Finacial-Report-2020

Click Here to download the report document.

By Anne Nwakalor

“Hi Annie, how are you?” These are the words that I got used to hearing for almost 2 years and to think that I will never hear these words again makes me feel sick to my core. Alfredo, my right hand man, I could always count on him whenever I needed help or clarification on something. “Well done Annie” he would tell me reassuringly even when I know that I did a terrible job, he was always encouraging me, even when he would correct my work, he would say, ‘but well done Annie” as a closing sentence.

Alfred was an amazing human being, a great colleague, a great friend and a great guy. I rated him the most fashionable guy in CODE! He used to wear this super funky red bowler hat and had this one grey Kaftan with silver buttons and a silver chain, it looked super cool! I would always complement his fashion sense and his cool trainers. Alfred, we could always count on him to get things done! He did not work at CODE for the money, he worked at CODE because he sincerely believed in good governance and wanted to fight to see Nigeria change. Sometimes I would mock his belief in the system, but he stood firm in his conviction and desire for a transparent and accountable government.

“Alfred, do you always have to tell people to ‘come and join you’ when you are eating”, “Annie, if I dont invite people to take some of my food, I won’t enjoy it”. Alfred would always share his food with people, sometimes I would insist that he should eat by himself but he would refuse. He loved sharing and he loved taking other people’s food. Alfred, funny guy, great guy.

“Guys, where is Alfred?” This is probably one of the most frequently asked questions that I would ask my colleagues. Alfred would come late to teams meeting, he would come late to gatherings, he would come late to parties, my goodness, and when he would try to come early to something he would end up forgetting an important item, like his suitcase to travel or his laptop to do his works *puts palm on face*. But one thing is for sure, when Alfred was around, you knew it, he was the life of the party, the workplace, the gathering, the everything. Alfredo, the first person I went on radio with, I still remember, I was so nervous but Alfred kept on reassuring me that there was nothing to be nervous about. Alfred, the first person that I celebrated with when I made a communications plan that I was proud of, “Wow Annie, nice well done”. 

Alfred, I personally will miss you. I don’t think you knew how much you were loved, I don’t think you knew how much people cared about you, how much I cared about you. I did not lose a colleague, I’ve lost a friend, a great guy. Honestly Alfred, I don’t understand, I will never understand, Alfred, you had dreams, you had aspirations, you had plans, this was not the plan Alfred, this was not the plan! You have people who love and care about you, why did you have to go like this? I will never understand, but one thing I know for sure is that you lived a great life, you enjoyed life to the fullest, and you’ve left a legacy and a trail of people who love you and who always will. 

Adieu my colleague, Adieu my friend, Adieu dear Alfred. 

Following the revelation that the Nigerian Army shot and killed 11 unarmed, peaceful protesters and wounded many others during the #EndSARS demonstration on the 20th of October, 2020, leading Civil Society Organisations promoting democracy, human rights and accountable governance, are calling on Lagos State Government and the Federal Government to publicly apologize to Nigerians for the government’s blatant attempt to cover up the massacre.

CODE and OXFAM urge the government to acknowledge the findings produced by the Justice Doris Okuwobi-led Judicial Panel and immediately act on its recommendations. The report not only revealed gross injustices committed by the Nigerian Army and police against peaceful protesters but also efforts to conceal the truth from the general public. 

“It is terribly sad and disappointing that the government tried valiantly to cover up the injustice that happened at Lekki Toll Gate that night. The army killed peaceful, unarmed and helpless civilians and the government tried to sweep it under the carpet—the very lives they swore to protect. An accountable government would apologise to its citizens and adopt the recommendations of the panel,” Hamzat Lawal, Chief Executive of Connected Development (CODE) said. 

The Country Director Oxfam International in Nigeria has also described the report as laudable calling on relevant agencies of government to expedite action in bringing to justice all those whose action or inaction led to the death of these innocent young Nigerians. “We must rise as a nation against injustice, our country has witnessed a fair share of inequality when it comes to serving justice, this report provides the current regime an opportunity to rewrite the wrong for the sake of posterity, equity and justice’’ Dr Vincent Ahonsi, Country Director Oxfam International in Nigeria.

Now that the Lagos State Government has insisted on releasing a white paper, CODE demands that it must be objective, unbiased and free of any influence by state interests.

