The journey of the Executive of Youngcare Initiative for Development, Tokunbo Gboyega to International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) has been nothing short of an unfolding story of grace, bliss, learning, relearning, tremendous growth and so much more that words cannot qualify in description. Indeed, it has been such a wonderful adventure for me in terms of my personal and professional development.
The journey commenced on the eve of the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria, when I received a letter from an organization authorizing my participation in the forthcoming elections as an observer, as well as to share my experiences afterwards. At the time, my experiences were little and undocumented due to the short notice.
However, I was furnished with a brainbox full of ideas on how a free and fair, democratic election should be conducted in a budding democratic state like Nigeria. Fast forward to 2019, I was privileged to be appointed as an overseer over observers and supervisors.
Prior to the election day, a preliminary program was organized of which a host of civil society organizations across Oyo state were in attendance toshare their pre-election experience. No sooner was it my turn to share from the abundance of experience in the presence of dignified delegates from the United States of America and United Kingdom consulate. It was an uplifting moment for me as I approached the podium with shaky feet, but a resilient heart to lay hold of my moment of glory. In summary, it was a successand a motivation to do greater things.
Then came the Election Day (E-Day). Serving as an overseer entailed monitoring and addressing issues reported to me by various observers and their supervisors of whom conducted reportage on the electoral procedures.
A total of 17 supervisors and about 150 stationary observers reported to me directly. Monitoring of the electoral process was initiated by YIAGA Africa and funded by the National Democratic Institute. It was during one of the discharges of my duties-as I visited a polling unit to ensure compliance and to observe the ongoing election-that a white lady approached me pleasantly to know how peaceful the election was going.
It was a delight speaking about the election after noticing she was also in attendance of the program held the day before. She also recollected moments of my presence in the program and our rapport became fluid as she interrogated me about my past achievement in political participation and electioneering in Nigeria.
The outcome of my answers motivated her to nominate me for the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).
On October 12, 2024, I departed from Nigeria to the United States of America for the first time for the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) organized by the US Department of State.
This wonderful opportunity came on a golden platter as I was informed that this trip was fully sponsored. My expectations for this program were magnanimous as I knew this would be a lifechanging experience and a positive shift in the right trajectory of destiny.
The program kicked offwith a tour in the renown city of Washington and subsequently,an introduction of all 22 participants. It was a moment of bliss for me having an opportunity to network with great and like minds, all geniuses in their respective fields backed with outstanding achievements.
Amongst them were; secretary of political parties, executive directors of organizations, renownedyoung politicians, journalists and professors from 19 different countries of which I established a good working relationship with them, alongside wonderful liaison officers. I had the distinct privilege of embarking on a transformative journey across the United States, visiting Washington, D.C., Virginia, Florida, Manchester New Hampshire and Arizona respectively.
This prestigious program, organized by the U.S. Department of State, provided an unparalleled opportunity to engage with American society, its institutions, and people.
Participating in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), was a rewarding and transforming experience, of which my expectations were exceeded. As a participant, I was privileged to interact with a varied group of young leaders from all over the world, discussing important global topics such as diplomacy, governance, and international cooperation.
Through series of workshops, cultural exchanges, and meetings with US officials and organizations, I gained insights on variousleadership techniques, policymaking, and the importance of citizen involvement in promoting sustainable development.
These sessions did not only broaden my understanding of the US society and her institutions, but it also helped strengthen my global network interface by establishing long-term professional ties and partnerships that can benefit future endeavors for my country and even the international society at large.
All participants were to present a topic reflecting the essence of the program. My topic was titled; Not Too Young To Run; Engaging Youth in the Political Process. Since 2009, the concept of youth engagement in politics has been a great interest to me prior to my development duty engagement with YIAGA Africa as the State Focal Person for the “Not Too Young to Run”campaign in 2015. I had discovered that the popular mantra “youths are the leaders of tomorrow” will only be a reflection of an unknown tomorrow until tomorrow becomes now. NTYTR is a global campaign that advocates for an alignment of the age requirement for running for political office with the official voting age.
The ultimate goal of the campaign is to contribute to achieving greater youth representation and participation in political leadership.
The campaign aims at mobilizing young people and relevant stakeholders around the issue of youth political participation and inclusion.
According to the United Nations, the partners seek to: Raise awareness on the state of youth in public office through creating a knowledge platform of global statistics concerning youth and politics, as well as the barriers to participation by country; Advocate to end discriminatory attitudes and practices toward young people running for public office and for increased participation of young people in politics and government;
Gather input and ideas from young people around the world with regard to their participation in political decision-making processes through a public consultation online; Inspire and activate young people everywhere to run for public office.
Advocacy at the peak:
Washington DC
We started our journey in Washington DC at the U.S. Department of State with Charlie Kellett and Stephanie Espinal from the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, where we explored their work in bolstering democraticinstitutions, confronting democratic backslidings, promoting accountability, and advancing rights and equity of members of marginalized groups. We asked a lot of insightful questionsaround these issues with respect to our various countries. I was particularly mesmerized and well-informed by the level of diplomacy and vision the US runs with in the commitment to foster a global village regulated by the basic tenets of democratic practice.
