UN SDG Announces Award Opportunity, Reference Nigeria’s Hamzat Lawal

The United Nations SDG has announced an opportunity for activists, mobilizers, and changemakers to submit applications for a chance to become an awards finalist ahead of its 2023 awards.

An article by Marina Ponti, Global Director of the UN SDG Action Campaign said, “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.

Also, the article featured Hamzat Lawal, founder of ‘Follow The Money’ in preparation for the 2023 awards to be presented in Rome, Italy, in July.

Lawal’s ‘Follow The Money,’ is an initiative of Connected Development that won the United Nations mobiliser of the year award at the SDG Global Fest for 2019.

In the article, the UN said, “Past winners include Hamzat B. Lawal, Founder of the Nigeria-based anti-corruption organization 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.”
It 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.