Abuja: Connected Development (CODE), a civic organisation, has solicited more resources from its partners to scale up its transparency and accountability engagements. Hamzat Lawal, Founder and Chief Executive, CODE, made this request in Abuja during the inauguration of the group’s new leadership.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, Lawal, who is also the initiator of Follow The Money (FTM), announced the leadership changes as part of the activities marking the 13th anniversary of the organisation. Following his selection for the Chevening Scholarship for a Masters in Governance, Development, and Public Policy at the University of Sussex, UK, Lawal appointed Mr Mukhtar Modibbo as the Secretary-General of Follow The Money International and Ms Hyeladzira Mshelia as the Acting Chief Executive Officer of CODE.

Lawal emphasized the importance of unlocking more resources to expand their work, especially in education, health, and gender sectors. He expressed confidence that with strong management and board oversight under the new leadership, the organisation would be able to achieve its goals.

Reflecting on the early days of CODE, Lawal recounted the inception of the Save Bagega campaign, which highlighted the lead poisoning crisis in Zamfara State, resulting in the release of $5.3 million for remediation by the Nigerian government. This campaign demonstrated the power of citizen action in driving change, leading to the establishment of CODE.

He further highlighted other initiatives by CODE, including the Not Too Young to Run movement and the COVID-19 Transparency and Accountability Project (CTAP), as examples of efforts to demand better accountability.

Lawal encouraged the new leadership to build on these successes by accessing better funding and urged media support for their endeavors. In response, Modibbo committed to ensuring transparency in the use of development funds through the Citizen Neighbourhood Watch campaign, which aims to educate Nigerians on local government allocations.

Mshelia promised continued focus on gender-based initiatives, emphasizing empowerment for women and girls. She assured that CODE would maintain its dedication to promoting initiatives for vulnerable communities.