The #EndSARS protests, which gripped the country at the time, focused on the legitimate demands of the Nigerian youth for an end to police brutality and other forms of human rights abuses. The CSOs believe that, if the recommendations of the report are duly implemented, it would enhance healing and trust in the system. It would also improve transitional justice in Nigeria.

We have now published the status of COVID Fund tracking in Malawi, Kenya and Cameroon

The COVID19 pandemic was expected to have a devastating effect on Africa’s weak health infrastructure, but it rather left a more devastating trail economically – spiking the already high unemployment rate and plunging the country into another recession.

With high influx of donations by international agencies, individuals and private organisations to combat the deadly virus, the challenge with most African countries is the lack of transparent and accountable systems that can respond to emergency situations.

Our experience has shown rounds of crisis profiteering, creating quick rich schemes for “tenderpreneurs” in a restrictive environment that lacks accountability and civic engagement. We have also seen restriction of civic spaces under the guise of lockdowns as well as brutality by state officials, this was why the COVID-19 Transparency and Accountability Project (CTAP) was launched to promote accountability and transparency through the tracking of COVID-19 intervention funds across 7 African countries. 

The project is implemented by CODE’s Follow The Money and BudgIT. Both organizations have been leveraging their Tracka and Follow The Money platforms, as well as international chapters in other six focus African countries to activate a Pan-African tracking system for all COVID-19 funds received and donated to these countries.

CTAP’s shared long term vision is that every community in the continent has skilled, sensitised and largely self-organising citizens engaged in budget-tracking while presenting feedback and results to the government and development partners in a constructive manner. All efforts are aimed towards building that informed and engaged citizenry – a movement of factivists –  in the medium to long term period. 

In the past year since the project was launched, Follow The Money has tracked COVID funds in Kenya, Cameroon and Malawi. Click to read the full reports from these countries.

By Lucy James Abagi

With the trend of diverse social issues plaguing the world, the development sector has witnessed  a steady rise of innovations including research and program designs. Existing organisations are looking for global solutions that are fundable and scalable for a diverse stream of donors whilst start-ups are struggling to match their innovations and ideas to a result-oriented framework which would attract big donors to support their grassroot efforts. International organisations and the donor community are seeking solutions that are people driven notwithstanding the area of available funding as sustainability is at the root of every funding ecosystem. 

After years of studying the donor ecosystem, framework, interest and program design, I thought to share some few guidelines that will support start-up organisations in accessing funding for their innovation and keeping investors satisfied.

Are you salivating yet? Let’s start with this key point – ‘Grant money is not free money!’

There are incredibly huge responsibilities that come with donor funds, and the need to sustain the relationships. As a startup, you must be deliberate and intentional in your approach, just as you must equally keep a business mindset. Of course, all donors are business investors with stern requirements to ensure every penny translates to sustainable, tangible impacts.

Now, let’s break down the process.

Conceptualization Level

The magic of resource mobilization rests solely on the power of ideation. The bulk of the work starts in reframing our thought process and thinking through different strategies that lead to a successful proposal. The thinking process, although very demanding, provides the pathway to synchronise an idea in line with the donor’s interest, mission, vision and resources. Personally, it takes me two – three weeks to conceptualize an idea. A lot of time needs to be invested into research, analysis and information gathering, as this helps answer the following questions about the problem you seek a solution for: “Is it a Novel, doable and affordable idea?” To answer this question, indepth research in line with your area of interest will further uncover diverse interventions carried out in your field and this will help mainstream your idea, identify gaps and provide a basement for your ideas to be adopted as an innovation amongst other existing platforms. 

The Big Question- Who can fund my idea?

This takes you into another aspect of research where you would need to answer some more questions around the available donors and fundings that tie to your ideas and scope. At this stage you also need to be sure that your idea can actually be funded by a specifically identified donor. Remember that, at the  conceptualization level, you should have been able to answer these questions: how much do I need for my idea? How much will my idea cost or what are the cost implications of my idea?  

When you answer these questions at the conceptualization level, you will  be able to identify funding ecosystems and donors that have the available resources that you need for your idea.  It is important to note that you may not get the total amount of money that you need for the execution of your ideas so you may need to break down your ideas into stages or phases based on available funding.   

