The Acting Executive Chairperson of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), Cllr. Kanio Bai Gbala, has emerged as a 2021 Young Leader of the French-African Foundation.
Selected from among nearly 3,000 African and French candidates between the ages of 28 and 40, the 100 2021 Young Leaders represent the results of a grueling month-long selection process that involved an independent jury of decision-makers drawn from the public life and business world in France and Africa.
The French-African Young Leaders program is organized annually by the French-African Foundation, in partnership with the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Agence Francaise de Developpement (French Development Agency). The program seeks to identify, bring together and promote the most promising talents on France and African economic, political, academic, social and cultural scene, and to support the leadership and management potential of the emerging generation through the grooming of leadership skills.
Speaking during the unveiling ceremony in France on 30 June 2021, Alexandre Coster, Co-President of the French-African Foundation, asserted that “the new 2021 Young Leaders class is a testament to the strength of Franco-African relations in the service of common challenges and considerably strengthens the continental network, which is an asset in the construction of a sustainable and inclusive common future”.
During the course of the program, the 2021 Young Leaders will have the opportunity to participate in learning events in France and Africa, to develop their leadership skills, exchange with senior leaders from the public and private sectors, and together propose a reflection on key themes affecting Franco-Africa relations.