Members of the Kufuor Scholars Program (KSP) have expressed gratitude to former President John Agyekum Kufuor for shaping them into young leaders and professionals who are committed to the development of Africa.

In a statement issued by the program ahead of the KSP alumni meeting with the former president on Tuesday, the scholars said the initiative has imbibed in them the spirit of integrity and service.

“The KSP is a very transformative program. One of the key qualities KSP imbibes in us is integrity. It nurtures us to be leaders with integrity. When we have more of such leaders in Africa, I believe Africa will change,” Zulaiya Sakibu, a member of the KSP Class of 2022 and associate at PWC said.

Norbert Agbemenu, a member of the KSP Class of 2019 who currently works as a policy manager at TikTok Technology Limited said the program has unique activities including opportunities for internships that helped shape his career path.

“I also benefitted from leadership training. Sometimes, we have 2 weeks of leadership training in very remote areas. Where we go and help the community. So that’s another way of giving back and knowing that Ghana is not Accra,” he said.

“I was privileged to be part of the scholars to represent the John A. Kufuor Foundation in Japan. It helped me interact with people from Asia, the Philippines, China and Japan and we shared ideas, and there was a lot of room for cross-cultural activities. I feel KSP has really groomed me to keep this challenge going and I am grateful for that,” Mr. Agbemenu added.

Coordinator of the KSP Dr. Pascal Brenya explained the program was launched in 2015 with the pioneering batch of 14 scholars being inaugurated in February 2016. Since then, 205 scholars have been inducted into the program through 8 different classes.

“There are 81 formally graduated alumni with a class of 30 scholars awaiting to be inducted into the alumni after their graduation ceremony in the next couple of months. This will bring the total number of alumni to 111,” he said.

“Over the years the scholars have been motivated to commence some group projects such as K-talk, Cell-Not-Hell, Clean Ghana, entrepreneurship and public speaking seminars amongst others,” he added.

The alumni meeting with the former president will seek to strengthen the relationship between the scholars and the president and provide networking opportunities. Esther Emmanuella Spio, a member of the KSP Class of 2018 and budget analyst at the Ministry of Finance praised the leadership camps she had the opportunity to participate in.

“The leadership camps are very useful and the curriculum allows you to develop certain key skills that you need in your professional life such as public speaking skills and leadership skills. It was at KSP that some of us defined who we were. It was that platform that empowered us to believe in ourselves to become all that we aspire and hope to be,” she said.

“KSP is helping build a critical mass of transformational leaders. And this is what the continent needs. To cause a change, you need a network of people to be able to effect that rippling effect. That is what KSP is doing,” she added.

Elizabeth Dansoa Osei, a member of the KSP Class of 2022 and consultant at PWC thanked the former president for the opportunity to be a scholar. “For me, the KSP is everything to me. It has been a transformative opportunity for me. I’m able to better express myself because of the KSP. It has honed my analytical skills to be able to be creative. Look at things from various endeavours. And also teamwork,” she said.