Our next stop was diving into ethics and transparency with Indhira Benitez, Jean-Paul Theroux, and Peter Tilly from theOffice of Congressional Ethics, focusing on their role in thepromotion of transparency by legislators and its investigations into allegations of campaign finance misconduct and other ethics violations. This particular session piqued my interest as I pondered on how this can be replicated in Nigeria through policy influence and why this House of Representative setup was absent from the US senate and the Supreme Court.
Our engagement with Paige Ferguson of the Future Caucus was enlightening, as we discussed how young leaders are bridging the partisan divide and creating forward-thinking policies. We finally wrapped up these sessions with an exhilarating study of the federal system led by Diane Lowenthal, Ph.D. at theAmerican University, as well as an awakening session withEmily Isaac from “Run for Something” on young voter mobilization strategies which revealed how enlightening the electorate on the subject of electoral value is a necessity to promote fairness in electoral processes. This was not without the support of the Meridian International Center of which I am grateful for.
Leadership Insight
We embarked on an exclusive and bespoke Gallup Clifton Strengths leadership training while in DC. This corporation has studied human nature and behavior for over seven decades byemploying many of the world’s leading scientists in management, economics, psychology, and sociology.
The training was all-encompassing as I discovered the very essence of being called a leader despite my broad scope ofexperience in assuming diverse leadership positions. As a leader with strong communication skills, you must instinctively adopt methods to refine and simplify your message to your audience, sparkling energy, fostering acceptance and building deep mutualunderstanding between you and your audience or followers. This I understood through the Clifton Strength leadership exercise. Also, the constant emphasis on strengths and capabilities made me discover that leveraging on your strengths can suppressrising or potential weaknesses. Talents according to Gallup can be categorized in the following areas such as Adaptability, Connectedness, Development and Empathy.
The tour to the US Capitol was also an adventurous momentwith members of Senator Dick Durbin’s office. The United States Capitol serves as home for the legislative branch of the United States federal government. The building is marked by its central dome above a rotunda and is double-winged, each representing a chamber of Congress. W paid a visit to theLibrary of Congress where we learned some of American history.
Early Voting Observation
On a personal note, I had a very wonderful time at the county of Fairfax, Virginia by experiencing my first election observation outside of Nigeria. I have garnered over 15 years’ experience in election observation and policy in Nigeria, and I can attest to this fact that the general elections held in America is very much more coordinated than any election in Nigeria, and probably Africa. The Fairfax County of Elections conducts all electoralactivities openly and transparently and welcomes observers to monitor and observe pre-election procedures to ensure that all votes counted are tabulated accurately. We were privileged to meet Andres F. Jimenez, the Manson District Supervisor of Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, who explained theguidelines of the electoral process and entertained our curiousquestions. In 2024, the Office of Elections offers Fairfax County citizens early voting in 16 polling locations, including the Mason District Governmental Center.
Manchester New Hampshire
After DC, New Hampshire was the next location on our itinerary list. We were hosted by the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire who were the most hospitable to us. They were happy to host me as a Nigerian and my Greek counterpart of whom we learned about culture, life and the level of political engagement of people in the state. The visit to the family of a Public Policy Specialist in NH Coalition against Domestic and Sexual Violence was also a refreshing endeavor. However, our goals in New Hampshire were to; sensitize and encourage youth involvement in political issues, engage in leadership development programs and, empower women in political and civic leadership roles.
Our engagements with non-partisan and partisan organizationsdealing with young people’s political participation in the stateand local level were highly successful and productive. 603 Forward an organization committed to building a thriving New Hampshire for the future, were delighted to host us. We discussed about their efforts to engaging youth in civic matters across New Hampshire, focusing on initiatives to increasing youth participation in politics and community service and howeffective these initiatives have been. Leadership in NH is a statewide program providing training to prepare public service professionals for roles in nonprofit leadership. This also spansthrough the political system in New Hampshire. Granite State Organizing Project engages youths in advocacy and civic life,addressing issues affecting their communities via training and mentoring. This organization, which is New Hampshire’s “largest faith-based, grass-roots, community organization, seeks to strengthen communities, empowering them to find their voice and effect change.”
We visited the NH State House in the state capitol building where we had series of discussions with the Republicans’ StateRepresentatives about their legislative initiatives (considering all democrats were holed up in a meeting with President Biden during the presidential campaign for VP Harris in NH that day). It was quite astounding to know that an 18-year-old legislator was voted into the NH House of Representatives. The NH House of Representatives collaborates with the Legislative Youth Advisory Council to showcase that young people are very much involved in the legislative process and adopt advocacy measures for youth-centered policies. We also had a detour to visit the League of Women Voters of NH which works with women from diverse backgrounds and political spectra with the aim of improving their skills and confidence needed to run for elections.
Orlando Florida
At Orlando Florida our visit was underpinned by three thematic principles which are;
1. Youth organizing, activism, and advocacy
2. Local campaigns and get out the vote efforts
3. Fostering political engagement through public-private partnerships with the opportunity of students’ organizations who are active in politics.
