Format: In-person intensive program
Date: 8 – 9 September 2026
Venue: Yaahot Hotel, Yaoundé – Cameroon
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Program Overview

The 2026 Executive and Strategic Leadership Program (ESLP) is a two-day intensive residential program designed to equip senior leaders and managers from across sectors with the strategic, organizational, and leadership capabilities necessary to lead their institutions with greater effectiveness and impact. The program is organized by the Nkafu Policy Institute and draws on fourteen years of institutional leadership and its engagement with public, private, and civil society organizations across Central Africa and beyond.

The program is built on the conviction that the most important leadership challenges of 2026 are not sector-specific. Whether leading a ministry, a corporation, a university, a development agency, or a research institution, senior leaders face common challenges: managing complexity and uncertainty, building high-performance cultures, mobilizing resources sustainably, communicating evidence and insight to decision-makers, and leading organizational change in an environment that is moving faster than most institutions were designed to handle.

Overall Objective:

The aim of the 2026 Executive and Strategic Leadership Program is to enhance the strategic leadership and organizational effectiveness of senior leaders across sectors for increased institutional impact and sustainable influence in national and regional development contexts.

Specific Objectives:

• Strategic leadership and organizational management: Provide 25 to 30 senior leaders and managers with tools for effective decision-making, adaptive leadership, and strategic planning that look into the future. Empower through governance, resource mobilization, financial sustainability, and institutional frameworks.
• Policy influence, stakeholder engagement & strategic communication: Strengthen the skills of participants on evidence communication, stakeholder engagement, and public policy outreach.
• Collaborative networks: Encourage partnership and peer learning among leadership cohorts across Africa.

Expected Output:

• 25 to 30 senior leaders and managers trained
• Participants have strengthened capacity and equipped with practical skills and tools for strategic planning, adaptive leadership, governance and accountability, resource mobilization and financial sustainability, organizational effectiveness, and strategic adoption of AI.
• Program report.

Expected Outcomes:

The general outcome of this program is:

Strengthened organizational leadership and institutional capacity, enabling leaders to drive sustainable growth, effective governance, strategic innovation, evidence-informed decision-making, and collaborative partnerships within their organizations and across sectors.

Some specific outcomes include:

• Increased ability to lead their respective organisations through the avenues of strategic planning and change management.
• Organizational systems that are improved for financial sustainability, governance, and accountability.
• Improved people management and organizational culture practices.
• Increased ability to communicate evidence and influence decision-making.
• Greater readiness to strategically adopt artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
• Expanded cross-sector leadership networks and partnerships.

Target participants:

Senior leaders and managers from public sector institutions, private sector organizations, civil society, academic and research institutions, international organizations, and development agencies across Central Africa and beyond. Specifically;

• Executive Directors, CEOs, and key decision-makers across diverse organizations.
• Senior researchers and program managers in independent research institutions.
• Leaders in the emerging generation have proven managerial experience.
• Practitioners and policymakers who are committed to civic governance and innovation in policy.
• Women’s participation will be strongly prioritized: In line with Nkafu’s commitment to genderresponsive leadership, the 2026 ESLP will include dedicated slots for female leaders.

Participation requirements:

• Demonstrated leadership or research experience in a think tank, CSO, NGO, private or public institution, or related organization.
• Commitment to improving organizational impact and advocacy capabilities.
• Submission of a completed application form with a statement of purpose highlighting professional goals, organizational challenges, and expectations of the program.

Program content and structure:

The ESLP will comprise a combination of interactive learning modes such as expert presentations and different modules, panel discussions based on experience sharing, case study analysis, group activities, and peer consultation sessions.

Core Thematic Modules:

• Leadership in a Complex World: The Moment We Are In
• Adaptive Leadership: Leading Through Complexity and Change
• Strategic Planning: From Vision to Traction
• Governance and Accountability: Building Institutional Integrity
• Resource Mobilization and Financial Sustainability
• People and Culture: Building and Leading High-Performance Teams
• Evidence, Communication, and Policy Influence
• Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Organizations: Strategic Adoption in Practice

Plenary Sessions:

• Opening Plenary ; Leadership in a Complex World: The Moment We Are In
• Plenary Conversation 1; Honest Reckoning: What is Holding Our Organizations Back?
• Closing Plenary; The Organization I am Building: Personal Leadership Commitments

Format, Date & Venue:

Format: In-person intensive program
Date: 8 – 9 September 2026
Venue:Yahoot Hotel, Yaoundé – Cameroon

Evaluation and Follow-Up:

• Pre-Program Assessment: The ESLP is designed as practitioner peer learning, not a lecture series. The quality of the program depends entirely on the quality of participant preparation and engagement. The cross-sectoral composition of the cohort is one of its greatest assets, and the pre-program preparation is designed to ensure that participants arrive ready to contribute from their own organizational experience rather than primarily to receive from facilitators. All participants will be required to complete some assignments before arriving at the program. Assignments will be distributed by the program coordinator no later than three weeks before the program begins.
• Interactive Feedback: Real-time feedback mechanisms will be integrated into sessions to ensure relevance.
• Post-Program Support: Participants will receive follow-up mentoring opportunities and access to a resource platform for continued learning and networking.
• Impact Assessment: A six-month follow-up survey will evaluate changes in participants’ organizational impact and leadership practices.

Methodology:

The program focuses on practical learning, reflection, and connectivity. The program will include focused discussions, expert presentations, peer learning, strategic planning activities, plenary discussions, and group activities conducted by participants.

Selection Process and Timeline:

The selection process ensures inclusivity of the most qualified and motivated participants while maintaining transparency and regional representation.

Timeline

• Call for Applications: April 30, 2026
• Application Deadline: August 4, 2026
• Final Selection Announcement: August 7, 2026.
• Deadline to confirm offer/payment: August 24, 2026
• Executive and Strategic Leadership Program in Yaoundé: September 8 & 9, 2026

Participation Fee and Payment

Amounts in USD can be converted using OANDA rates.

• Standard Registration: $200
• Researchers: $150
• Returning ESLP participants: $180
• Group rate (3 or more participants from same organization): 20% discount
• Late payment (missed deadline): $300

What the Fee Covers:

• Access to all sessions
• Training materials and resources
• Meals and refreshments during the event
• Exclusive pass to attend the 2026 Central Africa Think Tank Forum
• Access to a high-level networking dinner
• Access to the Think Tank Gala
• Certificate of participation

Payment Instructions: Details on payment procedures will be shared with selected candidates.

About the Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation

The Denis & Lenora Foretia Foundation was established to catalyze Africa’s economic transformation by focusing on social entrepreneurship, science and technology innovation, public health, and progressive policies that create economic opportunities for all. The Foundation partners with local governments, policymakers, private enterprises, civil society organizations, and development partners to expand resources available to entrepreneurs, farmers, and small business owners, improving individual livelihoods.

About the Nkafu Policy Institute

The Nkafu Policy Institute is an African think tank with a mission to provide independent, in-depth, and insightful policy recommendations that enable all Africans to prosper in free, fair, democratic, and sustainable economies. The Institute’s team of analysts, experts, and researchers works on governance and democracy, health and education, peace and security, science and technology, and economic policy.

Contacts

Questions related to the organization of this event can be sent to:

Mr. Enowbachem Agbortanyi, Policy Analyst – Peace and Security Division ([email protected])

Ms. Larissa Ntoubia, Research Associate – Economic Affairs Division ([email protected])

Nkafu Policy Institute

P: (+237) 222 31 15 84 / (+237) 654 86 72 54 www.nkafu.org