New African leadership school seeks to bridge ‘values deficit’ 

By Kingsley Webora TANKEH

The President of African School of Governance (ASG), Francis Gatare, has argued that academic qualifications have failed to produce leaders capable of meeting community expectations, positioning ASG as the panacea to what he termed a “values deficit” in Africa’s future leaders that impacts governance across the continent.

Mr. Gatare argued that the continent has seen numerous instances where highly qualified professionals occupy positions for which they possess technical knowledge, but fail to deliver results that resonate with ordinary citizens.

“Being a good leader requires more than technical skills. It requires a set of values that make you an ethical leader. And to be an ethical leader is a very special quality to have, and it can be learnt,” Mr. Gatare noted during a press conference at the Rwandan High Commission in Accra.

He, therefore, maintained that ASG is meant to train ethical leaders in Africa. “The gap we aim to fill is to bring in that extra – to create leaders who are value-based, who understand that values matter, ethics matter; values of transparency, fairness and integrity,” he added.

The President of the leadership and governance school revealed that the ASG is co-founded by two of Africa’s prominent statesmen: Rwandan President Paul Kagame and former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, who have joined forces to institutionalise their governance philosophies for the next generation of African leaders.

Mr. Gatare emphasised the institution’s mission: “We want to create a truly pan-African network of professionals who are committed and share the same values of ethical leadership, pursuit of excellence and service to your communities”.

ASG opened in January 2025 in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, and welcomed the pioneering cohort of 51 students from 14 African countries in September.

Bridging generations

The Kigali-based institution offers a range of programmes designed to prepare Africa’s future leaders. These include a two-year, full-time Master of Public Administration, an Executive Master of Public Administration for mid-career professionals, and short executive courses lasting two to three weeks.

The Young Leaders Programme at ASG aims to capture and mentor brilliant high School graduates to take up leadership roles on the continent while the Senior Leadership Fellowship aims to tap into the wealth of knowledge of experienced leaders nearing the end of their careers. ASG then pairs them with younger professionals in what Mr. Gatare described as “cross-generational conversations.”

“We want to capture the experiences they have learnt over their careers. We want to capture the lessons and we want to pair them up with young people so they can mentor them; so that they can learn from the mistakes they made and understand the journey they have walked – the stumbling blocks that they encountered so they can be avoided,” Mr. Gatare explained.

Mr. Gatare indicated that the school’s curriculum integrates African historical, political and socio-economic contexts to give students a better idea of how to flourish as a leader in Africa.

Technology and governance integration

He emphasised that the curriculum also addresses the technological boom at the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its implications on governance.

“Many governments are behind because technology is too fast, and adapting is too costly sometimes,” he said. “And so today we are training leaders who will be causing that transformation to happen because they will know and not be afraid of this technology. Governance and technology is a core course at ASG.”

Accessibility and admissions

The school offers full and partial scholarships based on merit, vulnerability and leadership potential. Mr. Gatare encouraged professionals across sectors to consider enrolling at the school, noting that one can take leadership development courses online without necessarily having to relocate to Kigali.

“You don’t have to leave your job. You can register for a virtual online programme or participate in a session. Or come for a few days, a week or two,” he said.

President of African School of Governance (ASG), Francis Gatare, speaking at a press briefing at Rwandan High Commission in Accra

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