Empowering Youth. Bridging Gaps. Driving Social Change Through Sports & Leadership
About Carmel
Who We Are
Carmel Leadership & Sports Academy is a dynamic initiative under the Ambassadors Initiative for Youth Development & Conflict Resolution, a foundation with over 11 years of youth empowerment experience. We are grooming a new generation of leaders in Lagos State—home to over 10 million youth, representing nearly 60% of the total population.
Our mission is encapsuled in our moto – “REACHING HIGHER.” We seek to develop youth ambassadors and to groom global leaders who execute community-led projects anchored in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to drive long-term, inclusive social change.
Our Flagship Initiative
Sports Global Ambassadors (SGA) Program
Our Vision
To harness the leadership potential in young athletes and use sports as a transformative tool for inclusion, gender equity, and community leadership.
Our Motto
The motto of the SGA program is that “A good sportsperson is a good leader.” We recognize that sports teach resilience, teamwork, and fairness – essential values for social change and good leadership.
Our Methods
Merging sports and leadership education to engage youth.
Bridging the divide between public and private school students.
Promoting SDG-aligned thinking through sport-themed debates.
Mentorship programs that foster lifelong personal development.
Our Impact in Numbers
Our Impact Over 11 Years
2026: Leadership in Crisis
Theme: “Climate Refugees: The Immigration Crisis” May 2026 to mark the International Day of Sport for Development & Peace in its 5th Edition
Target Reach: 1,000 students (from all education districts)
Activities
- Sports competitions (Athletics, Swimming, Board Games)
- Model United Nations debates and conference on global issues
- Youth mentorship forums / career growth opportunities
- Climate and environment workshop / committees (sub-theme: “Sports and Climate Change”)
What's New in 2026
- Expand inclusion of youth to include those in upper primary school
- Collaboration with grassroots sport clubs
- Girls-in-sports advocacy
- Climate leadership simulation of the United Nations debates for student-athletes.
Partnership is our power (SDG 17)
Strategic Partners and Collaborators
- United Nations Information Centre (UNIC)
- UNICEF Nigeria
- International Community of the Red Cross
- National Youth Service Corps – Lagos & Delta State
- Lagos State Ministry of Education
- Lagos State Sports Commission
- Community Life Project (CLP)
- American Football Initiative
- School of Politics, Policy & Governance (SPPG)
Why Fund & Partner With Us
Proven Model of Success
Ready to Scale
Sustainable Vision
Join Our Movement
We invite donors, corporate sponsors, and development agencies to fund and partner with us as we expand to reach 20,000 youth by 2026. Together, we can:
- Build a dedicated Leadership & Sports Hub
- Equip schools with mentorship & sports leadership kits
- Expand to more states across Nigeria
- Train more peer leaders in SDG education