Rwanda, a new vision for African leadership is taking shape bold, strategic, and unapologetically homegrown. The African School of Governance (ASG), launched under the auspices of President Paul Kagame and former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, aims to be Africa’s answer to Harvard, but with a transformative twist: leadership training rooted in African realities.
ASG’s President and Vice Chancellor, Kingsley Moghalu, a former Nigerian central banker and respected thought leader, is championing a new model of leadership education. “Africa does not need to copy the West,” Moghalu asserts. “We must develop solutions grounded in our experiences and values.”
Unlike traditional institutions that focus solely on academic knowledge, ASG goes deeper—prioritizing mindset change, ethical leadership, and servant governance. Its flagship Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) is designed not just to teach policy but to cultivate purpose-driven leaders capable of addressing Africa’s unique challenges.
On a continent where 70% of the 1.3 billion population is under 35, Moghalu emphasizes the critical role of young people in shaping governance. “Whether it’s jobs, peace, or opportunity, it all hinges on governance,” he says.
Kenya, one of Moghalu’s recent stops during his continental tour, is a key focus for ASG. Beyond recruiting students for the MPA program, ASG is offering short executive courses tailored for government and corporate leaders. Discussions with Kenyan ministries are already underway to foster collaborative training and curriculum development.
What sets ASG apart is its contextual relevance. “You may study abroad, but foreign institutions often don’t address the intricacies of African systems,” Moghalu notes. “At ASG, you graduate with a mindset to lead with impact—proudly African, globally competent.”
With its elite founding network and vision to redefine leadership on the continent, ASG is poised to become a powerful force in shaping Africa’s future. In the next decade, the benchmark for excellence in governance may no longer be Harvard, but Kigali’s ASG.
