AOLC Nigeria: New Change Agents are Born
After an intensive nine-month learning journey, the Agroecology and Organic Leadership Course (AOLC) Nigeria cohort gathered in Umuahia from 20 –22 April 2026 to celebrate their graduation and showcase their visions for a more resilient food system.
This second face-to-face session marked the culmination of a programme designed to bridge the gap between organic and agroecology principles, and practical leadership. The event brought together 23 graduates alongside local trainer Judi Obi and Development Plans coach, Dr. Uko. Also in attendance were partners from the Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN) and IFOAM – Organics International.
The heart of the three-day graduation was the evaluation of Personal Development Plans (DPs). These plans serve as the participants' roadmaps for implementing agroecological change at the food system level within their own communities.
Participants presented their progress through creative poster sessions and detailed presentations, reflecting on their personal growth and the systemic impact of their work. To ensure the plans were robust and actionable, a peer-review process was conducted based on three core leadership pillars:
- Systems-Level Thinking: How the plan engages with food-system dynamics to connect local actions to a broader context.
- Transformative Impact: The extent to which the plan addresses the root causes of agricultural challenges to foster long-term change.
- Collaborative Leadership: How the leader fosters collective action, shared learning, and inclusivity within their community.
Leadership in Disruptive Times
A key highlight of the final face-to-face training was a session dedicated to organic and agroecologcial leadership, which introduced participants to both the “Six Patterns of Organic Leadership” and the Theory of U.
Designed to cultivate inner quality and systemic awareness, the session guided participants to reflect on three core divides shaping today’s crises:
- The Ecological Divide: Our disconnection from nature
- The Social Divide: Our disconnection from one another
- The Inner Divide: Our disconnection from self and purpose
Through deep listening, reflection, and co-creation practices, the process helped align personal intentions with collective action. This dialogue fed directly into development plans, fostering food system transformations that are regenerative, socially inclusive, and rooted in self-aware leadership. Ultimately, these practices equipped the cohort to shift mindsets, relationships, and structures simultaneously.
Voices from the Field
The emotional and professional impact of the course was best captured by the graduates themselves.
My Development Plan focuses on bridging the youth leadership gap in agroecology, because the future of agroecology isn’t only about growing food. It’s also about raising leaders who can shape food systems.
AOLC Nigeria graduate
I’m deeply grateful to the organisers, my tutors and the thoughtfully selected cohort of course mates who made the learning process wholesome, inspiring, introspective, entertaining and truly transformational.
AOLC Nigeria graduate
A New Chapter for Organic Leadership
The AOLC Nigeria may have drawn to a close in Umuahia, but the real impact of these change agents is just starting to take root. Equipped with advanced skills in advocacy, systems thinking, and community mobilisation, these graduates now stand as vital links in a global network dedicated to promoting Agroecology and the Principles of Organic Agriculture.
By championing interventions at the system level within their own local contexts, the cohort is elevating the leadership of Nigeria’s organic sector and ensuring that agroecology plays a central role in the country’s future food security and nutrition strategy.
