Seun Justin Onarinde is a governance reform advocate, emerging researcher, and passionate education champion dedicated to empowering citizens and building resilient young leaders across Africa. He is the Co-founder and Executive Director of the Young Leaders Network (YLN), a leading youth-focused organization advancing governance, civic engagement, peacebuilding, and inclusive education.
As a Malala Fund Global Education Champion and a 2025 Mandela Washington Fellow at Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions at Arizona State University, Seun has championed transformative initiatives that have expanded access to education for over 15,000 out-of-school children, trained more than 600 teachers in gender-responsive pedagogy and school safety, and influenced the adoption of Safe Schools policies in Bauchi and Yobe States. He is currently leading the development of the Bauchi State Gender in Education Policy and School Re-entry Guidelines for married and pregnant adolescent girls.
Beyond education, Seun has pioneered impactful governance programs, including the Citizenship and Accountability Project and the Strengthening Citizen–Legislative Engagement Programme. These initiatives have engaged over 6,000 citizens, produced 40+ Community Charters of Demands, contributed to the election of dozens of young leaders and women into political offices and directly reached over 170,000 young people with soft skills and employment-ready skills.
Seun is an alumnus of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG), the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), and the Lagos Business School (LBS), where he received advanced training in Public Leadership, Policy Strategy, and Social Sustainability.
With over a decade experience in peace building, governance reform, policy influencing and civic engagement, Seun is exceptionally skill in policy analysis and advocacy, strategic management, media and communication development, public finance management. Known for his dynamic speaking and ability to connect policy to practice, Seun inspires audiences on ethical leadership, civic innovation, inclusive education, and youth empowerment. His vision is to build a generation of leaders who can transform governance, strengthen institutions, and drive sustainable development across Africa.