Rabat Welcomes the LEAD Leadership Program
From August 28 to 30, Rabat will host the second cohort of the LEAD program, a leadership initiative launched by the Africa CEO Forum. This significant event will gather approximately fifty high-level public decision-makers committed to the modernization of their states and the digital transformation of the continent. The University Mohammed VI Polytechnique (UM6P) campus in Rabat will serve as the venue for this three-day program, which is designed to bring together these influential leaders who are actively involved in shaping and implementing the continent's economic and social policies.
Participants will engage in collective and collaborative working sessions, peer exchanges, and meetings with distinguished figures from public, economic, and academic spheres. This format aims to facilitate the sharing of practices and the development of common responses to the major governance challenges that Africa faces. Notable speakers at the event include Mehdi Jomaa, former Prime Minister of Tunisia; Donald Kaberuka, Managing Partner and Founder of SouthBridge Group and former President of the African Development Bank; Serge Ekue, President of the West African Development Bank (BOAD); Sanjay Jain, Co-Creator of India Stack and Director of Digital Public Infrastructure at the Gates Foundation; and Mauricio Cardenas, Professor of Professional Practice in Global Leadership at Columbia SIPA and former Minister of Finance of Colombia (2012–2018).
Public Policy at the Heart of the LEAD Program
The first cohort of the LEAD program saw 36 participants from 24 different nationalities, with a notable 16.7% of them achieving promotions after their participation. This showcases LEAD's role as an impactful accelerator within African administrations. By annually gathering a new cohort of fellows who will join the LEAD alumni community, the initiative aims to unify hundreds of African public decision-makers under a shared culture of transparency, performance, and regional cooperation.
Reflecting on their previous training, the participants focused their efforts on enhancing public action in Africa, making excellence in public governance a central lever for transformation. Members of the cohort also participated in a special roundtable organized in Kigali as part of the Africa CEO Forum 2026, where they shared their insights with a broader community of public and private leaders.
The discussions during the first year revolved around Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), which emerged as a critical theme. Topics related to the digital sovereignty of African states were central to these discussions, including digital identity, secure payments, data exchange, interoperability, governance, and citizen protection. The outcomes of these discussions will culminate in the publication of a white paper addressing Africa's role in the digital economy and artificial intelligence. Established by the Africa CEO Forum, LEAD aspires to reposition the African administrative elite as a driving force for reform, performance, and dialogue among all stakeholders on the continent.
As reported by h24info.ma.
