Achaleke Christian Leke

His exceptional leadership in institutional management has played a crucial role in shaping the organization's growth. From starting as a volunteer in 2007, he rose to become Executive Director, inspiring countless young people along the way. Under his leadership, the organization expanded from having no paid staff to employing over 20 full-time professionals, from having no office space to establishing four offices across the country, and tripled its resource mobilization capacity, extending operations into Chad and Niger. His strategic vision has positioned Local Youth Corner as one of the most influential youth-led organizations in Africa.

His fearless dedication and strategic approach to crime and conflict prevention, community support, and policy advocacy have earned him widespread respect among young people, development stakeholders, and governments worldwide. He has visited more than 50 countries, pioneering life-changing initiatives, engaging with young people and stakeholders, and contributing to global peace and security efforts. His work has played a pivotal role in shaping the youth, peace, and security agenda, facilitating numerous youth-led and intergenerational efforts in peacebuilding, humanitarian response, and development.

Through Local Youth Corner, Achaleke has spearheaded over 600 peacebuilding and community development initiatives, significantly impacting mediation efforts, preventing violent extremism, fostering community dialogue, conducting evidence-based research, addressing gender-based violence, rehabilitating and reintegrating violent offenders, providing education in emergency contexts, and promoting youth entrepreneurship. His expertise has influenced both national and global policies on youth engagement in peace and security, making him a sought-after advisor for governments and international institutions.

Academically, Achaleke is a Chevening Scholar with a Master’s degree in Conflict, Security, and Development from the University of Birmingham, UK. His academic contributions include over ten research publications, and he has served as a lecturer in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Buea. His research, particularly his work on Preventing Violent Extremism in Cameroon: The Role of Young People in the Fight Against Boko Haram Insurgency, published by the African Union, and his 2016 op-ed in The Hill News titled I Know Why the War on Terror Isn’t Working, has provided critical insights into peace and countering violent extremism in Africa and beyond.

Beyond academia, his passion for community empowerment has driven him to innovate through education and social initiatives. He founded the Salaam School Initiative in the conflict-affected Far North Region, providing free and safe schooling for over 400 children impacted by the Boko Haram insurgency. His Na We We Jamboree program has leveraged sports as a tool for peacebuilding, positively affecting over 200,000 internally displaced persons and their host communities. His innovative use of the creative industry in development work has led to collaborations with artists such as X-Maleya to champion campaigns against gender-based violence. His commitment to rehabilitation and reintegration is evident through the Prison-preneurship Initiative, which has facilitated the rehabilitation of over 5,000 prisoners in Cameroon.

His influence extends beyond his organization through collaborations with national and international NGOs, multinational organizations, corporate bodies, and governments to advance youth empowerment and global peace efforts. From 2014 to 2020, he served as Cameroon’s Youth Ambassador to the Commonwealth under the Ministry of External Relations and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, where he championed diplomatic efforts and advocated for youth participation in sustainable development, governance, peace, and security at the international level.

Achaleke’s leadership has brought him into strategic engagements with world leaders, allowing him to advocate for youth representation and meaningful participation in global policy discussions. He was part of the global advocacy team for the adoption and implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace, and Security. Over the years, he has spoken at more than 700 national and international events, making history as the first African youth to address the African Union Peace and Security Council on Youth, Peace, and Security. His keynote speech at Westminster Abbey in London, delivered upon invitation from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, remains a defining moment in his public speaking career. His global leadership roles include serving as a Fellow at Georgetown University in the USA and as a Board Member of the Global Peace Fund. He has also held advisory positions with institutions such as the International Institute of Justice and the Rule of Law, The Dallaire Institute on Children, Peace and Security, and the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF).

His remarkable contributions have earned him numerous accolades. In 2016, he received the prestigious Commonwealth Young Person of the Year Award from the Commonwealth Secretariat, presented by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. That same year, he was voted the Most Influential Young Cameroonian and, in 2017, named Cameroon Youth Champion by the Ministry of Youth Affairs. He has been recognized five times among the 100 Most Influential Young Africans and was featured by CNN as an African Voices Changemaker. His COVID-19 response initiative, Operation One Person One Hand Sanitizer, was hailed as the best youth-led response in Cameroon and was recognized by UNESCO as a Real-Life Hero. His leadership in peacebuilding earned him the Luxembourg Peace Prize in 2018 and the 2020 Premio Mundo Negro a la Fraternidad in Spain. In 2019, he was named among the 35 Chevening Changemakers in the world by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office. His ability to design and implement high-impact projects earned him the Future 50 Project Leaders award by the Project Management Institute.

More recently, in 2024, he was honored with the National Leadership Award and the Golden Hand of Volunteerism Award for Citizen Engagement for Peace by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education. He also received the Canada Human Rights Award and was conferred the title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Memphis for his bravery, which was likened to that of Martin Luther King Jr. In 2022, he was named among the 100 Most Influential Young People of African Descent. His groundbreaking work continues to inspire young leaders, shape policies, and drive sustainable change in communities worldwide.

Achaleke Christian Leke is a husband and father who stands as a beacon of hope, resilience, and transformative leadership. His story exemplifies the power of perseverance, innovation, and community-driven impact, making him one of the most influential peacebuilders of his generation.