Nigeria’s Country Director of the Social Good Fund (SGF), Joledo Oyewole, has described Hamzat Lawal, Chief Executive Officer of Connected Development (CODE), as a true champion whose selfless life of sacrifice, generosity, and influence has changed lives in Africa and beyond.
Oyewole’s portrayal was based on his first encounter with Lawal, particularly when he observed him opposing anti-people’s policies. Hamzat has also been seen in public, delving into a highly scary political arena in pursuit of social justice.
“Hamzat is not one to back down – oh no, elephants don’t back down – talk less of the White elephant!” he said in his speech during a roundtable social media impact programme organised by Servelead Humanitarian Initiative (SHI) in Abuja.
According to him, his story with the legendary human rights advocate is one characterised of impact, humility, brotherhood, trust, and support. To be frank, he continued, the story of Hamzat, if put in a book, locked in a chest, and brought out after many years and read, would still remain astonishing.
“Hamzy, as I like to call him, is the real deal,” he said, noting their working relationship as a blessing that has brought in millions of dollars and continues to provide leverage for a generation, a nation, and a continent to develop and thrive.
Follow the Money, a digital tool he developed to promote transparency and accountability in government and non-profit expenditure, has resulted in a more equitable distribution of development and resources across the continent.
Induction as NASS global ambassador
The space was crowded with almost 200 young-looking folks eager to learn and make sense of their surroundings. After several hours of waiting and a few background engagements, particularly a presentation by Pamela Williams, a brand and marketing specialist, Hamzat Lawal, the man of the moment, appeared.
“I am excited to be inducted by Servelead Humanitarian Initiative as NASS global ambassador,” he remarked, waving joyfully at the audience.
Given the global dwindling space, it is critical that Nigeria, at this point in its history, develops the resource management skills of its youth in order to support and empower them to reach out to and help underserved communities.
Empowering start-ups – especially non-profits – with the resources they require to oversee their internal operations and reduce expenses to maximise impact will benefit society by providing access to water, healthcare, and education for a large number of underprivileged people.
Data is an invaluable resource for advancing this process. As a result, fostering a generation of young Nigerian business entrepreneurs who understand how to collect feedback and use it to drive government policy is vital to the attainment of social rights and justice.
These are just a few of the challenges that the newly appointed NASS global ambassador will work with partners to overcome to ensure service delivery, especially in hard-to-reach locations. He will also have to apply his more than eighteen years of experience in the non-profit sector to determine how to expand the number of persons inducted to boost support for different government initiatives.
His awareness of these issues should help him concentrate on using his vast experience to reduce the running expenses that consume the budgets of young start-ups, save the money, and advise them on how to utilise it for charitable purposes.
According to the NASS global ambassador, this experience will be reflected in identifying struggling establishments and assist them in getting through these difficult times by sharing information, allowing them to create a community of organisations that can continue to learn and use the knowledge that is currently available to reach millions of Nigerians, particularly women and children in hard-to-reach communities.
“I’ve been here for almost 20 years, so I’m getting old,” he stated.
So, to him, it is about leaving a legacy, passing on knowledge, and ensuring that the future generation is prepared to serve humanity. It is also about encouraging patriotism in both the younger and older generations because “I believe in intergenerational dialogue and equity.”
Mrs. Ijeoma Aladesaye, CEO of Servelead Group, disclosed during the occasion that there is an ambition target to raise up to $5 billion over the next five years to support community development in Nigeria.
“One of our key initiatives is the development of an app, which we are launching today. While it is starting in Nigeria, the goal is for it to eventually facilitate global resource exchange,” she asserts.
Aladesaye highlighted that social impact requires a vast range of resources, both financial and non-financial. Although many people and organisations are willing to donate and help, connecting them to those in need remains a barrier.
Therefore, this platform will help close that gap and facilitate the flow of resources to support important areas like education, access to clean water, healthcare, and livelihood improvements for women and children, the Servelead CEO hinted. “We are not merely seeking financial donations; we’re enabling a system where individuals and organisations can connect and exchange resources to drive social change.”
Conclusion
To be honest, the NAAS initiative is one that all non-profits, social entrepreneurs, philanthropists, businesses with CSRs, and governments should quickly identify and engage with in order to reduce spending while increasing impact, which is why their decision to select a worthy advocate like Hamzat to help send the message to Nigeria and the rest of the world is commendable.
By Etta Michael Bisong, Abuja