Aisha Yesufu, Hamzat Lawal, Bonang Matheba announced as 2021 Global Citizen Fellowship Program’s Advisory Council Members

Global Citizen has announced the advisory council for its 2021 Fellowship Program. The council is made up of incredible young leaders from both Nigeria and South Africa whose experience and creativity will help to take the Fellowship Program to the next level.

In July, the international advocacy organisation welcomed the first enrolment of ten Nigerian fellows for its third annual Global Citizen Fellowship Program powered by BeyGOOD.

The advisory council members have not only had a hand in selecting this year’s class of Global Citizen Fellows, but will also play a vital role in shaping this year’s program. Their valuable advice and guidance will help create a space for the group of young South Africans and Nigerians to learn, grow and apply their skills to the bright future awaiting them.

Meet the council members:

Bonang Matheba

South Africa

Global Citizen ambassador and multi-award-winning media personality, Bonang Matheba is no stranger to the empowerment of young African people. With a passion for education, she’s already the founder of the Bonang Matheba Bursary Fund, which aims to provide young Black women in South Africa with access to higher education.

She’s a philanthropist and strong advocate for women’s rights who has worked with Global Citizen before, alongside P&G, to call for the education surrounding Menstrual Health Management to be normalised, and for free access to sanitary products for girls in South Africa.

Aisha Yesufu

Nigeria

Businesswoman and activist Aisha Yesufu has put Nigeria’s youth first on several occasions. She is a co-convenor of the Bring Back Our Girls Movement, which continues to bring to public attention the abduction of 200 girls from their school in Chibok in 2014.

She also fearlessly protested for the disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), continuing to lead demonstrations in Abuja despite facing tear gas and police harassment. Yesufu is also an entrepreneur who has run several businesses for over 20 years, and is currently the head of two businesses.

Charmaine Houvet

South Africa

Charmaine Houvet is an undoubtable leader in the realm of telecommunications, having worked in the field for over two decades currently holding the position of Public Policy Director at Cisco Africa.

She sits on several boards, including the Advisory Board of the Global Broadband Plan for Refugees Project, which aims to meet broadband connectivity goals set by the United Nations High Commission on Refugees. Houvet also champions diversity and women empowerment in the Information and Communications Technology space.

Hamzat Lawal

Nigeria

Social accountability advocate and entrepreneur in the IT space, Hamzat Lawal has continuously sought innovative ways to empower the youth and uplift Africa.

He has advocated for policy changes that allow young people in Nigeria to run for national office through the Not Too Young to Run movement, of which he is a co-convenor. Lawal also leads a non-profit organization called Connected Development which provides marginalised communities in Africa with access to information on how to better engage their governments for the implementation of public services.

Nozipho Tshabalala

South Africa

Nozipho Tshabalala is an award-winning financial markets broadcaster and executive director of digital innovation company, LRMG (Learn Reflect Mobilise Grow).

Dubbed one of 100 most Influential Africans by the Africa Youth Awards, she’s used her public speaking skills to moderate insightful conversations on an international scale. She’s also worked with Global Citizen and the World Bank in this same capacity and is known for leading in African business storytelling and advocacy.

Tumi Sole

South Africa

Corporate attorney and public figure, Tumi Sole has initiated many conversations on several media platforms surrounding the topic of South African Human Rights.

Through his passion for social justice and the rights of all people, Sole founded #CountryDuty, a social activism organisation that brings together South Africans from all backgrounds to work towards common causes.

In 2019 he was recognised as one of the Mail &Guardian 200 Young South Africans and also one of Avance Media’s Top 100 Most Influential Young South Africans.