Gonet Academy CEO Mentors Africa’s Emerging Policy Leaders at ACET Youth Policy Lab 2025

Initiative Empowers Young Africans to Design Transformative, Evidence-Based Policies

In a powerful demonstration of African collaboration and youth-driven innovation, Mohammed Kerkulah, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GonetAfrica, Gonet Academy, and Gonet Consulting, was appointed as one of the distinguished mentors at the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) Youth Policy Lab 2025 — a continental initiative designed to nurture the next generation of policy leaders and change-makers.

The ACET Youth Policy Lab is an intensive leadership and policy simulation platform that convenes outstanding young professionals from across Africa to craft, debate, and pitch innovative policy solutions to some of the continent’s most pressing development challenges. The 2025 edition focused on youth-centered policy priorities — including employment, education, health, innovation, and governance — with participants assuming the role of a National Development and Innovation Authority (NDIA) tasked with developing a national transformation plan within 180 days.

Mentorship and Leadership for Impact

Mr. Kerkulah, in July this year, received a communication from ACET, appointing him as one of its mentors. He was recommended by the Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development in Africa (YALDA) based on his roles as a respected young leader with great mentorship capacity and youth engagement expertise.

“We are grateful for the connection and believe your experience will add immense value to this initiative,” the communication stated. 

As one of the mentors, Mr. Kerkulah worked alongside Joyce Kporvie, Manager of Research at Ghana’s EXIM Bank, to guide a team of young professionals from Ghana, Cameroon, and Lesotho. Over a period of four weeks (October 6 – 31, 2025), the mentorship centered on developing a strategic policy framework on Youth Employment, Health, and Well-being — areas critical to Africa’s human capital development and sustainable growth.

Drawing on his extensive experience in leadership development, institutional reform, and capacity building, Mr. Kerkulah helped the team refine their ideas into actionable, evidence-based recommendations. The process will end with a final policy pitch before an international panel of economists, policymakers, and governance experts on November 5, 2025.

Reflecting on the experience, Mr. Kerkulah described it as “a powerful reminder that Africa’s future rests in the hands of its youth — bold thinkers who are willing to challenge the status quo and reimagine governance systems that serve people, not politics.”

The ACET Youth Policy Lab stands out as one of Africa’s most innovative leadership laboratories, bridging the gap between academic theory and real-world governance. By exposing emerging professionals to practical policy design, inter-sectoral collaboration, and systems thinking, the program aims to produce a cadre of evidence-driven reformers ready to lead national and regional development.

This year’s edition brings together policy experts, young leaders, innovators, and mentors from across 15 African countries, including Ghana, Liberia, Lesotho, Cameroon, Morocco, Cote D’Ivoire, Congo, Angola, Benin, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

Experts say the initiative is critical for a continent where over 60% of the population is under 25 years old but remains largely excluded from formal decision-making. By creating pathways for young Africans to influence public policy, the Lab not only builds leadership capacity but also fosters intergenerational equity in governance.

“Programs like the ACET Youth Policy Lab create the space for young Africans to translate passion into policy,” said Dr. K.Y. Amoako, President of ACET and former Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). “When youth are empowered with the right tools, mentorship, and networks, they can drive the transformation that Africa urgently needs.”

Case studies from Other African Case Studies

Similar youth-led policy innovation initiatives have demonstrated tangible results across the continent. In Kenya, the Youth Think Tank on Governance and Development influenced the inclusion of youth entrepreneurship provisions in the country’s 2022–2026 Development Framework. In Rwanda, the Imbuto Foundation’s Youth Connekt Program has produced thousands of young leaders now embedded in government and private sector roles.

In Ghana, ACET’s own policy incubation efforts have supported the integration of digital innovation and youth employment strategies into the National Development Planning Commission’s Vision 2057 Framework. These models underscore how structured mentorship and youth participation can reshape national policy agendas and strengthen democratic accountability.

“Africa’s young people are not just future leaders — they are present-day problem solvers,” Mr. Kerkulah noted. “What the ACET Youth Policy Lab proves is that, with the right guidance and opportunity, they can design solutions that are practical, data-driven, and scalable.”

GonetAfrica’s Broader Commitment to Youth Empowerment

Mr. Kerkulah’s engagement at ACET aligns seamlessly with GonetAfrica’s mission to build capable institutions, foster inclusive growth, and strengthen human capacity through training, research, and consulting. Its flagship learning hub, Gonet Academy, has trained over 5,000 professionals across Africa in key disciplines including Monitoring and Evaluation, Project Management, Leadership, HRM, Data Analytics, Entrepreneurship, Finance, ICT, among others.

Gonet Academy launched Cohort 13 of its Continuous Professional Development Programs last month as its impact continues to ripple across both public and private sectors — equipping emerging leaders to think strategically, act ethically, and deliver measurable change.

“Our goal has always been to produce leaders who can not only excel in their fields but also shape the future of their countries,” Mr. Kerkulah emphasized. “Mentorship is the bridge between knowledge and transformation.”

A Generation Ready to Lead

The ACET Youth Policy Lab 2025 reaffirms a growing continental movement toward youth inclusion, leadership development, and policy innovation. By connecting mentorship with policy experimentation, the initiative offers a blueprint for scaling similar youth empowerment models across Africa.

As Liberia continues to strengthen its participation in regional development dialogues, the leadership of professionals like Mohammed Kerkulah demonstrates that the country’s youth can serve as both beneficiaries and architects of Africa’s transformation.

“This experience has renewed my belief that Africa’s greatest resource is not its minerals, but its people — especially its youth,” Mr. Kerkulah concluded.

About ACET:
The African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), headquartered in Accra, Ghana, is a pan-African think tank that partners with governments, the private sector, and civil society to drive sustainable economic growth and inclusive development.

About GonetAfrica:
GonetAfrica is a Liberia-based professional development and consulting organization dedicated to building institutional capacity, advancing evidence-based policy reforms, and empowering Africa’s next generation of leaders. Its training arm, Gonet Academy, has become one of West Africa’s leading centers for professional and executive education.