Young Leader of the Month
Nduku Louis Tebi
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Leadership is often spoken about in terms of positions, titles and achievements. But some leadership journeys begin somewhere much deeper: in the experience of hardship, the decision to overcome it, and the determination to ensure that others do not have to experience the same pain.
For Nduku Louis Tebi, leadership emerged from such an experience.
A Cameroonian peacebuilder, educator, youth advocate and social entrepreneur, Tebi is the Founder and Team Lead of Xhuma Africa, a youth led organisation working at the intersection of peacebuilding, environmental conservation, civic engagement and youth empowerment.
His journey reflects a powerful example of how personal adversity can become a catalyst for public service and social change.
Tebi’s story is deeply connected to the conflict that has affected Cameroon’s Northwest region.
In 2018, while on his way to the University of Bamenda for an examination, he was kidnapped by armed separatist rebels and held for two weeks. According to his account, he was subjected to violence and threats during his captivity. After his release, he underwent trauma therapy and later received peacebuilding training.
That experience could have defined his life through anger and resentment. Instead, it became part of the foundation for his work.
Tebi began to look at conflict not only through the lens of its immediate violence, but also through the conditions that allow violence and radicalisation to grow.
His work has consequently focused on helping young people become participants in peacebuilding rather than victims or instruments of conflict.
The We Are Family Foundation previously documented his work with young people in Cameroon, including workshops on hate speech, conflict resolution, International Humanitarian Law and critical thinking. At the time, he had already worked with more than 1,000 children and young people.
That commitment later developed into Xhuma Africa, which Tebi founded to promote peace and environmental preservation.
The organisation describes its mission as training young people to promote peace, volunteerism, environmental conservation and civic engagement in an environment built around tolerance, shared values and mutual understanding.
For Tebi, peace cannot be separated from the social and economic conditions surrounding communities.
His experience as a teacher in Northern Cameroon exposed him to another dimension of vulnerability. He encountered communities dealing with extreme temperatures, limited access to water, food insecurity, poverty and environmental challenges alongside the threat of violent attacks.
This led him to explore the relationship between environmental pressures and conflict.
His approach therefore extends beyond traditional peacebuilding. Xhuma Africa works across areas including ecological peace and environmental conservation, youth advocacy and civic engagement, and livelihoods and self reliance.
The organisation has also developed initiatives around regenerative agriculture, environmental advocacy and skills development, linking economic opportunity with peace and community resilience.
One of the defining features of Tebi’s work is his belief in young people as part of the solution.
Rather than viewing young people only as beneficiaries of development programmes, his work seeks to equip them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to influence their communities.
Through Xhuma Africa’s peacebuilding initiatives, young people are trained as “Peace Weavers”, with the objective of helping them contribute to non violent conflict transformation and sustainable development.
The scale of his youth engagement has continued to grow.
In 2026, the Commonwealth Secretariat named Nduku Louis Tebi one of four African finalists for the Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work. His work was recognised under SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
According to the Commonwealth, Tebi has facilitated capacity building for more than 9,600 young people and currently mentors more than 2,850.
The recognition came from a field of 977 entries submitted for the 2026 Commonwealth Youth Awards, making his selection among the 20 regional finalists a significant international recognition of his work.
Tebi’s leadership also extends into civic participation and policy.
He has served as a Youth Senator representing Momo Division in Cameroon’s youth parliamentary structures, where he participated in discussions around policy development, advocacy and the aspirations of young people.
In reflecting on that experience, Tebi highlighted his participation in the process of drafting bills, advocacy and lobbying, as well as engaging stakeholders around issues affecting young people.
His stated aspiration is to contribute to a peaceful, prosperous and inclusive society in which young people can thrive.
This dimension of his work is important because youth leadership is not only about community projects. It is also about ensuring that young people have a voice in the institutions and policy processes that shape their future.
Another distinctive element of Tebi’s work is his understanding that Africa’s development challenges cannot always be addressed in isolation.
Conflict, climate change, poverty, unemployment, food insecurity and youth marginalisation can reinforce one another.
His work therefore seeks to connect peacebuilding with environmental action and economic empowerment.
The World Youth Parliament for Water describes Tebi as the Founder and Team Lead of Xhuma Africa and notes that he has initiated and coordinated climate change adaptation projects across Africa. The organisation also identifies him as a Kanthari Fellow and recipient of the 2024 Young Global Changer Recoupling Award from the Global Solutions Summit in Berlin.
His recognition by the Global Solutions Initiative also reflects this broader approach. The initiative identifies him as a peace and environmental advocate who has facilitated youth training in moral rearmament, civic education and peacebuilding.
Perhaps the most compelling part of Tebi’s story is the transition from surviving conflict to taking responsibility for preventing its consequences for others.
His journey demonstrates that leadership is not always born in comfortable circumstances.
Sometimes, it emerges when an individual decides to transform a difficult experience into a reason to serve.
For young Africans facing conflict, unemployment, environmental degradation, social exclusion or limited opportunities, Tebi’s work offers a different perspective: that young people can move from being described as beneficiaries or victims to becoming builders, advocates, educators and problem solvers.
That philosophy is reflected in Xhuma Africa’s broader vision of empowering young Africans to move from victims of conflict to architects of sustainable peace and social change.
The Young African Leaders Summit (YALS) recognises Nduku Louis Tebi as its Leader of the Month for October 2026 in recognition of a leadership journey grounded in resilience, service, youth empowerment and peacebuilding.
His work represents an important dimension of the Africa we want to see by 2040: an Africa where young people are not simply waiting for opportunities, but are creating solutions; where communities affected by conflict can pursue peace and development; and where environmental and social challenges are addressed together.
Tebi’s story reminds us that leadership is ultimately about what we choose to do with the opportunities, challenges and experiences placed before us.
His response to adversity has been to build.
His response to conflict has been to pursue peace.
His response to youth vulnerability has been to empower.
And his response to Africa’s challenges has been to create solutions.
As Africa enters a period of profound economic, social and environmental transformation, the continent will need leaders who can connect vision with action.
Nduku Louis Tebi represents one expression of that emerging leadership.
His journey continues to demonstrate that meaningful change can begin with one person, one community and one decision to believe that a different future is possible.
Congratulations to Nduku Louis Tebi, YALS Leader of the Month for October 2026.
Your story is a reminder that the Africa we want will not be built by spectators.
It will be built by a generation willing to lead, serve and act.
The Young African Leaders Summit (YALS) is a flagship youth leadership platform powered by the Young Global Leaders Network (YGLN), bringing together young leaders, entrepreneurs, professionals, innovators, policymakers and changemakers from across Africa and beyond.
YALS 2027 will take place from 25–27 November 2027 in Accra, Ghana, under the theme:
With 550+ delegates expected from more than 40 countries, YALS 2027 will provide a platform for young Africans to connect, exchange ideas, develop partnerships and contribute to conversations shaping the continent’s future.
YALS 2027 | Accra, Ghana | 25–27 November 2027
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