Emerging Leaders Conference 2026 — Saturday, 17 October 2026, The Ark Event Centre, Port Harcourt.
Register Your Interest
Home / Programmes / Emerging Leaders Academy
Proposed programme · Implementation date to be confirmed
Emerging Leaders Academy
A proposed intensive learning programme for young people who are ready to strengthen self-leadership, ethical decision-making and community-project skills.
Format
One-day intensive
Proposed Port Harcourt format
Cohort
Small participatory group
So facilitators can provide meaningful support
Location
Port Harcourt, Rivers State
Recruitment may prioritise Rivers State and neighbouring Niger Delta communities
Status
Proposed
Implementation date to be confirmed
The Problem Being Addressed
Leadership guidance that arrives after the title is already too late.
Many young people receive encouragement but little structured help in examining their values, making ethical decisions under pressure, or converting an idea into a community project that others will support. The Academy is designed to close that gap in a single, high-intensity, participatory format.
Target Participants
Young adults from Rivers State and neighbouring Niger Delta communities
Students, graduates and corps members
Early-career professionals and youth leaders
Community volunteers preparing for greater responsibility
Location and duration
Proposed one-day Port Harcourt format, followed by a 30-day action follow-up.
Programme Architecture
Proposed Programme Blueprint
The blueprint proposes a small, participatory cohort so that facilitators can provide meaningful support to each participant.
Module 01
Self-Leadership
Understanding personal values, habits, self-awareness and the responsibility a person carries before receiving any title or public platform.
Module 02
Values-Driven Decision-Making
Working through real decisions where integrity carries a cost, and building the reasoning habits that hold under pressure.
Module 03
Community Leadership Lab
Participants identify a local problem, design a practical response, define who must be involved and set out what success would look like.
Module 04
Peer Review and 30-Day Action Follow-Up
Structured peer critique of each action plan, followed by a 30-day follow-up to check what was actually attempted and what was learned.
Expected Outcomes
What participants should be able to do afterwards
Participants can articulate their personal values and connect them to specific decisions
Participants can design a small, achievable community project with defined roles and outcomes
Participants complete a documented 30-day action step after the programme
Participants join a peer network that continues beyond the single event
Relevant SDGs
SDG 4 — Quality Education · SDG 8 — Decent Work and Economic Growth · SDG 16 — Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Status
Proposed programme. Implementation date, facilitators, venue and funding to be confirmed before the programme is advertised.
Take Action
Get Involved With This Programme
Whether you are a prospective participant or an institution able to support delivery, there is a defined route below.
For aspiring participants
Express Interest
Submit an early expression of interest so that FDI can contact you when the cohort dates, venue and selection criteria are confirmed.
What you will be asked
Your full name and preferred contact details
Your location or local government area in Rivers State
Your background and why this programme fits you
Any accessibility needs we should plan for
Opens the official FDI form in a new tab.
For institutions and sponsors
Discuss Programme Support
Support the Academy with facilitators, venue, participant materials, mentorship or funding. Every partnership is built around clear roles, agreed outcomes and responsible reporting.
What you will be asked
Organisation name, sector and contact lead
The kind of support you are able to provide
The shared outcome you want to achieve
Your preferred next step and timeline
Submitting an enquiry does not create a partnership. The secretariat will respond to agree scope, roles and reporting.
Clarifications
Key Operational Details
Answers to the questions most often raised by participants, schools and prospective partners.
Is a date confirmed?
No. The Academy is a proposed programme. The implementation date will be published once approved by FDI leadership and supported by confirmed facilitators and resources.
How are participants selected?
Selection criteria will be published with the registration form. Recruitment may prioritise young adults from Rivers State and neighbouring Niger Delta communities.
Is there a fee?
[CONFIRM PARTICIPATION FEE OR FREE-PLACE ARRANGEMENT BEFORE PUBLICATION.]
What happens after the one-day format?
A structured 30-day action follow-up checks what each participant actually attempted, and what they learned from it.
Support This Programme
Help bring the Academy to a Rivers State cohort.
FDI invites facilitators, venues, sponsors and institutional partners to move this proposal into delivery.
Fasttrack Development Initiative (FDI)
A Port Harcourt-based nonprofit organisation developing responsible leaders, expanding opportunity and supporting community-driven progress through education, enterprise, inclusion and civic engagement.
No. 314 NTA Road, Mgbuoba, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
info@fasttrackdi.org emergingleaders@fasttrackdi.org +234 803 668 7321 +234 806 484 2664Follow FDI on Facebook
Programmes
Emerging Leaders Conference Emerging Leaders Academy Future Leaders Fellowship Youth Enterprise Lab Girls Code Club Safe Spaces Dialogues Community Digital Access DrivePolicies & Accountability
Policies and Accountability Complaints and Feedback Leadership and Governance Partners and SupportersNewsletter
Receive FDI programme updates, opportunities, event news and impact stories.
Join Our Mailing ListCopyright © 2026 Fasttrack Development Initiative (FDI). All rights reserved. · Registered Non-Governmental Organisation · Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria · fasttrackdi.org