Nigerian anti-corruption campaigner and grassroots advocate, Hamzat Lawal, has been appointed as a member of the jury for the 2024/25 Nelson Mandela–Graça Machel Innovation Awards. The announcement was made by CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance that coordinates the prestigious awards.
Now in their 20th year, the Innovation Awards celebrate individuals and organisations pioneering bold solutions that promote social justice, bridge inequalities, and advance human dignity worldwide.
Lawal joins an international panel comprising Abhishek Thakore (India), Rajae Boujnah (Morocco), Tenywa John Grace (Uganda), and Rhaea Russell-Cartwright (United Kingdom). Together, they will evaluate nominations from a pool of over 800 applications submitted from 76 countries in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, French, and Arabic.
The jurors will assess candidates across five thematic categories, focusing on innovation, community impact, and scalability. The review process is expected to commence fully in March 2025.
Lawal is the Chief Executive of Connected Development (CODE) and the founder of the Follow The Money initiative, a citizen-led movement tracking government expenditure and international aid in underserved communities. His work has earned global recognition for promoting transparency and accountability at the grassroots level.
CIVICUS, in its communication to Lawal, cited his longstanding anti-corruption work as a major factor behind his nomination. “Having researched your anti-corruption work, we believe we would really benefit from your expertise to help us recognise and celebrate the most innovative minds and projects of the year,” the organisation said.
In his response to the appointment, Lawal expressed both pride and responsibility. “It is an honour to serve as a juror for such a powerful initiative that shines a light on the courageous innovators working to make the world more just,” he said. “This is not just about awards—it’s about fueling hope and accelerating grassroots change.”
The jurors, according to CIVICUS, play a critical role in ensuring the credibility and vision of the awards, which also aim to connect innovators with mentorship, seed funding, and access to a global platform.
In a statement on social media, Connected Development welcomed Lawal’s appointment. “As a grassroots campaigner, mobiliser, and innovator of several social impact projects like @4lowthemoney, Hamzat Lawal’s appointment as a jury is a perfect fit to help spotlight innovations that uplift humanity,” the organisation said via its official handle @connected\_dev.
The awards were established in 2004 in honour of the legacies of Nelson Mandela and Graça Machel. Since then, over 40 individuals and organisations from 24 countries have been recognised for their work in social innovation.
CIVICUS is expected to announce the winners and further details of the ceremony, including streaming arrangements, in the coming weeks.
Lawal’s latest appointment adds to an impressive list of global recognitions. In 2021, he was named to the advisory council of the Global Citizen Fellowship Program, a philanthropic initiative by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s BeyGOOD foundation, with support from filmmaker Tyler Perry. The programme identifies and mentors young African changemakers.
In 2022, he was selected as a judge for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Action Awards, joining UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner and 29 other global leaders in identifying transformative efforts driving progress towards the SDGs.
