Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi honoured five model students during the graduation ceremony of the first batch of the Presidential Leadership  Programme for the Rehabilitation of African Youth on Wednesday.

Each of the five students was handed a commemorative shield by the president on the occasion of their graduation.

The graduation ceremony was held on the sidelines of the two-day seventh National Youth Conference, which El-Sisi opened on Tuesday in the New Administrative Capital.

The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Speaker of the House of Representatives Ali Abdel-Aal and a number of ministers and senior state officials.

The president also took photographs with the young graduates from the first batch of the Presidential Leadership Programme for the Rehabilitation of African Youth.

While the first batch of the African youth rehabilitation programme encompassed citizens from 29 African states, the  five honoured promising students were from Uganda, Libya, South Sudan, Sudan and Ethiopia.

Rasha Ragheb, executive director of the National Training Academy, said in her speech prior to the ceremony that the academy has trained 3,280 people thought 24 training programmes, and that the first batch of graduates from the African Presidential Leadership programme comprised 100 students.

"The academy has partnerships with France, Korea, the Netherlands, India and Singapore," said Ragheb.

She added that the academy has also provided 161 scientific grants at international universities.

Rasha Ragheb, executive director of the National Training Academy

Abdel-Momen Imam, a Nigerian graduate from the first batch, expressed his pleasure to be representing the graduates and delivering a speech in the presence of President El-Sisi.

"The training days passed quickly, but we received all the necessary support and knowledge," said Imam, expressing his wish to be an ambassador for Africa and serve his homeland.

Khadeja, an Algerian graduate, praised the professionalism at the academy and the organisers of the Presidential Leadership  Programme for the Rehabilitation of African Youth.

Khadeja, who works as a programmer and software developer for mobile phones, said that she had a unique experience in the presidential programme, which she said aims to "build the Africa that we want."

Later today, the youth conference is scheduled to witness 'Ask the President' session, during which President El-Sisi will answer questions by young people in political, economic and social fields. 

About 1,500 young participants from all of Egypt's 27 governorates attended the National Youth Conference.