Social investors under the aegis of the African Philanthropy Forum (APF) have challenged Nigerian philanthropists to become more structured and strategic in their giving, and to seek strategies to make their giving more impactful – be it on an individual or a collaborative level.
This call was made at a recent event in Lagos, organised by APF, with the support of the Ford Foundation. The philanthropists said they were there to learn from one another’s work and share insights for strengthening individual and collective efforts to transform Nigeria.
“Our focus is not to emphasise the need to give or to discuss the specific legal framework in a given country, but rather to look at tested strategies for giving in a number of issue areas – be it education, health, nutrition, or any number of other issues to enable donors to be more strategic in their choices and their philanthropy,” Suzy Antounian, chief operating officer, Global Philanthropy Forum (GPF), said.
According to Hakeem Belo-Osagie, “there are two types of people in the world – those with opportunities and those without. It is our job to make opportunities available to them just as we have been given.”
Underscoring the importance of working together, Aisha Oyebode, CEO, Murtala Muhammed Foundation, challenged the attendees to “share the burden of transforming lives, and also share the joy!”
Using Bangladesh and the life of BRAC’s founder – Fazle Abed’s life as a case study, keynote speaker, Leslye Obiora, a professor, illustrated how an individual armed with the courage of conviction was able to transform his country. Obiora emphasised the need for a sustainable network and platform for effective philanthropy in Nigeria, reinforcing the critical role for APF.
In her closing remarks, Ndidi Nwuneli, who in addition to her work as a social entrepreneur, serves as the director of the APF, encouraged more Nigerian philanthropists to join the APF and participate in its annual convening holding in Morocco on October 17-18, with the theme “Taking Big Bets and Bold Steps,” which promises to explore the role of philanthropists in leading large-scale change on the African continent and to seek ways for greater impact beyond incremental steps.
APF was established in 2014 to build a learning community of strategic African philanthropists and social investors committed to inclusive and sustainable development throughout the continent. Through its conference, programmes and matchmaking services, the APF aims to inform and enhance the development impact of the giving and investing of this network.
It is embedded within the GPF, a global network of strategic philanthropists and social investors committed to international causes. Through its educational programmes and matchmaking services GPF aims to inform, enable and enhance the strategic nature of their work.
