Arc. Similade Aderogba Bags Thomas Sankara Leadership Prize Award as ‘Patriotic Amazon of the Year’
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In a momentous event celebrating African excellence, Arc. Similade Aderogba, the Chief Executive Officer of Lines and Styles Limited, was on Monday conferred with the prestigious Thomas Sankara Leadership Prize for Integrity and Transparency as Patriotic Amazon of the Year by the Youth Partnership for Africa’s Development (YOUPAD), a continental youth body rooted in a century-long history of African student activism.
The award presentation took place in Abuja, where the YOUPAD leadership, comprising representatives from various African countries and led by its President, Henry Nwankwo, presented Arc. Aderogba with a medal and Certificate of Investiture. The recognition underscores her commitment to transparency, integrity, and youth empowerment on the continent.
YOUPAD, originally founded on August 7, 1925, as the West African Students Union (WASU) by twenty-one law students in London—including iconic African nationalists Ladipo Solanke and Herbert Bankole-Bright—has evolved into a beacon of youth-driven development across Africa. The union was established to campaign for the welfare of African students abroad and promote socio-political progress in Britain’s African colonies.
A Voice for African Youth
In her heartfelt acceptance speech, Arc. Aderogba dedicated the award to the bold, brilliant, and resilient youth of Africa, describing them as the “heartbeat of Africa.”
“I dedicate this award to the youths in Africa… not just to anyone, but to the bold ones, to the brilliant ones, and to those ones that feel unstoppable every day,” she declared passionately.
“We are truly Africans. We are the generation that can, and would, change Africa,” she continued. “So apart from everything we’ve been doing as youth… I would also like us to work better and create more opportunities like this, encourage more people to do more, because we need more leaders. Leaders are not necessarily born. They are created.”
“Once we create more opportunities for people and they are seen, they will get to do more for the community,” she concluded, expressing gratitude for the honour bestowed upon her.
Rejecting the ‘Japa Syndrome’
Delivering a vote of thanks on behalf of the award recipient, H.E. Osisiogu Osikenyi E., President of the All-Africa Students’ Union (AASU), lauded the decision of YOUPAD to recognise a young African leader who has chosen to stay on the continent and build from within.
“I say thank you to every young African who is inspired every day, and I will tell us—let’s keep building Africa, let’s keep rising, and God will help us. We should say no to the Japa Syndrome,” Osikenyi stated, referencing the trend of mass emigration among African youth.
Staying to Build Africa
Earlier in his remarks, YOUPAD President Henry Nwankwo emphasized the symbolic importance of recognising individuals like Arc. Aderogba who have resisted the lure of leaving the continent, choosing instead to contribute meaningfully to Africa’s development.
“Only Africans can build Africa,” Nwankwo affirmed, saying that Arc. Aderogba’s dedication to remaining in Africa and investing in its growth is what true patriotism and Pan-African leadership are about.
The ceremony not only celebrated an individual achievement but also reinforced the message that integrity, transparency, and commitment to the continent remain the most valuable currencies of leadership in Africa today.
Arc. Similade Aderogba now joins the distinguished ranks of awardees who personify the visionary ideals of Thomas Sankara, the revolutionary former President of Burkina Faso, whose legacy continues to inspire a new generation of transformative African leaders.
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