At the University of Central Florida, Democrats and Republicans blocs are well represented in the student polity asboth organizations are involved in activism, service, leadership, and fellowship at the University. Contestants in the presidential election will have the opportunity to meet with members of both organizations to find out about their work among one of the most highly sought after demographics each election season. We had the opportunity to participate in cultural activities and observe voter mobilization rallies and events. Amazingly, our timely visit coincided with President Trump’s rally of which I attended.
Phoenix, Arizona
In Arizona, my group members and I enjoyed our time at the beautiful Desert Botanical Garden and its five uniquely themed trails. We took photographs and engaged one another as this proffered a more informal and relaxed time to bond and network. Sightseeing the iconic saguaro cacti along with other beautiful plants that thrive in some of the hottest and driest parts of the world was fantastic.
For over 70 years, the Desert Botanical Garden has not just beena tourist center, but also an inspirational center and a place oflearning for the local community and for visitors from all around the world by providing research and exhibits to help visitorsunderstand, protect and preserve the desert’s natural beauty. Tourism is one thriving sector in the US as this nation is ranked among the top tourist nations of the world. The level of commitment of the US government and their investment in this sector is reflective of the remarks of foreign tourists and visitors in this great nation. Our official meeting in Arizona kicked off with a visit to the Phoenix Indian Center’s Civic Engagement, where we met with Ms. June Shorthair (the Civic Engagement Coordinator) and her team for a discussion about the work they do to promote civic engagement within the American Indian communities. The Civic Engagement Team assists with voter registration for county, state, and Navajo Nation elections. They also provide information on local, regional, and national issues that may affect urban American Indian voters.
At the Tempe Campus of Arizona State University, the meeting with Citizens Clean Elections Commission was anchored by Ms. Gina Roberts, the Voter Education Director Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission. She lectured us on the meaning of a political candidate “running clean” while running for office. The CCEC supports transparency in Arizona’s election process by offering an alternative to candidates who do not want their campaigns to be funded by special interest groups. The meeting was also attended by Arizona State University student athletes and coaches. Afterwards, we had ample time to network and mingle with ASU students and staff following the presentation.
We met Stan Barnes who shared his extensive experience in Arizona and American politics. He engaged the group in a candid discussion about the current general election covering and offering his commentary on local and state races, as well as the highly anticipated presidential election. We did not leave him without asking questions that concerns our respective countries. I for one was inquisitive about his perception towards my dear country, Nigeria.
Global Citizens’ Coffee Circle
I had an interview about my stay in the United States with the Global Citizens Media where I shared my opinion about early voting in America and how this can solidify our Nigerian election. I had attended all the sessions to garner as much knowledge as I could. From all of my experiences, I can only infer that we (civil society organizations) ought to passionately engage stake holders on how a perfect electioneering system can be remodeled in my country.
I enjoyed coffee, pastries, and conversations with members of the Greater Phoenix community, including local government officials and esteemed members of the business community, to gain a candid perspective on Arizona politics, what real Arizonans think of the current political climate, local elections, and more.
We had a great time with some of Arizona’s top AI and cybersecurity experts whose roles are pivotal with respect to protecting and securing elections. It became very interesting as the panel discussed the role on cyber security on American election especially in exposing fake news, fake video and misinformation.
It was another electoral experience at Maricopa County, we met the Board of Supervisors’ Vice Chairman Jack Sellers (District 1) and Supervisor Bill Gates (District 3). Vice Chairman Sellers and Supervisor Gates fostered an eye-openingdiscussion about the responsibilities of the Board to run and oversee a free and fair election for one of the largest voting jurisdictions in the country with more than 2.4 million registered voters.
Here are a few lessons from IVLP
Building Connections in a global world: The most enriching part of the program was connecting with individuals from various walks of life and backgrounds. With a robust diversity in ideologies, orientations and approach to life, the magnitude ofshared ideas, perspectives, and experiences has broadened my understanding of global issues and strengthened my network of contacts especially from the wonderful 22 different nationals I was grouped with. It was also amazing to have familiarized myself with the American society hereby understanding the culture, politics and laws.
Learning Opportunities for the next level: Participating in meetings, workshops, and site visits especially in the universities, tourist centers and also campaign grounds have provided valuable insights into best and professional practices in the development field. I have tasted the innovative approaches, and emerging trends in my field. I return home with a wealth of knowledge, talent discovery, enlightenment and new skills to apply to my work.
Personal Growth and Development: The IVLP challenged me to step out of my comfort zone to see how a developed society works and the rationale behind American leaders motivated to do more for their people through the democratic system, it has urged me to embrace cultural and religious differences, and develop a greater appreciation for diversity. I feel empowered to become a more effective, visionary, understanding leader and advocate for positive change in my community and in Nigeria as a whole.
Youth Engagement: IVLP has availed me the opportunity to voice out louder and advocate for youth participation in politics and leadership in Nigeria, having seen more dedicated and encouraged young people who are performing exceptionally in the United States of America.
Capacity Building: I have enjoyed so much capacity building participating in The IVLP after trainings, meetings, conferences and interactions with intelligent speakers who believe so much in their country.
and then