Okonjo-Iweala, Yesufu, SERAP, EWEI, Child Shield Initiative, Africa Clean up Initiative; Lead Winners at CSR-in-Action’s CAHR Awards

Rewarding excellence: L-R; Victory Wilson, event compere; Godman Akinlabi, Lead Pastor of The Elevation Church; Prince Onyema Okonjo; Dr. Nechi Ezeako, Board Member, CSR-in-Action; and Bekeme Masade-Olowola, Founder, CSR-in-Action/ Convener, SITEI Conference, during the presentation of the Mallam Aminu Kano Award for Leadership to Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, at the Community and Human Rights Awards

The selfless contributions of a number of Nigerians to justice and inclusion have been recognized at the second Community and Human Rights (CAHR) Awards, held on Wednesday, November 18th, 2020.

Organised by CSR-in-Action, one of the foremost sustainability advocacy and consulting firm in the region, and backed by Ford Foundation and Global Rights, the CAHR Awards celebrates community and human rights heroes, both organisations and individuals. There were nine different award categories dedicated to historically prominent personalities.

Rewarding excellence: L-R; Godman Akinlabi, Lead Pastor of The Elevation Church; Bekeme Masade-Olowola, Founder, CSR-in-Action/ Convener, SITEI Conference; Prince Onyema Okonjo; Dr Nechi Ezeako, Board Member, CSR-in-Action.

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, former Minister of Finance and World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General (in-view), won the Aminu Kano Award for Leadership.

“Our aim is to recognise those individuals and businesses that are working not for clout but for legacy, those who seek to leave a legacy for generations unborn to emulate,” said Bekeme Masade-Olowola, CAHR Awards Convener and Chief Executive, CSR-in-Action. “Dr Okonjo-Iweala has shown exemplary leadership consistently and has added value to various industries and organisations all over the world.”

In a video broadcast from the United States, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala expressed gratitude and said: “I am sorry I cannot be with you there, but I must say I am delighted.”

Uche Brown; Godman Akinlabi, Lead Pastor of The Elevation Church; Victory Wilson, event compere during the presentation of the Apostle Hayford Alile Humanitarian Award to Safiya Ibn Garba.

The Apostle Hayford Alile Humanitarian Award, in the Individual category, went to Safiya Ibn Garba, Founder of Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative (EWEI), a non-governmental organisation which provides multisectoral intervention for girls and women empowerment.

“We will continue to work for the betterment of our communities and nation, and in doing so, model the values which this award represents,” an excited Garba remarked.
Aisha Yesufu, a prominent figure in the EndSARS movement and Co-Founder of the Bring Back Our Girls Movement, won the Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti Human Rights Award for her relentless drive for the defence of human rights and justice in the country.

“This award makes me feel that there is so much more we need to do… I will never stop until we get a Nigeria where a child of nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody,” Yesufu said as she received her award.

Adelanwa Olatunji; Michael Ugochukwu (Ruggedman); Victory Wilson, event compere, during the presentation of the MKO Abiola Community Engagement Award to Child Shield Initiative.

The Ken Saro-Wiwa Environmental Management Award went to African Clean Up Initiative (ACI), a non-profit that has carried out numerous major clean-ups in different densely populated areas in Nigeria.
“This is me, an Ajegunle boy, standing on this global stage. It can only be God. This is a motivation for us to do more…This award only shows that people have seen what we are doing,” an elated Alex Akhigbe, Founder of ACI, said while receiving the award.

Eniola Walter; Michael Ugochukwu (Ruggedman); Victory Wilson; during the presentation of the Hajiya Gambo Sawaba Community Impact Award (Individual) to Zion Zion Oshiobugie.

Nominees for the CAHR Awards were elected by members of the public through an online voting process that ended on the November 4th, 2020. The winners were chosen following the voting by a jury made up of eminent personalities from diverse fields. They include celebrities, human rights activists, media personalities and business leaders, including Ruggedman aka Michael Ugochukwu and Tokunboh George-Taylor, communications expert and board member of CSR-in-Action.

Bekeme Masade-Olowola, Founder, CSR-in-Action/ Convener, SITEI Conference; Alexander Akhigbe, FOUNDER/CEO African Clean-Up Initiative; Victory Wilson, event compere

See the full list of awardees below:

Ken Saro-Wiwa Environmental Management Award
African Cleanup Initiative

MKO Abiola Community Engagement Award
Child Shield Initiative

Aminu Kano Award for Leadership
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Apostle Hayford Alile Humanitarian Award
Safiya Ibn Garba

Hajiya Gambo Sawaba Community Impact Award (Company)
Empowering Women for Excellence Initiative (EWEI)

Hajiya Gambo Sawaba Community Impact Award (Individual)
Zion Oshiobugie

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti Human Rights Award (Company)
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP)

Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti Human Rights Award (Individual)
Aisha Yesufu

Josephine Nkemdilim Equal Rights Award
She Leads Africa

Contact Person: Damilola Vera-Cruz,
CSR-in-Action,
Phone: +234 906 263 4111
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: csr-in-action.org/sitei

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