The Nile Executive Leadership Academy (NELA) at Bahir Dar University has successfully concluded its "Presidential Young Leadership Training Program (PYLT-P 2026): Summer Leadership Camp," held from July 8 to July 27, 2026. The program brought together selected Student Union Presidents from 10 Ethiopian universities, including Addis Ababa University, and concluded with a colorful graduation ceremony. 

The grand opening of ceremony of the flagship training program was held with high-level institutional endorsement, held in the presence of distinguished dignitaries: Dr. Mengesha Ayene (President of Bahir Dar University), Dr. Jejaw Demamu (Secretary for the Forum of Higher Education Institutes in Amhara Region Ethiopia), Prof. Yeshigeta Gelaw (Chief Executive Director, NELA), the BDU-NELA family and invited guests. Their presence underscored the strategic national importance of equipping the next generation of academic and civic leaders with advanced governance capabilities. 
In his opening remarks, Dr. Mengesha Ayene strongly emphasized the critical importance of servant leadership in modern governance. He challenged the young executives, stating that youth leaders must actively step up to play a defining role in shaping the future landscape of the nation. 
The closing ceremony was attended by Prof. Yeshigeta Gelaw, Chief Executive Director of NELA; Prof. Delele Worku, Executive Director of Graduate Programs at Bahir Dar University; and Dr. Wubetie Adinew, Director of Teachers' Affairs at Bahir Dar University; as well as NELA regular program graduates, alumni, trainers, and invited guests. 
During the ceremony, Dr. Alemtsehay Mekonnen, Director of Administration and Business Development at NELA, presented an overview of the Academy's achievements since its establishment in 2019/2020 at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University. She highlighted the Academy's major contributions to addressing leadership gaps, its future strategic directions, and the challenges encountered throughout its journey. 
Dr. Alemtsehay noted that, since its establishment, the Academy has graduated 54 outstanding leaders through its flagship six-month Executive Leadership Development Program. During the 2025/2026 academic year, NELA also provided short-term leadership training for 60 participants. In addition, the Academy organized, in collaboration with EDI-Ethiopia, Entrepreneurship Training Workshop (ETW) for NELA graduates and alumni, as well as a Public Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem Building (PEIEB) Workshop for Top and Middle Management of Bahir Dar University. She further emphasized that NELA is currently working to establish the Women Executive Leadership Development (WELD) Center, which aims to strengthen women's leadership capacity and promote gender-inclusive leadership development. 
During the event, 29 trainees who successfully completed the intensive 21-day Young Leadership Training Program received certificates from Prof. Yeshigeta Gelaw, Chief Executive Director of NELA, and Mr. Melkamu Teshome, 4th Cohort NELA Fellow. 
Certificates of recognition were also presented to individuals who made significant contributions to the successful implementation of the training program. The trainees, together with NELA's regular program graduates and alumni, expressed high satisfaction with the quality, relevance, and delivery of the training.  
Prof. Yeshigeta Gelaw expressed his deep gratitude to the Fellows and trainees for their heartwarming recognition. He reminded the Fellows that they are now uniquely equipped with the science, art, and practices of leadership—a rare curriculum that successfully amalgamates modern scientific methods with ancient wisdom. Stressing that NELA expects a high Return on Investment (ROI) from their leadership, Prof. Yeshigeta delivered an inspiring call to action:

"ብትችሉ ሐዋርያ ባትችሉ አርድኢት (ደቀመዛሙርት) በመሆን፣ ራሳችሁን ዘወትር 'ለካህን'—ማለትም ለሕሊናችሁ፣ ለሕዝባችሁ፣ ለጥበበኞች፣ ለዘመኑና ለታሪክ—እያሳያችሁ ዓለም ለሁላችንም መልካም ትሆን ዘንድ በቁርጠኝነት ሥሩ።"
(Whether you become apostles or disciples of leadership, always manifest your authentic self to your 'priest'—which is your conscience, your people, the wise, your era, and history itself. Work with unwavering commitment to make the world good for all of us.) 
Prof. Yeshigeta also expressed his heartfelt appreciation to all NELA Alumni and invited guests including Prof. Mengesha Admasu (former President of University of Gondar), Dr. Solomon Worku (Senior Advisor to the Minister, Ministry of Health of Ethiopia) and Dr. Sisay Girma (Director of Entrepreneurship Development Center at BDU) for playing a key role in facilitating the training and for their unwavering support to NELA and its programs. 
The closing remarks were delivered by Prof. Delele Worku. In his address, he commended NELA for its remarkable achievements and its strong commitment to engaging and supporting its alumni. He encouraged both the graduates and the trainees to actively pursue leadership opportunities wherever they arise—within their institutions, across Ethiopia, and beyond. He emphasized that the knowledge, skills, and values they had acquired through the Academy should be translated into ethical leadership, innovation, and meaningful contributions to society.