PLS - Keynote Lecture | Day(3) #JNLCPLS2023 - Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre (JNLC)

Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre held its annual Presidential Lecture Series – Keynote lecture at Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility, Makerere University under the theme;

Celebrating Women, Pan-Africanism, and Community

The Presidential Lecture Series (PLS) is an annual event that exposes students and the broader community to inspiring ideas, courageous leadership and models of civic engagement and civil discourse and brings prominent speakers, great leaders and thinkers across a wide variety of disciplines to Makerere University as a premier center of scholarly leadership for thought-provoking conversations. The aim of the lecture series was to encourage cross-generational dialogues that mentor present and future leaders for effective and accountable leadership.

The objective of the 2023 Presidential lecture was to highlight the systemic changes needed for women to become transformative leaders to effectively shape inclusive, equitable societies that humanity needs and deserves.

Prior to the Lecture, Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre held a Media Blitz Roundtable at Sheraton Hotel Kampala on 6th June 2023 which was a One on One with Young Female Leaders on Transformative Leadership which kick started the three-day Presidential Lecture Series and Ekyooto Conversation at Nsambya Gardens Kampala with Her Excellency Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, Ms. Charlene Chelagat Ruto and female student leaders from various Universities across Uganda on 7th June 2023.

Mrs. Lorna Magara Chairperson, Makerere University Council, Ms. Charlene Chelagat Ruto and Her Excellency Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang.

This year’s Presidential Lecture Series was under the theme;

Celebrating Women, Pan-Africanism, and Community

Keynote Speaker Her Excellency Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang is a Gambian politician and activist who served as Vice-President of The Gambia, and Minister of Women’s Affairs. Her contributions to The Gambia and women’s rights have been widely recognized and she’s the recipient of several awards including the African Women of Excellence Award and the African Women in Leadership Award. In light of her leadership roles and areas of expertise in both the public and private sectors.

Panel Discussant: Ms. Charlene Chelagat Ruto is a Youth Champion & Advocate For Climate Change Action. While taking action from the bottom-up, she has ensured that the youth of Kenya have a voice in leadership. She is steering affirmative action by creating platforms For the youth to access job and entrepreneurship opportunities while advocating For sustainability & the progression of the youth in education, improved livelihoods and inclusion in governing policies.

Mrs. Lorna Magara Chairperson, Makerere University Council in her opening remarks, said Makerere prides itself in being an institution that has since evolved to open its gates to female admissions starting in 1945 and started with a change in the University’s motto from “Let’s be men to We build for the future.

She also stated that The 60th graduation of Makerere produced 50.4% more female graduates as compared to the male students for the first time in Makerere’s history and latter applauded the JNLC for the leadership course they have developed and stated that the student leadership stands to greatly benefit from this course.

“The University leadership is fully committed to empower the women who will go through the gates of Makerere to soar high on wings like the eagles they are and not chickens as stated by Julius Kambarage Nyerere.”—Mrs. MagaraLorna

In her welcome remarks, The Executive Director, Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre (JNLC), Dr. Nansozi K. Muwanga stated that the JNLC serves as an important initiative to Makerere and society at large in grooming and equipping young leaders with the moral campus for leadership and a willingness to serve.

Dr. Suzie Nansozi Muwanga saluted H.E President Kaguta Museveni for initiating the idea of the Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre in honour of the legacy of Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.

The Keynote Speaker: Her Excellency Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang

In her keynote address; Her Excellency Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang she encouraged African leaders and Institutions to provide women with equal opportunities as they can contribute to the development of their respective communities.

Her Excellency urged all African Heads of State to open up their borders to fellow Africans to fully realize the essence of Pan-Africanism. “If we are talking about Pan-Africanism, the barriers that have been instilled by our colonialists should be really broken, Africa must be borderless, if you are taking goods from Uganda to Kenya, you need not go through as many checkpoints, you spend so much time from Uganda to Kenya where you can spend just one hour. Africa’s vision is shared prosperity,” She said

Rather than identifying as Africans, we need to start identifying as Pan-africans. I am very glad that JNLC has started these conversations with the Youth. Julius Nyerere would be proud of us for carrying forward Pan-Africanism.”
—H.E Her Excellency Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang

In his closing remarks, Dr James Luyonga Nkata, Director General stated that There’s no way we can talk about Pan Africanism in Africa without talking about Julius Nyerere. and called on leaders to promote socialization that challenges societal stereotypes, rather than relying solely on policies that have yielded minimal results.

The aim of the lecture series was to encourage cross-generational dialogues that mentor present and future leaders for effective and accountable leadership.