TFAA is also celebrating beating corona heroes, front-liners engaged in the race to beat corona.
The Africa’s biggest youth awards, The Future Awards Africa (TFAA), has unveiled the nominees for its only category open to public voting, The Future Awards Africa Prize for Service to Young People.
The category, a first in the Awards’ 15-year history, recognises outstanding individuals (aged below 55 years) who support young people with their time, experience and resources (excluding politicians and people in government).
The nominees were handpicked for their tremendous impact in enabling and supporting causes, institutions and processes that have improved opportunities and accelerated the success of young Nigerians.
“Since its launch in 2005, The Future Awards Africa has grown to become globally recognised for recognising and celebrating young Africans between the ages of 18 – 31 doing remarkable things in their communities,” said Bukola Adebakin, Chief Operating Officer, RED.
“This year, however, we are equally excited to shine the spotlight on incredible individuals who have given their time and finances to causes and processes that particularly touch young people – including the opening of opportunities across industries and enabling public action”.
“We are thrilled to unveil the nominees in this special category as their impact on matters bordering youth development has made a big difference in the past year. We intend to use this category to encourage and inspire older and experienced people to invest aggressively in young people”, she stated.
Voting for the Service to Young People category is officially open. Visit awards.thefutureafrica.com to vote.
Follow @tfaafrica on all social media platforms to keep up with the latest news on the awards.
The full nominees’ list is below:
1. Mosunmola ‘Mo’ Abudu
2. Michael ‘Don Jazzy’ Ajereh
3. Lola Shoneyin
4. Pastor Sam Adeyemi
5. Orode Doherty
6. Mohammed Jega
7. Olajumoke Adenowo
The Future Awards Africa Prize for Service to young people (aged 55 and below)
Mosunmola ‘Mo’ Abudu
In 2020, Mo Abudu made a shocking announcement. After more than a decade on the cable network DSTV, she was pulling her much beloved cable channel Ebony Life TV and moving its content to her new on-demand streaming platform, Ebony Life On. This kind of swift, decisive decision making in line with the most cutting edge of global trends is why Mrs. Abudu has remained at the forefront of the media and film industry in Nigeria and continues to inspires millions of young Nigerian entrepreneurs.
Her tireless work to redefine entertainment through an African lens, validated via her success as a successful Entrepreneur, Media Personality, Talk Show Host, TV producer, and founder of EbonyLife TV is a source of inspiration and motivation for many.
She has produced over 5,000 hours of original television shows and seven feature films that reflect a multidimensional African reality that is pioneering, cosmopolitan, and progressive. One of her latest projects is EbonyLife Place situated in the heart of Victoria Island, Lagos – a luxurious lifestyle and entertainment resort, opened in December 2019 that has created job opportunities for many youths in Nigeria.
In January 2020, American entertainment company AMC Networks announced its partnership with EbonyLife to produce Nigeria 2099, an afrofuturistic crime-drama. Most recently, American streaming giant Netflix signed a multi-title deal with Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife to create two original series along with multiple branded films, cementing her future in the industry as a deal maker and door opener for young Nigerian creators and media enthusiasts.
Michael ‘Don Jazzy’ Ajereh
For a truly comprehensive understanding of the impact Don Jazzy has had in the last 15 years, you would have to consider his influence on the Nigerian music industry. Since the mid-2000’s Don Jazzy has been a considerable force, midwifing the careers of some of the country’s most sucessful musicians and heading two of the country’s most successful music labels. Don Jazzy’s time on both platforms is characterized by an uncommon integrity, amicable partnerships and partings and a network of good will which has taken major creative risks by creating platforms for a generation of young Nigerians, who have gone on to contribute positively to the economy.
In the last year, Don Jazzy has become less reclusive about his personal life and has put his weight behind social causes. He was a regular fixture at the 2020 #EndSARS protest, lending his voice and using his platform to raise awareness about the demands of the protesters. He also partnered with the United Nations Development programme in its initiative to use media and cinema to educate and empower disadvantaged demographics within Nothern Nigeria. He consistently uses his personal wealth to empower others through giveaways and other social initiaitives including partnerships with the brands he represents. Considered a youth leader, Don Jazzy has been offered many opportunities to represent Nigerian youths in public forums, opportunities he passes on to other youth advocates who have shown more vocal interest in the causes he is asked to speak on.
Don Jazzy empowers young Nigerians, advocates for their needs and desires uses his platform to elevate their voices and contributes his quota to nation building, an example we could all learn from.
Lola Shoneyin
As the founder and facilitator of the Ake Books and Arts Festival, Lola Shoneyin pulled a coup in 2020, when faced with a global pandemic, she shifted tack and created the continent’s first fully immersive virtual literary festival. Not one of her 100+ guests were unable to contribute to the festival and millions of young Africans who have come to see the festival as a beacon of equality, hope and unity were finally able to participate virtually in the festival for the first. A model of innovation and true grit, Lola Shoneyin (born Titilola Atinuke Alexandra Shoneyin), is a Nigerian poet and author who launched her debut novel, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, in the U.K. in May 2010.
