ABOUT US

The Continental Youth Gathering for Young African Leaders

REGISTER FOR 2026 SUMMIT
DATE: 20 - 22 November 2026
VENUE - ACCRA, GHANA

ABOUT US

The Young African Leaders Summit is an initiative/subsidiary of  YGL Network or The Young Global Leaders Network (a non-governmental social enterprise) created to bring together over 800 policy makers, youth in politics and leadership, young entrepreneurs, business executives, professionals, aspiring leaders and start-ups across Africa to discuss innovative and new ways of dealing with challenges that African youths are confronted with and various topical issues that pertain to economic empowerment, politics, climate change and entrepreneurship development. 

Our Summit shall also provide the platform for start-ups to pitch their innovations or business ideas and look for business partners and financiers. It shall also encourage and provide the platform for collaborations and partnerships.

The Young African Leaders Summit shall collate ideas from some of the continent’s finest youth figures and aggregate them into relevant themes able to shape policy on the continent. It is also intended to be a platform for cross-country idea-sharing and assimilation and an opportunity to bridge identity gap that is often perceived to exist within the youthful population of Africa. 

Focus group discussions and ideas collated shall form a summit communique called the ‘’AFRICAN YOUTH MANIFESTO’’ shall be submitted to the African Union. 

An Awards and Honorary session form the fabric of YALS to recognize outstanding African youth figures who have excelled in various fields. 

2019 Summit was under the Theme: Securing the future of Africa: The Role of the African Youth, Young Business Leaders and Entrepreneurs. 

The Summit, the first ever impactful continental youth gathering organized in Ghana by YGL Network mobilized a diversity of delegates and policy makers from all African countries comprising government officials, members of the diplomatic Corp, international agency representatives, entrepreneurs, emerging youth leaders, and student leaders. 2021 Summit was under the Theme: African Youth transforming Vision and Ideas into Action.  

2026 Summit shall be Themed; The African we want by 2040; The Future of African Youth.  

Be part of this movement of young transformational emerging leaders. 

SUMMIT AIMS 

We are proud to announce the 2026 Plenary session themes. These themes are some of the key issues and challenges faced on the African continent which has been aggregated into plenary themes the Young African Leaders Summit aims to address. 

Young African Leaders Summit will provide support and create opportunities and platforms to young people to respond to these challenges and help to ensure their experience, creativity and passion informs policies and decisions affecting their lives. It provides a new platform to inspire others to take an active role in the immediate and long-term recovery from the impact of COVID-19 also, and the resources necessary to make a meaningful difference. 

Here are some of the key issues and challenges aggregated into plenary themes. 

O1

O2

O3

O4

O5

Using Emotional Intelligence Leadership to Develop Ethical Leaders in Africa Among the Youth And Achieve The Africa We Want By 2040 

O6

O7

O8

The Plenary sessions include speeches by African leaders, experts, and Delegate Speakers whose work, lived experiences and critical insights address the Plenary Challenges/Issues at hand, while offering ways for Delegates to take effective action when tackling continental crises. 

2026 SUMMIT BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Delegates will be assigned to one of the eight plenary themes wherein they will learn expert knowledge and ideas from expert speakers, researchers, and professors who have vast knowledge on the topic.  

Our Summit breakout sessions provide Delegates with expert insights into the issues and topic. Breakout sessions offer practical skills, techniques, ideas, and processes which Delegates can implement in their own projects and initiatives for change.  

This will give further understanding to the current situation of the assigned topic and to realize its importance to the development of the African continent. 

Delegates gain invaluable knowledge for promoting meaningful and effective change within their own organisations and communities. All breakout sessions during the Summit will deliver immediately applicable skills, strategies, techniques and/or ideas which can be implemented in future projects and initiatives later on.   

Breakout sessions will take the form of scenario-based challenges, problem solving, challenge or goal setting, as well as interactive discussion-based forums to share personal experiences and testimonies. 

Each breakout session group will present their discussions and group projects developed out of their session to the entire audience.  

YALS BONFIRE Youth Chat is a platform wherein distinguished youth leaders will moderate a group during our bonfire youth chat session, share their stories and struggles about their advocacy and initiative. The Youth Chat is also an opportunity for the delegates to seek mentorship and consultation from their fellow youth leaders. The Youth Chat also serve as a potential collaboration opportunity for both the delegate and the speaker. This will take the form of an informal chat where delegates or group members are also given the chance to share their experiences, struggles, success stories and even mentor their fellow delegat

The Cultural Presentations will happen during the final day (Day 3) of the summit. The   delegates from different AU   member states will be given an opportunity to showcase their respective country’s heritage and culture. The presentations will also feature the Awarding and Closing Ceremonies. 

DAY 1
20 November 2026

Networking session 
Welcome Address 
  Solidarity Messages from all countries present 
Performance 
Interlude - Cultural Display  
Keynote speeches 
Guest Speeches 
Break  
Plenary Sessions  
Bonfire chats/Networking session 

DAY 2
21 November 2026

Networking session 
Ice breakers
Plenary Sessions
  Break out/Mentorship Session
Model African Union Conference 
Networking session 

DAY 3
22 November 2026

Networking session 
Tour & Courtesy Call 
Awards and Cultural Presentation 
Networking session 

REGISTER AS 2026 DELEGATE

We seek to be the continental’s leading gathering of Young African Leaders that empowers, trains and prepare young leaders for continental and global leadership.
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