Moreover, from my experience, most donors, especially if they have not worked with you before, would want to ensure that their risk analysis is within a controllable level. Hence, they may not fund a new or start-up organisation above $50,000-$100,000.  Every donor would want to be sure that they are putting their money in the right place with systems and strategies that can manage their resources to achieve expected outcomes or results.  Fundings received from any donor must be accounted for, as you are expected to show some level of transparency and accountability  in the utilisation of every penny received and spent. 

The Pencil Stage

Nothing is as frustrating as having a great idea but being deadpan when it comes to articulating it on paper – to attract funding. The act of writing a winning proposal comes with a clearly set up design that will stimulate the reader to fully assimilate and capture the idea of the writer and vividly understand laid out steps in achieving the result. 

I have witnessed good thinkers and speakers who can barely interpret their thoughts into a readable and clear format. Here is a quick look at the composition of my proposal team at Connected Development. Busayo Morakinyo (BOM), is my thinking partner, great thinker and public speaker who possesses good ideation and presentation skills. BOM helps to frame our thought process and present a short pitch of this idea to prospective donors. 

Kingsley Agu, comes with clear project implementation skills, he supervises the first draft of every proposal, giving a clear direction on the required steps to achieving the project goals. Other team members would always contribute in co-drafting, brainstorming, reviewing and setting the proposal in motion. 

Hamzat Lawal- Hamzy- is our partnership and network guru. Hamzy’s role demands using his network to ensure these ideas are presented and submitted to identified donors.  I am citing this here to paint the picture that a winning proposal demands teamwork. You need to build a composition of team members with multiple skills that will aid the smooth delivery of the proposal. Always keep in mind that a successful grant proposal is one that is carefully prepared, planned, and packaged. 

In my next series, I will go deeper into the act of proposal writing. I encourage  you to sign up for my class on Grant and Proposal Writing, as I will share more tips on writing a winning proposal.

With its unique approach of training and empowering gender advocates, Nigeria’s leading civil society organization, Connected Development (CODE) is taking peculiar steps towards eradicating gender-based violence in northern Nigeria, focusing on Kano State. 

On November 9, the organization announced the launch of the second phase of its Galvanizing Mass Action Against Gender-Based Violence in Kano (GMAA-K) campaign, highlighting its target to develop a multi-year Kano State Action Plan to end all forms of gender-based violence as well as drive the adoption and integration of the Violence against person prohibition (VAPP) Act and the Child’s Right Act.

The GMAA-K campaign which is supported by the Canadian High Commission is a direct response to the menace of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) that is common practice in many states across Nigeria. Currently, Nigeria has the third highest rates of SGBV in the world, with data showing that at least 30 percent of women and girls aged between 15 and 49 have experienced one or multiple forms of sexual abuse. 

These numbers are a representation of deep-rooted gender discrimination and a notorious culture of impunity – where access to justice and support remains a challenge for victims and perpetrators often walk free. The challenge is further heightened by a lack of laws and policies to protect the most vulnerable and punish convicted offenders. 

While speaking on the organization’s approach of extirpating SGBV, Hamzat Lawal, Chief Executive of CODE revealed that during the course of the first phase of the project, the Kano State government opted to harmonize the VAPP Act provisions into the Penal Code Law.

“For the first quarter of this year, we worked towards the adoption of the Violence against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act in Kano and recorded success as the government opted to harmonize/incorporate the VAPP Act provisions into the Penal Code Law, in order to reconcile provisions and have a single comprehensive law that addresses SGBV; the legal document is pending validation and enactment by the Kano state House of Assembly.”

He further stated that the new phase of the project will propel the validation exercise of the VAPP and Penal Code Law and equally work towards enhancing women’s rights. 

On his part, the Acting Canadian High Commissioner, Kevin Tokaron, submitted that SGBV is a crisis in Nigeria that must be condemned, stating that this campaign is both timely and necessary. 

“It’s a crisis in Nigeria that we must condemn and work together to eliminate. For the past few years, we’ve seen a number of states in Nigeria pass and start to implement the VAPP Act which has given us hope but not all states have achieved this important milestone and much more work is needed, which is where our partnership with CODE comes into play. With Canada’s support, CODE will continue to galvanize mass action against SGBV in Kano State by ensuring the passage of the VAPP and Child’s Rights Act.”

