BY Mansur Ibrahim
The United Nations has described Hamzat Lawal, founder of Follow the Money, an initiative of Connected Development (CODE), as one of those influencing social change in Africa.
Lawal won the United Nations mobiliser of the year award at the SDG Global Fest for 2019.
This year, the UN featured Lawal in its article in preparation for the 2023 awards to be presented in Rome, Italy, in July.
“We are calling on all activists, mobilizers, and changemakers to submit their application today for a chance to become an awards finalist and to join us in Rome for a celebration of their global sustainability actions and ongoing efforts in confronting global challenges and holding decision-makers to account,” said Marina Ponti, Global Director of the UN SDG action campaign.
In the article, the UN said, “Past winners include Hamzat B. Lawal, founder of the Nigeria-based anti-corruption organisation Follow the Money, which works to influence social change and disrupt the status quo by setting up social accountability models tracking government spending and international aid, exposing corruption, and revealing to the public how effective local social development projects are.”
The article quoted Lawal as saying, “Winning a UN SDG Action award has been a life-changing moment for the initiative and team.
“Not only has it empowered us to strengthen our internal governance structure, but most importantly the award has enhanced our credibility in holding governments to account and fostering transparency.”
The UN added that since winning in 2019, Follow the Money has grown its presence across Africa, expanding from four countries to a total of nine while also attracting interest from the Americas and Asia.
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