The Ambassador urged them to make good use of knowledge and skills they have acquired from the training, while he presented plaques to the outstanding participants.

A statement signed and copied to the Ghana News Agency by Madam Zainab Mahama, an Information Specialist with the US Embassy, said 125 participants representing nine countries in the sub-region completed the three-week on-site training.

The programmes of study were Business and Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership, and Public Policy Management at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in Accra.

The statement said the completion of the training brought the number of young African graduates from the West Africa RLC to more than 5,300 since the U.S. Government launched the programme in 2015.

It reaffirmed the commitment of the United States Government to support future African leaders and encouraged participants to put service above self at the closing ceremony, which served as both the graduation ceremony for Cohort 14 and a celebration of the completion of in-person training for Cohort 15.

The statement said: "Each of you will play a key role in shaping the future of West Africa. You are here today because you decided to make a difference in the lives of others. Our hopes are placed in you to unite people across all levels of society to be positive builders of peace and development.

"It takes a special kind of leader to motivate others to identify and reach common solutions to extraordinary challenges."

Professor Philip Duku-Osei, the Deputy Rector of GIMPA, praised participants of Cohort 15 for their perseverance throughout the intensive three-week in-person training programme, the statement said.

It said in July 2014, the U. S. Government announced the creation of four YALI Regional Leadership Centers - one each in Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and South Africa.

These centres serve as regional hubs across the continent to encourage transformational learning and enhanced leadership skills.

The RLCs are a collaborative effort among the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the MasterCard Foundation, and other private sector partners.  Each RLC is managed under a public-private partnership, the statement noted.

The statement encouraged the public to apply for YALI programmes via "yali.state.gov" and e-mail "africanleaders@usaid.gov" to learn more about how to become a partner.