Leadership Excellence for Africa's Public Sector
Great leaders do not simply manage institutions. They transform them.
A four-month executive leadership program for current and emerging leaders across Africa's public sector.
92 places · enrollment closes 30 November 2026
A specialized agency of the African Union.
Why LEAPS
Technical competence gets you into the room. Leadership determines what you do once you are there.
Technical expertise is often the foundation of a career in public service. But as responsibilities grow, the work increasingly involves leading people, navigating institutional dynamics, coordinating competing mandates and delivering under pressure. Technical training alone may not fully prepare leaders for this transition.
LEAPS is designed to address this gap. Over four months, participants strengthen the leadership and interpersonal capabilities required to guide teams, influence change and translate reform priorities into institutional results.
“The program allowed me to see things differently. It is not just about managing tasks, it is about leading people, influencing teams, and coordinating across the institution. I manage stress better now. At the team level, there is better integration of all staff because everyone understands their purpose in the organization and can participate fully.”
What is LEAPS?
LEAPS is a four-month executive leadership program designed by the African Capacity Building Foundation for current and emerging public sector leaders. Delivered online through ACBF's Ubora Academy, it supports participants in progressing from understanding their leadership identity to leading change across institutions and systems.
The program runs in two parallel cohorts, English and French, which come together for the technical seminars. Graduates receive a certificate of completion from Ubora Academy and ACBF.
How is the program delivered?
Five Modules, Each Building on the Last
- Module 1
Understanding African Leadership Paradigms
Explore leadership approaches grounded in Africa's institutional realities and informed by relevant global practice.
- Module 2
Building Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence
See how you actually behave under pressure, and what your team sees.
- Module 3
Leading High-Performing and Inclusive Teams
Build teams that deliver without your constant presence.
- Module 4
Driving Strategic Change Within Institutions
Sequence reform so it survives its first setback.
- Module 5
Engaging Stakeholders and Driving Systemic Transformation
Lead where you hold influence but no authority.
Coaching is central to the LEAPS learning experience. Each module includes a live group coaching session and a separate mentoring session, giving participants structured opportunities to reflect, receive guidance and apply their learning to real institutional challenges.
LEAPS is delivered by experienced practitioners who have held senior roles within African public institutions, supported by ACBF program specialists and experts in leadership and institutional transformation. Facilitator details are shared with registered participants.
Four technical seminars
Translated and delivered jointly to the English and French cohorts. Topics span AI in governance, leadership in crisis, negotiation and strategic influence, and sustainable public sector management. Running them across both cohorts is deliberate — a director in Accra and a directeur in Abidjan work the same problem and see how differently their systems handle it.
Who is LEAPS for?
LEAPS is designed for current and emerging leaders across all government ministries and public institutions in Africa. It is relevant whether you work in finance, health, education, agriculture, trade, infrastructure, climate, public administration or another area of government.
You should apply if you hold responsibility for people, budgets, programs, policy implementation or institutional delivery.
- Directors and Deputy Directors
- Heads of Units and Divisions
- Assistant Commissioners
- Program Managers
- Chief Accountants and Chief Economists
- Directors of Audit
- Coordinating Directors
- Local Government Executives
All government ministries; public departments and agencies; local government authorities; revenue and tax authorities; central banks; supreme audit institutions; planning commissions; procurement authorities; parliamentary offices; and regional and continental institutions.
Is LEAPS right for you?
LEAPS may not be suitable if you are a student or are still in the early stages of your career. Ubora Academy offers free programs that may be better suited to that stage.
Explore Ubora's free programsWhat will you gain?
- Practical tools you can apply within weeks
- The capability to lead institutional change rather than absorb it
- A personalized leadership action plan
- Membership of the LEAPS alumni community
What Changes For You
How Will Your Institution Benefit?
The clearest evidence that leadership development isn't just what participants say about it, it is what changes in the office afterwards.
Previous cohorts returned to their institutions and reduced consultant dependence, shortened reporting cycles, and lifted compliance against statutory obligations. These are figures reported by participants themselves, from the sponsored program.
Institutional figures from the sponsored LEAPS program delivered 2024–2026.
“LEAPS has facilitated deeper collaboration between the Internal Audit Agency and institutions such as the Ministry of Finance and Audit Committees. This has improved alignment on reforms related to internal controls, audit quality and compliance.”
Pamela AgyekumDirector, Human Resource and Administration, Internal Audit Agency · GhanaWhat Leaders Across Africa Are Saying
“We were able to propose several actions regarding communication in public financial management. Materials were produced to help ordinary Senegalese citizens understand what public financial management is and what the budget is.”
Aminata Drame FallTechnical Adviser, Directorate of Budget Programming · Senegal“I no longer see my role as limited to building systems. Leadership, relationships, and human behavior are central to achieving results.”
Jacob MuimiICT Specialist, PFM Reform Secretariat · Kenya“As a leader, listening is very important. You must understand where your team is coming from and create opportunities for them to contribute.”
Joseph DubeGeneral Manager Finance, Public Service Commission · Zimbabwe
A Pan-African Network
Peer groups that cross borders
Cohort groups are mixed by nationality rather than grouped by country. You work through problems alongside counterparts who hold the same mandate inside a different system, which is where the useful disagreement happens. A budget director in Accra and a directeur du budget in Dakar face the same pressure and answer to entirely different rules.
An alumni community across 8 countries
295 officials to date, growing with every cohort. Alumni stay connected after the program ends, and the network is the part participants tell us they use longest.
- Nigeria
- Kenya
- Ghana
- Zimbabwe
- Senegal
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Ethiopia
- Tanzania
Thought leadership invitations
Alumni are invited into ACBF convenings, webinars and continental policy dialogues after graduation. The relationship does not end at the certificate.
Format and Commitment
Two Ways to Enroll
Enrolling a team
Nominate officials from your institution
Group enrollment, invoicing and cohort placement are handled directly by ACBF.
Contact Us for Group EnrollmentEnroll
Complete the form and ACBF will be in touch with next steps.
ACBF emails you within two working days with bank transfer details. Your place is confirmed once payment clears.
Questions?
Professionals working in Africa's public sector who carry real responsibility for people, budgets or delivery — directors, deputy directors, chief accountants and economists, heads of division, and equivalent senior roles. It is not designed for students or those in the first years of their career.
ACBF emails you within two working days with bank transfer details and your invoice. Your place is confirmed once payment clears; places are limited to 92 and confirmed payments are allocated in the order they are received.
The fee is $1,500 per learner, paid by bank transfer and invoiced after enrollment. Allow one to three weeks for international transfers to clear.
Plan for 5–7 hours per week across the four months (13 January 2027 – 13 May 2027).
Yes. The program runs in two parallel cohorts, English and French, which come together for the technical seminars. You choose your cohort on the enrollment form.
Yes. Group enrollment, invoicing and cohort placement are handled directly by ACBF. Select "on behalf of my institution" on the form, or email ubora@theacbf.org.
Graduates receive a certificate of completion issued jointly by ACBF and Ubora Academy.
No. LEAPS is delivered fully online through the Ubora Academy platform, with no in-person requirement.