During the Julius Nyerere Leadership Training Centre (JNLC) in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) symposium held on 9^th December 2025 at Makerere University, a strong voice emerged, as over 70 participants, advocated for inclusive governance. “No one should be left behind. For inclusive governance to take shape, everyone should be involved. Women and youth should be included and empowered to participate in, every stage of the governance cycle.”

Focusing on the theme, Revisiting African-style Governance: Fostering an Inclusive Society where Women and Youth can Thrive, the JNLC-JICA symposium provided a platform to the participants to discuss and critique western democracy, colonialism, patriarchy, cultural ideologies and practice, as well as, African-style democracy, through the following topics:

• Driving sustainable peace and growth in Africa: Realizing a society where women and youth can thrive
• The values and institutions of Inclusive African governance: From the perspectives of gender, generation and regionality
• The potential of African-style democracy and peace-building unleashed by women and youth.

The symposium presented to the participants an inter and cross generational flow of ideas from JICA experts and researchers, the Nomura Foundation, the JNLC leadership and experienced instructors, scholars from Makerere University Department of Political Science and Public Administration, young leaders, women, students and JNLC alumni.

The highly interactive symposium featured five sessions including the plenary, four sessions tackling to carefully selected topics aligned with the theme, and closing remarks, which provided a reflection and wrap-up. With each session having a chairperson, presenters, a discussant, and a question and answer segment, the participants listened, learned, discussed and exchanged ideas on inclusive governance.

To set the pace for the day’s engagement, the symposium kicked off, with a plenary session. Chaired by Dr. Julius Kiiza, an Associate Professor at Makerere University Department of Political Science and Public Administration, the powerful and informative session brought on board Mr. Yoichi Inoue-the JICA Uganda Chief Representative who delivered the opening remarks, two key note speakers namely Dr. Adem Seifudein and Ms. Jackline Nasiwa, and the discussant – Dr. Suzie Nansozi K. Muwanga-the Executive Director of the Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre

Japan and Uganda: A Partnership for Shared Progress

Opening the symposium, Mr. Inoue Yoichi, Chief Representative of JICA Uganda, expressed gratitude for the collaboration, describing the partnership as a bridge between academic excellence and practical development. He highlighted Uganda’s governance, resilience, and education experiences as lessons for cross-regional learning with Japan and beyond.

“Uganda has long been a treasured development partner. JICA’s cooperation in Uganda spans many decades and covers a wide range of sectors. Together with our Ugandan counterparts, we have worked to build vital infrastructure, from roads that connect communities to electricity networks that power growth,” Mr. Yoichi said.

He emphasized the importance of youth engagement, noting their creativity and energy as critical to sustaining the symposium’s ideas.

“By including students and young professionals in our conversation, we ensure that this dialogue remains forward-looking, amplifies the voices of the next generation, and sustains the impact of the ideas shared at the symposium,” he stated.

Africa’s Youth and Women: Driving Change

Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Adem Seifudein, Research Fellow at the JICA Ogata-Sadako Research Institute, focused on Numericalism as well as Female and Youth Empowerment in Africa. He highlighted that Africa’s youthful population—70% under the age of 30—is both a demographic majority and a global force yet to fully convert into political and developmental power.

“Destiny does not automatically translate into dividends. Empowerment must be deliberate, especially for women and the youth,” he guided, urging transformation that respects historical and cultural realities.

Dr. Adem emphasized youth roles in reimagining leadership, digital activism, and peacebuilding. “You are the ones who will advance the peace of tomorrow. The future of Africa- its governments, justice and peace, rests not in distant institutions, but in your hands, in your imagination, and in your actions. You are the peacebuilders,” he said.

African Women at the Forefront

Ms. Jackline Nasiwa, Executive Director of the Center for Inclusive Governance, Peace and Justice in South Sudan, highlighted the role of women and youth in governance, describing Africa’s youthful population as a source of innovation and civic engagement. She reaffirmed women’s contributions across peacebuilding, entrepreneurship, and leadership, citing pioneers such as Dr. Specioza Wandera Kazibwe – the first female Vice President in Africa, Dr. Wangari Maathai – First African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf – Africa’s first elected female head of state, Joyce Banda – Malawi’s first female president, and Ameenah Gurib-Fakim – Mauritius’ first female president.

“We need to celebrate our African women leaders because when women rise, nations rise,” Ms. Nasiwa declared.

She outlined reforms for inclusive governance: gender-sensitive systems, investment in education, economic empowerment, and leadership development for women and youth.

“The future of African governance and development depends on the empowerment of women and youth in every nation and community. When both are included, society becomes stronger, more united and resilient,” she said.

Unpacking Structural Barriers to Inclusion

Addressing the participants, Dr. Nansozi Muwanga pointed out some of the entrenched obstacles that sustain exclusion including limited access to decision-making spaces, the persistence of patronage politics, and social norms reinforcing gendered and generational hierarchies. She added that economic exclusion remains a critical, yet often an ignored constraint. With reference to Uganda’s political landscape, she stated that the high cost of contesting for leadership places meaningful participation beyond the reach of most of the young aspirants.

“In today’s Uganda, running for a political position requires enormous financial resources—often running into billions of shillings for posters, facilitation, and other campaign costs. Realistically, how many young people can raise that kind of money just to secure a chance at leadership?

