JNLC symposium to examine lessons from Africa’s leadership legacy

What the report says

The Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre (JNLC) is set to host a 2026 symposium that will bring together experienced leaders, scholars, students and young practitioners to discuss what Africa can learn from its leadership past and how those lessons might inform the future. According to Nile Post, the event is scheduled for October 14 and will run under the theme “Borrowing from the Past, Building the Future.”

The symposium will focus on a broad set of issues shaping East Africa, including regional integration, trade, entrepreneurship, peace and security, technology, public leadership and youth participation. Organizers want the gathering to serve as an intergenerational dialogue, creating space for participants to examine which leadership values remain useful, what ambitions need renewed commitment, and what younger people may need to change in order to influence the continent’s direction.

JNLC said the format is intended to encourage reflection on both the achievements and limitations of previous generations rather than treating historical experience as a fixed model. Prof. Gerald Kagambirwe Karyeija said borrowing from the past should mean identifying relevant values and lessons while also questioning practices that no longer work. The main symposium will be preceded by an invitation-only Ekyooto session on October 13, which will provide an additional forum for discussion. The initiative matters because it links historical reflection with current policy and leadership debates across the region.