ICSI Youth Fellowship | 2025 Programme Summary

A Legacy Continued

Innocent Chukwuma dedicated his life to promoting democratic governance, social justice, and institutional reform in Nigeria and beyond. The Innocent Chukwuma Social Impact (ICSI) Youth Fellowship was founded to extend this legacy; cultivating a new generation of youth leaders committed to ethical, inclusive, and transformative change in their communities. Since its inception, the Fellowship has brought together promising young changemakers, equipping them with the knowledge, networks, and confidence to tackle systemic social challenges with courage, integrity, and innovation.

Youth Fellowship Overview

The ICSI Fellowship is designed as an intensive, experiential learning platform combining academic rigour, practical tools, mentorship, and peer-to-peer collaboration. The hybrid format ensured greater accessibility, allowing fellows to balance in-person learning with virtual sessions that sustained momentum between modules.

The 2025 cohort comprised 14 Youth Fellows — 7 women and 7 men — from diverse backgrounds in civil society, grassroots organising, research, social enterprise, law, and policy advocacy. The selection ensured a balance of regions, gender, and thematic focus areas.

The curriculum was anchored on leadership principles, ethical governance, and systems thinking — blending real-world case studies with personal reflection, proposal development, and practical application.

Programme Content and Modules

The 2025 curriculum addressed critical issues relevant to the Nigerian context and to the daily work of emerging social impact leaders. Key areas included; Anthropology, Ethics, and Leadership Approaches, Institutional Reforms and Systemic Change,Social Justice, Policy and Governance in Nigeria, Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Building, Project Sustainability and Resource Mobilisation.

Mentorship and Advisory

A highlight was the Advisory Session with Jude Ilo, CEO of the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL), who shared practical strategies for addressing leadership dilemmas, stakeholder management, and organisational sustainability. Each fellow will be paired with an experienced mentor, including C-Suite executives, sector practitioners, and development experts who will provide individual guidance tailored to the fellow’s area of work and organisational goals.

Social Impact Youth Conference 2025

The Fellowship closed with the annual Social Impact Youth Conference, themed “Sustainable Social Impact: A Roadmap for Youths in Transforming Societies.”

This year’s conference convened over 350 stakeholders, including youth advocates, policy actors, academics, and community leaders. Highlights included:

• Keynote addresses exploring practical pathways for sustainable impact
• Panel sessions on funding models, grassroots mobilisation, and justice sector reform
• Interactive breakout discussions, artistic performances, and fellow-led presentations showcasing their projects

The conference not only amplified the fellows’ work but also positioned them as credible voices shaping Nigeria’s social impact landscape.

Impact by Numbers

• 14 Youth Fellows trained, representing diverse social impact sectors.
• Senior mentors, 1 high-level advisory session, and peer-to-peer reflection spaces.
• 95% Attendance, demonstrating strong commitment and relevance.
• 4 youth-led proposals, with 2 sub-grants awarded totalling ₦5 million to kickstart community interventions.
• 350+ attendees at the 2025 Social Impact Youth Conference.

Facilitators & Speakers

We acknowledge with gratitude the contributions of our distinguished facilitators and guest speakers, including:

• Dr Silk Ogbu – Academic Director, ICSI Fellowship; Associate Professor, Lagos Business School
• Oreva Atanya – Director, LBS Sustainability Centre
• Osanua Nwagbara – Programme Manager, ICSI Fellowship, LBS-SC
• Josephine Effah-Chukwuma – Founder, Project Alert
• Dr Molly Ogunyemi – Lecturer, Pan Atlantic University
• Dr Tunde Ekpe – Faculty, Lagos Business School
• Vincent Maduka, OFR – Pioneer Director General, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA)
• Patrick Allam – Civil Society Practitioner
• Sam Akpologun – Legal Practitioner & Advocate
• Jude Ilo – Chief Executive Officer, Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL)
• Peter Maduoma – Director, CLEEN Foundation
• Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi – Founder, Women Advocates Research & Documentation Centre (WARDC)
• Gabriel Okeowo – Country Director, BudgIT
• Crystal Chigbu – Founder, Irede Foundation
• Professor Franklin Ngwu – Professor of Corporate Governance and Strategic Management, Lagos Business School
• Professor Kemi Ogunyemi – Professor of Ethics, Lagos Business School
• Mariam Decoco – Nonprofit Finance Consultant
• Fabia Ogunmekan – Nonprofit Management Consultant
• Henry Onukwuba – HR Management & Organisational Behaviour Expert, Lagos Business School
• Noella Ugwu – CEO Blueberry Learning 
• Gbemi King – Trainer, Talent Equip

Collaborative Projects

An essential feature of the Fellowship was the co-design of youth-led projects. Fellows worked in teams to identify pressing social issues, research community needs, and create proposals and a pitch deck that demonstrated both innovation and feasibility. Two of the proposals were successful and were granted project support from the ICSI Chair. They will be implemented over the coming months, with structured reporting mechanisms to ensure accountability and long-term impact. They are:

• Rebuilding Lives Project: Vocational training and advocacy support for survivors of Money Marriage, aiming to reduce economic vulnerability and challenge harmful practices.
• Dignity from Waste Project: Upcycling fashion waste to supply dignified clothing for pretrial detainees, while raising awareness of rights and conditions within correctional facilities.

Looking Ahead

As the taught component of the 2025 Fellowship closes, our commitment remains to deepen the values Innocent Chukwuma lived by: integrity, courage, inclusion, and collective leadership.

We are deeply grateful to the Ford Foundation, Lagos Business School Sustainability Centre, our dedicated facilitators, mentors, and partners. Your steadfast support sustains this vision and enables these young leaders to thrive. Your partnership remains vital. Together, we can continue to equip more youth leaders to reimagine and rebuild systems that work for everyone.