Joseph Emmanuel Yaba (born 13 August 1985) is a Nigerian speaker, teacher, youth advocate, and humanitarian. His work cuts across leadership consultancy, socio-economic advocacy, human development, and cultural activism. He is the founder of Youth Initiative for Sustainable Human Development in Africa (www.yishda.org) and is currently a Protocol Officer at African Union (AU) Commission Headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Yaba completed his primary education in 1998 at L.E.A. Primary School, Phase 2, Nyanya, Abuja. In 2004 he obtained the National Business and Technical Examination Board (NABTEB) certification from Government Science and Technical College, Area 3, Garki, Abuja with distinctions. He moved on to study computer science at Federal Polytechnic Idah, Kogi State, Nigeria in 2009. In 2014, he was offered a scholarship to the Weitz Centre for Sustainable Development based in Rehovot, Israel, at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he studied Policies, Strategies and Support Systems for Rural Revitalization.
Before moving to Ethiopia, Yaba participated in the Venture in Enterprise and Management Program (a program of Junior Achievement Nigeria) at the Lagos Business School, from where he went for further studies on “policies, strategies and support systems for rural revitalization” at the Weitz Centre for Sustainable Development, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
Joseph Emmanuel Yaba was born in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. His father, Joseph K. Abaniwo (JP), is a retired public administrator with the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and hails from Emi-Andrew in Bassa local government area of Kogi State, Nigeria, and his mother, Majiri Abaniwo a businesswoman, hails from Emi-Lafiya, in Bassa local government area of Kogi State, Nigeria. Yaba spent all his teenage years in north central Nigeria and is the first of five children.
Raised in an evangelical household, he committed himself to Sunday schools, where he was taught service to humanity as a core mission in life. His teachers have now become his life-long mentors. His interests grew from bible stories and expanded to acting, public speaking, games, computers, writing, and meeting people.
President of Rwanda
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