CCL and NEPAD Business Foundation Join Forces to Develop Africa's Future Leaders

JOHANNESBURG, February 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

The NEPAD Business Foundation (NBF) and Center for Creative Leadership (CCL ®) have teamed up to create the One Million African Leaders Connect (1MALC) initiative. The partnership aims to accelerate leadership development and ultimately enable sustainable economic development throughout Africa.  

Despite its enormous potential, Africa typically experiences economic growth of just four to six percent annually. Many experts agree that the continent's ability to leverage its raw materials and human resources for stronger growth depends on building leadership capacity in its individuals, organizations and communities.

To help expand Africa's leadership pipeline, CCL and NBF are partnering to design and deliver a scalable and sustainable leadership training program.  Inspired by the need for public and private sector leaders with long-term vision, integrity and effectiveness, the 1MALC is an intensive program for senior managers leading or intending to lead within the African context. 1MALC will help foster a new culture of thinking on how to do business in Africa and develop a network of progressive leaders who understand the continent through improved access to business intelligence and information on agriculture, infrastructure, natural resources and capacity development.

"This initiative, with its strategic investments in both the quality and quantity of leadership capacity on the continent, will help African organizations and communities address their biggest challenges today and make the most of the many opportunities in this dynamic region," said CCL President and CEO John R. Ryan.

"The gap between leadership theory and practice is what bedevils Africa today," said Dr. Reuel Khoza, Nedbank Chairman and NBF Vice-Chairman.

1MALC will be launched on 13 February 2013 in Johannesburg, at an event where Dr. Khoza will introduce the program and reflect on African leadership.  CCL and NBF plan to present the pilot 1MALC program to approximately 30 delegates in 2013.

Following the pilot program, CCL and NBF will work with other delivery partners to roll out the 1MALC initiative in South Africa and other African countries, with the objective of reaching 150,000 leaders each year.  The goal is to train a million African leaders by 2020, creating a critical mass of leaders who can help  realize the full potential of the African continent in a sustainable and inclusive way.

About the Center for Creative Leadership

The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL®) is a top-ranked, global provider of executive education that accelerates strategy and business results by unlocking the leadership potential of individuals and organizations. It is consistently ranked among the world's Top 10 providers of executive education by Bloomberg BusinessWeek and the Financial Times.

About the NEPAD Business Foundation

The NEPAD Business Foundation (NBF) is one of Africa's leading membership based foundations which promotes sustainable economic and social development on the continent. The NBF is a non-profit company that mobilises private sector support for the implementation of New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) goals.