Speaking on the health implication of SGBV and emphasizing the need for education, Dr Halimah Nuhu Sanda, who was also present at the press conference held at Bassan Plaza, Central Area, said that SGBV must also be viewed as a public health issue because many victims are left traumatized after being abused and not enough support is provided for them. 

“SGBV is often regarded as a human rights violation which is correct but it should also be viewed as a mental health issue because victims are often left traumatized after sexual violence and it affects their mental state. When no mental health support is provided to victims, we harbour a mentally oppressed society, she concluded.”

by Hamzat Lawal

I have been asked, many times, what  makes Connected Development (CODE) and Follow The Money (FTM) thrive so well. My answer has never been ambivalent; People. At the centre of our work, are the passionate people who drive the campaigns, coupled with the digital space. Simply put, the marriage of technology and people birthed the revolution and success of FollowTheMoney and CODE, I just happened to be in the middle of the dynamics.

Now that our mission has expanded beyond the shores of Nigeria, it is easy to see the fundamental role played by digital technologies in harnessing the vast potentials of young people across the world, as they commit their talents towards advancing their communities by holding governments to account. Hence, our line of work at CODE requires painstaking analysis and cross-border innovations. The ever-evolving social media space and highly volatile multimedia models are our allies. We depend on them to keep marching forward.

However, we rely more on key human talents to coordinate these efforts. These skilled humans of CODE, navigate through the morass of progress reports and present them in a way that portray development details and resonate with our teeming volunteers, partners and wider public. This is why our social media posts and monthly newsletters have never failed to evoke the tenacity of our vision and the gravity of our projects, in Africa and beyond.

It is therefore instructive to note that someone was behind the curtain, on the keyboards, pushing out our labors in words and pictures. A young man whose heart burnt with an unquenchable fire for societal change, followed us day and night, as we “Follow The Money”, so that the world could keep tabs on what we were doing at every turn of the road. A man who was creative, clear and concise in all our communication materials. A man who made it possible for CODE to maintain a resounding presence in the digital space, where it all began. 

Dear partners, supporters, friends and citizens, with extreme sadness, I announce that the gentle man who manned our online presence, Alfred Anicho Oji, CODE’s digital media officer, passed away on Friday, 22^nd October, 2021. This came as a rude shock to all of us at CODE.

Alfred was dedicated and committed to the work of advocating for improved public services in Nigeria, Africa and beyond. He was someone who, in every way possible, embodied CODE’s values and principles of justice, social accountability and empowering marginalized grassroots people. He was a committed development worker who held together our social media assets and consistently grew CODE and FTM’s online community simultaneously – showcasing our work and impact to local and international audiences.

Alfred was good-humored, friendly and, simply, a warm person to be around. His death was unimaginable and we will miss him sorely. We mourn this egregious loss of a fellow comrade in the fight for human rights and a fair world.

On a personal note, I can say that Alfred was not just a staff of CODE; he was a remarkable colleague, a trusted fellow and a perfect gentleman. He was dedicated to his job, and friendly to everyone. He was supportive, and vividly carried the vision of CODE. Indeed, I have lost a comrade in the struggle.

Alfred lived a full life. He gave himself completely to the cause he believed in. Thinking back now, it was as if he was in a hurry to finish his assignment before leaving. He was a hard worker. This was evident in his work etiquette. We saw that whenever the CODE team was on a field trip; he followed us virtually – in order to get the best stories for our digital platforms. In fact, his professional tenacity inspired everyone to be more productive.

Certainly, even to the last hour, there was a sense of urgency in his push for excellence and delivery. I remember that a day before he passed, Alfred shared his thoughts on the EndSARS protests anniversary. My personal photographer, Jide Ojediran, made the video. Jide said that he had wanted to make the recording the next Monday, but Alfred insisted that the video be made that Thursday. He was gone the next day. Thankfully, we now have Alfred’s three-minute perspective on police brutality in Nigeria. Obviously, here was a man that wanted to change the world, and make it a better place, with the little time he had.

He was a calm, content man who hardly got angry. For Alfred, CODE was a family. He recently brought his fiancée whom he was just about to wed to the office; apparently to introduce her to his second home. I remember the warm moments I had with the promising couple. My heart now bleeds at the pain his fiancée is presently going through at losing such a wonderful soulmate.

