Rose-Hill, 23 August 2025: The National Productivity and Competitiveness Council (NPCC) hosted the National Leadership Engine (NLE) 2024 Convention on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at the Institut Français de Maurice (IFM), Rose Hill, where Grand Winner Feyaz Ecologik (Upper Plaines Wilhems), Second Winner Bandes des Roles (Flacq), and Third Winner Heavy Roots (Moka) were announced.
NLE 2024 has engaged over 350 participants spanning across ten regions and has been conducted in three phases, where a key change in the 2024 edition was the replacement of in-person training with a self-paced online course in the first phase. The selected participants then advanced to a three-day, non-residential bootcamp from April 2024 26 to 28, where they applied their learning in practical scenarios.
During the bootcamp, teams formed to develop community projects, culminating in 30 projects being successfully implemented across the island. These projects were rigorously evaluated in August 2024 by a panel of 15 regional assessors. The highest-scoring project from each region then proceeded to the National Assessment, where a jury conducted the final evaluation.
The Convention was attended by the participants of NLE 2024 as well as former participants, members of the Leadership Engine Action Drivers (LEAD), and other stakeholders. In his speech, the Executive Director of the NPCC, Dr. Vinaye Ancharaz remarked, “Mauritius is a small country, but we have big dreams. We want to be a place where everyone has a good job, a safe home, and a happy life. But to get there, we need leaders at every level. We need young people who are ready to stand up, speak out, and work hard. Every great change in history started with young people who dared to dream. From the students who marched for freedom to the young inventors who changed the world with their ideas, it always starts with youth.”
“The power of youth to transform the world cannot be overstated. Across every sphere of life—from technology and entrepreneurship to social justice and environmental sustainability—young leaders are redefining possibilities. Their fresh perspectives, digital fluency, and boundless energy drive progress where traditional approaches fall short,” the chairman of the NPCC, Mr. Arshad Duymun, pointed out.
On his part, the Minister of Industry, SMEs and Cooperatives, Hon Aadil Ameer Meea, in his speech, commented: “We know that investing in you (young people) implies investing in the very soul of Mauritius. NLE perfectly embodies this commitment, systematically cultivating leaders who will boost our national productivity and contribute to a better living for every citizen. This initiative is deeply integrated with our core national strategic goals. NLE cultivates a powerful ‘Teachable Point Of View’ that encourages calculated risk-taking, fosters creative thinking, and sharpens your ability to identify opportunities. We are equipping you, our youth, to launch and scale impactful ventures that will contribute significantly to our national economic dynamism.”
NLE 2024 was organised by the NPCC in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, where the project aims at creating a pipeline of leaders to achieve higher productivity and better living for the nation. Youth across the island enrolled for the training in the following regions, namely, Black River, Upper Plaines Wilhems, Lower Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Pamplemousses, Flacq, Rivière du Rempart, Grand Port, Savanne and Moka. Young people aged 16 and above were empowered with personal and social competencies, which they had to demonstrate by conceptualising and implementing community-based projects in their locality.
