The West African Leadership Development Centre for Development, a regional institute committed to capacity advancement of Africa leaders has name Farouk Khailann, and nine other Africans as the top ten emerging leaders in west Africa. This was contained in a press release issued by the awarding institution, West Africa Leadership Centre for Development

Other African leaders who made the list include Dr Chaikou Ahmed Tidiane Balde (Guinea Conakry), Lovell Bai Bangura (Sierra Leone), Joana Gyan (Ghana), Alhaji Salamu Amadu (Ghana), Alioune Badara Diop (Senegal), Edak Nkpubre Chionuma (Nigeria), ALhagie Manka (Gambia), Abdulai Bary (Guinea Bissau) and Ibrahim Ton Cisse (Senegal)

They received categories of awards at the 2019 edition of the West African Leadership Summit and Awards, which was held at the plush oriental hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos Nigeria. He received the Young Entrepreneur of the year award and was also one of the key note speakers at the event.

Speaking on leadership, Farouk Khailann called on young African leaders to question the status quo and ensure they are unconventional in how the lead.

“Leadership must have a soul. Leadership is not so much about techniques and methods as it is about opening the heart. Leadership is about inspiring oneself and others. Great leadership is about human experience, not processes. It is an attitude not a routine,” he said

Furthermore, he said Leadership was not a formula or programme but rather a human activity that came from the heart; and must, therefore consider the heart of others.

Mr Khailann also called on leaders not to undermine the importance of corporate governance, adding that leaders must learn to submit themselves to processes and procedures adopted by the organizations they lead to ensure that they led by example and remained accountable.

Farouk Khailann is a young and vibrant African Entrepreneur who is passionate about Africa’s growth and is the Chief Executive Officer of Premium Africa Holdings. Premium Africa Holdings is an Africa focused investment holding company with assets and projects in Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The company operates in the areas of construction, ICT, mining, agribusiness, and energy and investment consultancy. Premium Africa holdings has also partnered with American music star Akon for his Akon Lighting Africa project in Liberia.

Premium Africa Holdings opened a UAE office in March this year to augment its efforts in driving investments from UAE to Africa. Farouk Khailann currently works closely with offices of five African presidents on various interventions geared toward the economic transformation of their respective countries.

West African Leadership centre for development is focused on building capacity of African leaders in West Africa to ensure they play a key role in the economic transformation of the Africa continent. WALCD was established in 2007 and has its headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria.