The Students & Young Professionals African Liberty Academy (SYPALA) 2026 has opened at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), bringing together 100 young Africans for four days of intensive discussions on the continent’s economic resilience, governance, innovation and leadership.

The academy, being held from August 24 to 27, 2026, is being organised around the theme “Africa’s Ascent: Forging Resilient Economies & Inclusive Governance.”

The programme is designed to expose participants to critical policy debates while equipping them with practical skills and ideas to contribute to Africa’s development.

The programme is being convened by the IMANI Centre for Policy and Education in partnership with UPSA, with participants drawn from across the continent.

Four days of ideas, debate and policy

The opening day, themed “Building Resilient Economies: Diversification, Markets and Growth,” focused on the structural challenges confronting African economies and the policy choices required to build more resilient economies.

The day's programme featured opening remarks by IMANI founding president Franklin Cudjoe and UPSA Vice-Chancellor Prof. John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor, followed by a keynote address from Brigitte Dzogbenuku, Founder and Executive Director of Mentoring Women Ghana.

Among the key conversations was an examination of how resilient economies can contribute to inclusive governance, with economist and University of Ghana Professor of Finance, Prof. Godfred A. Bokpin, leading discussions on innovation, job creation, public service delivery and democratic institutions.

Another session challenged participants to examine why many African countries continue to perform poorly on various global economic indices and whether successful economic models can be replicated across the continent.

The programme also includes breakout discussions in which participants are expected to identify major structural obstacles to Africa's economic transformation and propose strategic solutions.

Governance, democracy and accountability

The conversation will shift on Day Two to “Institutions, Governance and Prosperity”, with participants examining corruption, transparency, public trust, democracy and the role of civil society in Africa.

The programme includes a session on “The Accountability Deficit: Corruption, Transparency and Public Trust – How is the African Union measuring up?”, as well as a discussion on the state of democracy in Africa based on citizen perspectives from Afrobarometer research.

Participants will also consider the condition of civil society amid declining international development assistance, conflicts and shrinking civic space.

A further discussion will focus on limited government, the rule of law, property rights, economic freedom and free markets, asking whether those institutions are sufficient to address Africa's development challenges.

AI, clean energy and critical minerals

The third day will turn to “Innovation, Entrepreneurship and the Future Economy”, with artificial intelligence, financial technology, digital public infrastructure, clean energy and critical minerals taking centre stage.

The programme includes a session on Africa's digital transformation and its implications for unemployed people, informal workers and those affected by poverty.

Participants will also examine whether Africa's clean-energy transition can deliver the reliable, affordable and scalable energy required to power manufacturing, while another session will interrogate the claim that Africa's vast mineral wealth automatically translates into economic prosperity.

A practical training session on AI and the evolution of research will expose participants to secure AI prompt engineering, verification, data integrity and responsible AI-assisted research.

Preparing Africa's next generation of leaders

The final day, themed “Africa’s Future: Leadership in a Changing World,” will examine Africa's position in a multipolar world, the role of business and public policy in economic transformation, and the leadership skills required to deliver inclusive and resilient growth.

The academy will conclude with seminar reflections, closing remarks and the presentation of certificates.

Importantly, SYPALA 2026 is structured to move beyond lectures.

Its 100 participants are divided into four groups of 25, with each group expected to develop a policy recommendation, implementation roadmap, business model or innovation proposal aligned with the day's theme.

The recommendations will subsequently be consolidated into a SYPALA 2026 Leadership Declaration, which is expected to be presented at the closing ceremony.

The academy brings together policy analysts, academics, entrepreneurs, business leaders, technology specialists, governance experts and other professionals to engage directly with young Africans on the choices that could shape the continent's economic and political future.

At its heart, SYPALA 2026 is seeking to turn discussion into action, challenging participants not only to understand Africa's problems but also to develop practical ideas for building more resilient economies, accountable institutions and inclusive systems of governance.