She is one of the driving forces behind the country’s and continent’s literary renaissance. Today, Shoneyin is also the director of Lagos Aké Arts and Books, one of the most significant literary festivals on the continent and has also written for newspapers, including The Scotsman, The Guardian, and The Times on issues such as racism, Nigeria’s tradition of polygamous marriage, the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram and the elections of now President Muhammadu Buhari.
Some of her recent accomplishments revolve around her love for ensuring; she passes her knowledge to the younger generation by preserving the African culture. Hosting the Ake Festival annually, she brings youths from across Africa to connect and learn about themselves and their culture.
Sam Adeyemi
Sam Adeyemi founded the Daystar Leadership Academy with the vision to raise exceptional leaders and managers that would transform the world. His passion to help people realize their life purpose, led him to start the programme. In the past one year, Sam has helped many young people succeed in their endeavours by providing them with the motivation they need in the race of life. The Academy offers the following courses – Basic Certificated Course in Leadership, Weekend Leadership Certificate Course (Basic and Advanced), Executive Leadership course (Basic and Advanced), Basic Leadership Course for Teenagers. Over 20,000 students have graduated from the academy since its inception.
As a religious leader, Pastor Sam Adeyemi is not afraid to model exemplary behaviour and use his influence to sway public opinion in favour of progressive ideas. He was one of the first pastors to publicly question Pastor Biodun Fatoyinbo’s refusal to publicly address accusations of sexual assault, crystallizing the church’s position on assault and assuaging millions of religious adherents. His leadership was also integral in ensuring Christians adhered to the Coronavirus lockdown restrictions earlier in the year, saving lives and helping to flatten the curve on the country. Pastor Adeyemi has also shown solidarity with the #EndSARS protest against police brutality and ensures he is always on the side of the youth and the side of progress.
Orode Dorothy
Not many Nigerians who receive US Board certification return to the country to improve Nigeria’s failing healthcare. Even fewer are as pedigreed as Dr. Orode Doherty, a renowned Public Health Physician whose work over the years has taken her from the University of Lagos to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and finally the Harvard University School of PUblic Health, from which she has a Master’s Degree in public health.
Dr. Doherty’s contributions to promoting healthy communities and reducing disease led her to the ICAP, the Columbia University’s HIV and AIDS programmed where she focused her research and care on mothers living with the virus and children born with the virus. Under her guidance, life-saving medical teams in Nigeria established over 100 maternal and newborn care clinics that worked to reduce the risk of transmission between infected mothers and their children, reducing stigma for those communities and providing training for local management of the virus among these communities.
She currently serves as the country director of Africare, a non-profit with interests in nutrition programmes and Malaria eradication initiatives through partnerships with the private sector. She is a beacon for how women can harness healthcare, social change and technology to improve the lives of disadvantaged women in at-risk communities.
Mohammed Ibrahim Jega
There is a common but subversive perception that sans the civil service or political office, Northern Nigerians do not contribute significantly to the continued growth and progress of Nigeria. Mohammed Ibrahim Jega exists to challenge those stereotypes and inspire a generation of Arewa Youth to make their voices heard and impact felt in fields like technology, finance and innovation. The Founder of Startup Arewa has been promoting technology as a channel to economic and social emancipation since 2016 and connecting young entrepreneurs with innovative ideas to funding and mentorship from some of the world’s largest conglomerates.
Jega started his career in technology as a director for the payment platform VoguePay. Without venture capitalist funding or government concessions, Jega was able to guide Voguepay to become one of the country’s more prominent payment platforms. Such is the success Voguepay has enjoyed with Jega at the helm as Chief Business Development Officer. With commendations from the Vice President of the Federation, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and the endorsement of Silicon Valley, Jega has been able to expand StartupArewa into a network of 19 hubs across Nigeria, reaching thousands of young Nigerians and empowering them through business innovation.
Jega joined Blockchain startup KickCity, extending the lessons he learned at VoguePay and StartUp Arewa to blockchain technology. He was also announced as a director of the Founder’s Institute in February 2020.
Olajumoke Adenowo
There is a huge disconnect between the women of Nigeria’s boomer generation and its millennial and Gen-Z populations. Differing in experiences, opportunities and values, there is often friction when both demographics interact and only a small percentage of older women are able to bridge that gap and provide timely, tangible support to younger women as the navigate the many difficulties of a post-millennial world. For Olajumoke Adenowo, winner of Forbes Woman Africa Entrepreneur Award for 2020, a multiple award-winning Architect and Philanthropist, who when profiled by CNN was referred to as ‘Africa’s Starchitect’, her many accolades are second fiddle to her extensive work in philanthrophy and social activism.
Mrs. Adenowo used her wealth, influence and access to raise funding for disadvantaged women and youth. She is quite passionate about caring for young girls from the slums of Lagos who are at risk of sexual abuse and HIV/AIDS and works with local and international non-profits to facilitate health interventions in these at-risk communities, funding medical screenings and educational intervention. She closely mentors women for global leadership and entrepreneurship through vocational training, business classes and leadership training that takes place across Nigeria, reaching over 1,350 people in the last year.
With over 30 years of experience in Architectural practice, she has designed and executed over 70 buildings. She is also recognized as one of the 100 most Influential Nigerians and named as one of the Most Inspiring Women in Nigeria. She is featured amongst other globally prominent people of African Ancestry in the Black History Hall of Fame in the University of West Bristol, UK.
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