Ikenna Ogbudimkpa is a development sector professional driven by a passion for mitigating the increasing youth unemployment rate and promoting inclusion and participation in governance for sustainable development in Africa. He employs strategies such as intergenerational conversations, policy and advocacy interventions, leadership and entrepreneurship development, and citizen engagement to help alter Africa’s leadership trajectory for better outcomes.

As part of the drivers of the successful Not-Too-Young-To-Run Movement, Ikenna plays a key role in mainstreaming young people in politics. He is also a Global Activist of the ONE Campaign and a 2022 Mandela Washington Fellow.

Ikenna firmly believes that equipping African youth with effective leadership skills and inspiring them to become self-leaders can drive development, foster patriotism and citizen engagement, and create leaders who can transform society. He is deeply committed to this mission and serves as the Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations Lead at LEAP Africa.

Ikenna is also the Project Lead of the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund, a $6m collaborative funding with a mission to strengthen, support, and enable young people in Nigeria for youth leadership, activism, and social change through outcome-driven policy engagements and inclusive resourcing that will support youth in shaping and supporting medium and long-term national development.

Ikenna Ogbudimkpa is the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund’s Project Lead and the Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations Lead at LEAP Africa.

He is a Mandela Washington Fellow, a Global Activist of ONE Campaign, and a development professional working towards the sustainable development of Africa.