Activists Yesufu, Odinkalu, Yusuf, Lawal write for Daily Times
Four leading activists and frontline writers, Aisha Yesufu, Chidi Odinkalu, Fassy Adetokunboh Yusuf and Hamzat Lawal have joined Africa’s independent media heritage, the Daily Times of Nigeria as Back-page columnists.
The exclusive columns, which would feature Mondays to Thursdays each week, will also be published on Daily Times website, dailytimes.ng, as well as social media platforms.
A motivational public speak expert and human rights activist, Aisha Yesufu is one of the leading and early promoters of the famous ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ campaign.
She is the founder of ‘Citizens Hub’, a not-for-profit organisation that seeks to build a financially independent, active and responsible citizenry through a solutions-driven and dynamic approach.
Aisha Yesufu also organises programme to educate and empower citizens on financial literacy, personal and social development. She holds a first degree in Microbiology and a Masters degree in Pharmaceutical Microbiology.
Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, professor of law, human rights activist and writer, is a former Chairman of National Human Rights Commission, and currently the senior team manager for the Africa Program of Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI).
He was at different times an advisor for the Ford Foundation, World Bank, African Union, International Council for Human Rights Policy in Geneva, and the United Nations Observer Mission in Sierra Leone.
Chidi Odinkalu, who had worked for Nigeria’s Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO) holds a PhD in Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and he is a visiting professor at Harvard Law School.
Chief Fassy Adetokunboh Yusuf is a multi-disciplinary professional cum academic with over forty years experience in journalism, advertising, public relations, communication, marketing and management.
He is currently a Senior Fellow with University of Lagos, Faculty member of University of Lagos Business School, Steering Committee Chairman of African Mass Communication Association, Council member of World Journalism Education Congress, member of the Nigerian Bar Association, Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association and International Bar Association.
Fassy Yusuf secured MBA degree from Brunel University/Henley Business School, England; MSc and PhD in Mass Communication from University of Lagos; LLB degree from Ogun State (now Olabisi Onabanjo) University and was called to the Nigerian Bar as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.
He was Ogun State Commissioner for Information, Culture, Community Development, Sports, Social Welfare and Youth in the early nineties, director of the then Federal Government-owned Tafawa Balewa Square Investments Limited (1988-1997), Chairman of Sketch Press Limited (1994-1996), Editor of Sporting World (1977-1979), and Chief Executive of many companies.
Youthful Hamzat Lawal, also known as Hamzy, is a leading humanitarian activist who has successfully led grassroots campaigns through his home-grown social accountability initiative, ‘Follow the Money’, a Pan-African data-driven movement that empowers citizens to demand improved public service delivery and hold their elected government representatives accountable.
He leads a team of technology & innovation-driven campaigners to amplify the voices of marginalised grassroots people in an effort to accelerate the provision of public services such as basic healthcare, clean water and basic education in those communities.
These campaigners also advocate for government accountability as regards the utilisation of public funds focusing on specific communities across Africa.
Hamza’s ‘Follow the Money’ movement emerged winner of the 2019 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Mobiliser Award. He specialises in practical issues associated with Climate Change, Open Data, advocacy campaigns for good governance and development policies as it affects rural and deprived grassroots communities. He is currently the Chief Executive of Connected Development, CODE, an organisation that is empowering marginalised grassroots communities across Africa.
