Anti-corruption activist Hamzat Lawal has led grassroots campaigns in over eight African countries – including Nigeria. These range from monitoring the distribution of 9.2 billion clean cookstoves supplied by the federal government to rural women to advocating for the necessary funds to save 1,500 sick children affected by lead poisoning in Bagega Zamfara. Follow the Money; the pan-African grassroots data-driven movement Hamzat founded saved the Nigerian government N50billion ($131million) in 2019 alone.
As the Chief Executive of Connected Development (CODE), Hamzat leads a team of technology and innovation-driven campaigners to amplify marginalized communities’ voices in promoting accountability as it affects public funds utilization.
We sat down with Hamzat to talk about his anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria and across Africa and to hear early lessons from dealing with COVID-19 and accountability in health responses and economic relief.
