The Kashim Ibrahim Fellowship (KIF) says its application portal will be opened for the sixth cohort of fellows on January 9, 2023, ahead of a one-year programme with Kaduna State Government.

The KIF Administrator, Zainab Mohammed, who made this known at a press briefing in Kaduna on Tuesday, said the Fellowship was “looking forward to receiving applications from Nigerians all over the world”.

The Kashim Ibrahim Fellowship was established as a leadership capacity-building programme by Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, in 2018.

Explaining what the fellowship is all about, Mohammed said: “It is a one-year, non-partisan Leadership programme envisioned by the Kaduna State Government to create a network of high potential young Nigerians who are expected to rise to top leadership positions in the public sector having had a first-hand experience of its workings and challenges.”

The administrator stated that since its inception in 2018, KIF has “graduated 70 Alumni Fellows, many of whom work in Public Service across all levels, while some work in multinational institutions and Non-Governmental Ogranisations.”

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Speaking on the reason behind the establishment of the programme, Mohammed said: “Governor Nasir El-Rufai wants to attract the youngest, the brightest of Nigerians to spend one year in government, not from the cynical point of view of just abusing the government.

“They will have the opportunity of working with heads of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, to see the challenges and opportunities. This may just change their minds about the public sector.”

She said the applicants must be Nigerians to be eligible for the programme, “because we are looking at solving a Nigerian problem. You also have to be in the age bracket of 25-35, because this demographic is the largest in Nigeria.

“Also, you should not be very set in your ways, you should be able to think outside the box. We need people who are not very sentimental. They should have the energy and the capacity and they should also be people that adapt to technology and the current situation. They must have completed their NYSC, having graduated from a recognized institution.”

The KIF Administrator stated that the four components of the program were “the work placement, the education component, the community service, and then the Fellowship.”

Mohammed stated that the fellowship will give applicants an opportunity to “put their thoughts into words, apart from their essay, where we give you a topic, just to be able to judge their reasoning and thought pattern.

“It is good for a leader to be able to sell his or her vision. We also have the ‘personal statement’, where we want to see what your vision is, what your drive and passion is, especially for making change; what have you done in society?” she added.

Mohammed, however, urged eligible youths to apply through the portal, kif.kdsg.gov.ng from January 9, 2023, before the closing date, February 8, 2023.

The Star