who are ready to become active and vibrant citizen-leaders, but lack the agency, tools, or opportunities to do so.
Why Leadership?
Africa is rich in leaders but starved of true leadership. With 70% of its population under 30, leadership is often mistaken for power rather than service.
Corruption persists because citizens enable as much as endure it, while institutions reward mediocrity instead of excellence.
Throughout history, nations have risen or fallen not only because of their leaders but because of the citizens they produced.
The urgent challenge is not simply to replace bad leaders but to raise a new generation of active, responsible citizens who lead differently.
Our Theory of Change
If
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Then
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Which
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Ultimately
IF Africa’s leadership crisis is addressed at its root, by transforming people, institutions, and culture.
THEN young people across sub-Saharan Africa will be capable of challenging broken institutional norms and reshaping local and national civic life.
WHICH will result in the rise of community-rooted, youth-led, people-focused solutions that restore political order, advance economic justice, and secure justice and peace.
ULTIMATELY creating lasting and generational impact that reshapes Africa and the world.
The Fort Model
The Fort Model is built for scale. It's big, simple and affordable. Our three-step approach:
Identify
We seek out high-potential young Africans with the drive and character to lead through community outreaches/campaigns, partnerships, and selection processes.
Equip
Our distinct Leadership Development Pathways outlines the journey from identifying high-potential youth to equipping them with the tools to lead while igniting their agency within a community of like-minded peers and mobilising them to drive lasting change in their communities and institutions.
Activate
Most young leaders take initiative from what they’ve learned, driving change through ventures, governance, or local reforms. We support this momentum with tools, platforms, and partnerships that help them lead community-rooted, institution-shaping solutions across Africa.
Access to Leadership Education:
We reach young Africans who are often excluded from quality leadership learning. Through free programmes, virtual platforms, and community-rooted Circles, we bridge the access gap, opening leadership pathways for the many, not the few.
Quality of Formation:
We deliver values-based, practical leadership training grounded in ethics, civic responsibility, and an understanding of how to shift institutional behaviours—preparing youth to lead effectively and sustainably across all sectors, with integrated support for their mental and emotional resilience.
Relevance to African Realities:
We root our approach in the lived experiences of African youth, offering context-based solutions for governance, education, enterprise, and cultural renewal.
Applied Research & Knowledge Creation:
Our Centre for Leadership & Innovation Research (CLIR) is building a new body of African-led knowledge, producing Insights, tools, and evidence that inform leadership practice, influence policy, and support Institutional change across the continent.
Sustained Ecosystem Support:
We build lifelong communities of support and practice that enable young leaders to apply what they've learned, sustain their growth, and scale their Impact.
Our Growing Influence
17,000+
Young people reached
500+
Alumni actively leading
28
Countries with alumni presence
60%
Drive or contribute to community-led solutions and ventures
95%
Alumni report greater confidence to lead
100+
Alumni successfully elected to campus leadership positions
What Our Leaders Say About The Fort’s Impact
Hear directly from our Fortifiers, the young leaders shaping Africa’s future. Their stories show how leadership at The Fort transforms lives beyond the numbers.
Our Partners
Our partners, both organisations and individuals, are Builders of The Fort who stand with us to identify promising young leaders, equip them with critical skills and values, and empower lasting, community-rooted, institution-shaping change across Africa.
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