Virginia Tech Ph.D. candidate Israel Oyedare inspires the next generation of African leaders
With his nonprofit organization in Nigeria, a new book, and a degree from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Oyedare aims to make leadership education a mainstay in African schools.
Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, Israel Oyedare’s mother always told him he had something very important that the world needed.
“My parents were very passionate about the education of their children, but they also focused on shaping my mindset,” he said. “The foundation they gave me mentally helped me see myself as a leader.”
Oyedare read every book he could on leadership, but as looked around his school and community, he found a shortage of resources for leadership development. He decided to be part of the change.
At 23, he founded Teens and Youth in Leadership (TYIL), a nonprofit aimed at providing leadership education to secondary and post-secondary school students across sub-Saharan African countries. The foundation focuses on educating African youth and young adults on subjects including self-leadership, civic development, and climate change, while teaching them how to conduct academic research in these areas.
To date, the nonprofit has provided leadership training to more than 3,000 youth in five countries – Nigeria, the Gambia, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. It has a staff of 11 full-time employees, several of whom are TYIL graduates.
But, as Oyedare points out, even leaders need to continue their education. In 2022, he came to Virginia Tech to pursue a Ph.D. in the Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Education with the help of a graduate assistantship. It was the only program he applied to.
“I knew that if I wanted to commit my life to leadership education, I needed to go to the best institution,” he said.
His research with advisor Eric Kaufman, a professor and associate department head, focuses on developing transformative leadership skills among 4-H youth.
“4-H has institutionalized the leadership education of youth over the last 120 years, and my goal is to evaluate their current strategies and endeavor to adopt what works effectively in the African context,” Oyedare said.
His quest to develop leadership education in Africa has attracted many leadership scholars and professionals, including faculty members and alumni from Oyedare’s department, who have begun participating as facilitators and mentors to the TYIL students.
“In my years of advising, I've rarely encountered a student with Israel's unique combination of scholarly acumen, practical leadership experience, and genuine passion for transforming lives through education,” Kaufman said. “His work with TYIL and his research at Virginia Tech exemplify the kind of innovative, globally minded leadership that will shape the future of education and youth development.”
Last year, Oyedare decided to put his leadership experience into writing as part of an effort to reach newer and larger youth audiences.
“Because I am passionate about reaching out to youth, and the TYIL foundation was having difficulty reaching as many secondary school students as we were aiming for, I decided that I should write everything I wanted to teach and spread the knowledge that way,” said Oyedare.
His book, “The Leading Teenager: A Teenager’s Guide to an Effective Leadership Journey,” covers his experience of navigating the complexities of growing up in Nigeria, including overcoming self-esteem issues. It also shares the practical steps that Oyedare took to discover his leadership identity.
In addition to his studies, nonprofit work, and authorship, Oyedare serves as the graduate assistant in the Leadership and Social Change Residential College in O’Shaughnessy Hall, which is the hub for a 19-credit-hour minor of the same name taught in the Department of Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education.
“I am not just teaching theory-based leadership, but I’m also sharing my lived experiences with the students in the residential college,” he said. “Sharing challenges that I have overcome and techniques that I have learned gives me the ability to communicate realistic models and ideas.”
Oyedare aims to complete his doctorate this May. After graduation, his dream is to build leadership schools for African youth and to work to develop and reform educational policies to meet the needs of African people.
“Virginia Tech has invested so much in me,” he said. “There are amazing people here that are ready to work, serve, and support my vision of being a changemaker in my community. I embed the mission of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) in everything I do.”
