Minister Applauds ActionAid Over Contribution To Governance

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has commended ActionAid Nigeria for 25 years of transformative work, describing the organisation’s impact on development, governance and community empowerment as remarkable and far-reaching.

At the 25th anniversary celebration of ActionAid Nigeria in Abuja, the minister praised the organisation for consistently championing the needs of vulnerable groups and supporting grassroots development across the country.

“For a quarter of a century, ActionAid has taken development to the frontlines—empowering women and girls, strengthening education, improving healthcare, advocating for governance reforms, supporting communities during crises, and amplifying the voices of the most vulnerable,” he said.

He lauded ActionAid’s extensive humanitarian interventions and policy-shaping efforts, noting that the organisation’s work has had a “profound and measurable” impact on national development.

“Today, we gather to honour this legacy and look toward the next chapter,” he added.

The event featured the launch of the AAN@25 Legacy Book and the unveiling of the prototype for the ActionAid Nigeria office building—two milestones the Minister described as strong indicators of organisational growth and long-term commitment to Nigeria.

“This forward-looking investment reflects ActionAid’s dedication to deepening its contributions over the next 25 years and beyond. These milestones deserve our collective applause,” he stated.

ActionAid Nigeria’s country director, Andrew Momodu, expressed gratitude for the organisation’s journey, resilience and impact.

“We are happy today to celebrate our 25 years in Nigeria, especially in a country where less than 40% of businesses survive beyond two years,” he said.

Reflecting on the organisation’s history, Momodu noted that ActionAid Nigeria began with a radical conviction that poverty is not natural, and that structural injustice—not fate—is responsible for exclusion.

“Charity is not development. True development happens when power shifts from privilege to the marginalised, from silence to participation, and from oppression to agency,” he stated.