I remember when we traveled to Osun for our colleague, Busayo Morankinyo’s traditional and white wedding, and how we played, joked and made fun of life. Alfred insisted he became my “orderly” for the occasion – opening doors for me, and calling me “Boss”. I never knew it was the last CODE-play to feature our indefatigable brotherly comrade, Alfred. Oh, what a life!

That fateful Friday was the darkest of days for me, when I received a call that Alfred was no more. Even more painful, when I was told that as the CEO, I was the one to make the call to his family. It was one of the toughest moments of my human existence. I had yet to adjust to the shock, and was told that I was to be the bearer of the same bad news.

In all, I am profoundly encouraged to have worked with a young man like Alfred. He embodied what the quintessential Nigerian youth should be: Hope for a New Nigeria, dedication to work, family and colleagues. The phrase “fierce dedication to what is right” defines the way Alfred lived his life. And I am proud that I was part of that short but glorious sojourn.

He certainly made the world a better place. And his memory means a lot to CODE. Although his physical presence is gone, the lessons he taught us will strengthen our lives and our digital space for many years to come.

Alfred, with your death, I have learnt more lessons about life. Our time here on earth is brief and what always counts and matters is how we lived – the lives we touched and the difference we made in our society. You were very brilliant and very selfless. You believed so much in Nigeria and your work is evident of how much good you wished for our dear country, and how much better you would have made her, if you had the time. Like our heroes’ past, may your death not be in vain. I will miss your tenacious dedication to service. Till we meet again, Adieu, my friend and brother!

Hamzat Lawal is an activist and leads various grassroots campaigns across Africa. He is the Founder of Connected Development [CODE] and Follow The Money. 

It is with immeasurable grief that we share the news of the demise of our dearest colleague and exceptional Digital Media Officer, Alfred Anicho Oji.

“If you have followed our social media posts and monthly newsletters, you can tell Alfred was dedicated and committed to the work of advocating for improved public services in Nigeria, Africa and beyond. He was someone who, in every way possible, embodied CODE’s values and principles of justice, social accountability and empowering marginalised grassroots people”.

Alfred was good-humoured, friendly and simply a warm person to be around. His death is a shock to us all and we will miss him sorely.

“Alfred was a committed development worker who held together our social media assets and consistently grew CODE and FTM’s online community simultaneously – showcasing our work and impact to local and international audiences”. 

In remembrance of him, we will coordinate a physical and virtual gathering to share memories and stories of Alfred, but more importantly, to collectively grieve the loss of a fellow comrade in the fight for human rights and a fair world.

We ask that you please remember his family and loved ones in your prayers in this difficult time.

Hamzat B. Lawal 

Founder, CODE & Follow The Money

Kate Mamuno, Honourable member of the Adamawa State House of Assembly representing Demsa constituency, has been decorated as Connected Development (CODE)’s education ambassador following her expressed commitment to promoting gender equality and girl-child education in the State. 

The honourable member who is also the Chairman House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development/ Finance, Appropriation and Budget, vowed to the cause during an official meeting with delegates from CODE, led by the Chief Executive and Malala Fund Education Champion, Hamzat Lawal, on August 24, at the Adamawa State House of Assembly. 

Commending her dedication to social development, Lawal in an introductory statement, acknowledged Mamuno for being a role model and a team player in advancing the rights of women and girls to education and a better life. 

In crowning her efforts and rewarding her reiterated commitment, Lawal, assisted by the project lead, Zaliha Lawal, honoured Mamuno with a sash indicating the dawn of her ambassadorship and a newly forged path towards improving the state of education in the North-East, focusing on Adamawa State.

During the peak of COVID-19, CODE conducted a study on the impact of the pandemic on Girl-child Education in the North-East and found a high prevalence of early girl-child marriage and out-of-school children in Adamawa state. This propelled the organization’s strategy and intervention towards developing the state of education as well as initiating policy to increase school re-enrollment, especially for the girl-child in the State. 

Plugging into the grind, Honourable Mamuno voiced her eagerness to serve and beckoned on the organization to not relent in ensuring every child is educated, adding that she would need all the help she can to develop an adoptable Child Rights Bill that guarantees the safety of the girl-child.

Notably, Mamuno, was instrumental to the domestication of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act in Adamawa, imprinting her commitment towards working to eradicate violence against women and children. In her new role as CODE’s ambassador, she looks to not only stop violence against women and girls but also ensure they are well-educated and are empowered to thrive in the society. 

