For the teenagers who participated in the 2026 Teen Leadership Camp organised by the Literacy Integration and Formal Education (LIFE) Foundation, leadership lessons extended beyond the usual conversations about confidence, public speaking and career choices.
Over four weeks in Lagos, participants from Nigeria, France and Belgium were also introduced to different forms of creative expression and encouraged to think about the place of art and culture in society.
Held from July 27 to August 21, the camp was themed “Developing Emotionally Intelligent Leaders” and brought together teenagers for workshops, debates, community service projects and team-building activities.
The arts featured as part of the camp’s wider effort to expose participants to different ways of thinking and expressing themselves. Through creative sessions and conversations around art and culture, the teenagers were encouraged to look beyond conventional academic and career paths and consider how creativity can shape the way they understand themselves and their communities.
The camp also provided an opportunity for the teenagers to interact with professionals from the creative industry. Among the guest speakers were actress Ini Edo and Chioma Ude, founder of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF), who brought perspectives from Nollywood and the film industry into the conversations.