Women at the Heart of Africa’s Governance Future

Dr. Nansozi K. Muwanga noted that although Africa’s population is both young and predominantly female, women remain underrepresented in governance. She highlighted the longstanding contributions of Ugandan women—from national speakers to cabinet leaders—and emphasized that the challenge has never been a lack of capable women, but rather their limited inclusion in governance structures in meaningful ways. She argued that excluding women and youth fundamentally undermines peacebuilding, economic transformation, and social cohesion.

Rethinking Governance through African Wisdom

Drawing from traditional African governance models, Dr. Nansozi K. Muwanga underscored the relevance of consensus-building and distributed leadership. She noted that African societies historically valued collective decision-making, involving elders, clans, women, and youth. She suggested that these indigenous principles offer lessons for modern leadership, particularly in designing systems that reflect demographic realities rather than sidelining them.

“Consensus-building which is collective decision-making is part and parcel of African traditional governance systems. The second is distributed leadership. By this we mean leadership is not vested in one person but in a network of elders, clans, women leaders, youth, and age-set structures spread across society and able to provide the guidance needed for governance,” she said.

Charting Pathways to Inclusive Governance

Dr. Nansozi K. Muwanga proposed pathways for building inclusive societies, including gender-responsive budgeting, genuine youth representation, strengthened decentralization, and transforming social norms through cultural and religious engagement. She emphasized cross-generational dialogue and economic empowerment; providing access to finance, market-linked skills, and support for youth-led enterprises—as essential for meaningful participation.

“Economic empowerment means supporting young entrepreneurs, skilling them in ways linked to labor markets rather than random training, and giving them access to finance—not only for supposedly important sectors but also for innovative ideas, for both young women and young men,” she remarked.

Dr. Muwanga argued that the path forward lies in reconnecting power to the very people it is intended to serve; young women and young men who make up the overwhelming majority of Africa’s population. For governance to be credible and sustainable, she noted, it must reflect the continent’s demographic and social realities.

Symposium Sessions

The symposium convened scholars, young leaders, civil society actors, and practitioners from Uganda, Japan, and beyond for three dialogue sessions that blended global perspectives with African realities, providing a platform to examine the structures, opportunities, and challenges shaping Africa’s peace and governance.

Session 1: Driving Sustainable Peace and Growth in Africa

Chaired by Associate Professor Paul Omach-Head of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Makerere University, the panel consisted of Ms. Hope Namulindwa, Ms. Dorothy Nakamya Namigadde, Mr. Denis Olupot, Dr. Anna Ninsiima, Dr. Hiroki Nakamura and Mr. Charles Tweheyo as the discussant.

The discussion examined how Africa can create a society where women and youth fully participate and thrive as equal partners in development. Speakers addressed the structural and economic pressures young people face especially unemployment and how these challenges influence political engagement, social stability, and innovation. Reflections also highlighted the increasing empowerment of young women in Uganda, linking their progress to the long-standing role of African women in peacebuilding and economic development. Overall, the session underscored women as historic and contemporary frontline actors, with today’s young women positioned as heirs to that legacy.

Session 2: The Values and Institutions of Inclusive African Governance

Chaired by Associate Professor Paul Omach, the panel consisted of Ms. Mary Sora Deng, Dr. Joel Isabirye, Mr. Charles Tweheyo, Mr. Takashi Nagutsuji and Dr. Natsuko Imai as the discussant.

The session examined how governance systems influence inclusion across gender, generation, and regional lines. Presenters noted the gradual rise of women in political leadership, while acknowledging that increased representation has not fully dismantled patriarchal norms. Drawing on historical East African practices that emphasized collective responsibility and community leadership, the discussion explored how modern institutions can connect generations, blend traditional and formal governance, and bring marginalized groups into national decision-making. The session emphasized that true inclusion must go beyond rhetoric—it requires intentional structures, resources, and meaningful reforms.

Session 3: Reimagining Democracy and Peacebuilding through Women and Youth

Chaired by Associate Professor Julius Kiiza, the panel consisted of Dr. Jackie Nakaiza, Mr. Mpamize Rwamigamba, Dr. Julius Niringiyimana, Dr. Natsuko Imai-Kaneyama, and Dr. Joel Isabirye as the discussant.

The final session focused on integrating women and youth into leadership, exploring concepts such as vanhucracy, and bridging traditional and modern governance. Presenters traced East Africa’s strides in including women in peace and security processes and reflected on why the youth political bloc, despite its numerical advantage has struggled to gain traction in regional governance structures.

Closing Remarks: Participants urged to continue the dialogue on inclusive governance

Dr. Justus Twesigye, Dean of the School of Social Sciences at Makerere University, stressed that peace, inclusive governance, values, and sustainable growth lie at the heart of humanities and social sciences and should not be overshadowed by emerging technologies.

Dr. Twesigye commended the organizers for their vision and leadership in convening the symposium and expressed confidence that the partnerships and insights gained would continue to advance governance, inclusion, and sustainable development across Africa.

Commending the participants upon their active participation in the symposium, Dr. Twesigye stated that the wonderful ideas and insights would be shared with the University management and key stakeholders for further action.

He called for continued dialogue through academic and digital platforms, highlighted the importance of mentoring youth, and reaffirmed the central role of women and young people in building an inclusive society.