CODE is a Non-Governmental Organization, on a mission to improve citizen’s access to credible information and empower local communities in Africa. It achieves this by amplifying their voices and building their capacity to hold their government accountable.

Its Follow The Money initiative advocates and tracks government/international aid spending in health, WASH, and education across grassroots rural communities to ensure and promote open government and service delivery. Since 2012, CODE has tracked an estimate of USD 307.6 million (in budgeted sums for projects) across 257 communities in Nigeria, improving over 4.8 million rural lives.

Defining leadership in the 21st century is easy but can also be conceptually complex. In this digital era, as the world shifts to espouse a digital economy, the characteristics of leadership have transitioned from controlling, directing and organizing to influence, but not just simply – It has now become expedient for today’s leaders to operate beyond management and become an embodiment of a unique vision that is implanted in their followers or team members in order to achieve a goal or a greater good.

Growing up, we read about leaders like Julius Caesar, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandella, who led their people to victory in either war or non-violent protests. In fact, history records their feat as the utmost symbol of leadership. But as society evolves, a new crop of leaders are emerging and their legacy isn’t being built on just their ability to stand or speak against oppression or injustice but in creating institutions and influencing a generation of people to improve society. 

Leadership is no longer about occupying an executive office, a true leader is one who deposits or brings to life the leadership capacity in every individual he meets (even virtually).

A young activist that clearly exudes these progressive qualities of leadership is Hamzat Lawal. He founded Connected Development (CODE), from a place of distress and discomfort for injustices happening to marginalised people in remote communities. Through CODE, Lawal has led advocacies and government’s actions towards providing timely intervention to these deprived communities in the areas of healthcare provision to reduce needless deaths and maternal mortality; education infrastructure to ensure more children in these regions are able to learn and have access to future opportunities; provision of water and sanitation services.

As CODE intensified its work in rebuilding society, Lawal developed a unique socio-digital accountability initiative called Follow The Money(FTM). Through FTM, over eight thousand young Africans tagged community champions have been empowered to demand and drive accountability and transparency in governance in hundreds of communities across the continent.

With FTM, Lawal kindled young social activists across Nigeria and Africa to become active citizens who are invested in good governance and accountability in order to ensure public money is used for public good. 

In 2020 alone, despite the COVID pandemic, these ‘new-born’ activists visited over 250 communities, inspected and monitored the implementation of projects, created online and offline campaigns to demand better from the government and impacted over four million lives. 

By influencing a new generation of activists who are demanding better from governments in Africa and impacting lives of people living in the most marginalized communities, Lawal is demonstrating qualities of a Global Citizen – which in today’s context is the prime definition of leadership.

With a mission to build a movement of 100 million people to end extreme poverty by 2030, Global Citizen is developing a community of leaders like Lawal, who can use their voices and work to address deep-rooted causes and combat systemic poverty across the globe.

To achieve its mission in Africa, the organization recently launched its 2021 fellowship program powered by pop star Beyoncé Knowles (BeyGood) and funded by top American filmmaker Tyler Perry. The program is set to empower 15 Africans, including five Nigerians with network and resources to become global leaders.

As part of fulfilling its objectives, Global Citizen selected eight individuals to serve as advisory council board members, all providing support for fellows and the fellowship program.

Lawal, widely known as the anti-corruption activist, was selected to work as an adviser in the area of citizenship. The year-long program will provide the opportunity for Lawal to once again partake in the moulding of young future leaders.

His role will include spearheading special projects and providing mentorship and guidance for fellows. He will work alongside other influential African youth leaders such as: Aisha Yesufu, Bonang Matheba, Charmaine Houvet and Nozipho Tshabalala, to mention only a few. 

As the progenitor of socio-digital accountability in Nigeria gears up to impact the lives of young, global leaders, his contributions towards fostering transparency in governance has earned him recognition as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons in Nigeria for the year 2021. 

Organized by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) the award features change-makers from various sectors who have not only excelled in the work and created positive impact, but also blazed the trail for socially responsible leaders all around the world. 

Lawal will be getting awarded for his strides in the political, legal and government sphere. Beyond fruitful legacies, notable awards and recognitions, the path of the grassroot campaigner and activist shines forth as a beacon for all those who desire a better-developed continent and works toward creating the change they so desire. 

In the words of John Maxwell, “the growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.”