August 2021 saw the birth of Glory Ifezue Foundation. The journey had however started earlier in June/July 2021 when the Founder and Executive Director, Ms. Ifezue, put out a call for expression of interests for the Neoteric Governance Boot Camps Lagos and Abuja, as part of her Neoteric Engagement Series.

We kicked off our work as a Foundation with the Neoteric Governance Boot Camp which held in Lagos and Abuja, at different times in the month of August. The Boot Camp was aimed at equipping Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) with foundational knowledge on rudiments of governance such as the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the rights and duties of Nigerians, the importance of government accountability to citizens, and the office of the citizen.

The Lagos Boot Camp was graced with the presence of the Deputy Public Affairs Officer at the United States Consulate Nigeria, Jennifer Foltz. Both Boot Camps successfully held in both Abuja and Lagos with a total number of 7 CSOs participating in both Lagos and Abuja. You can read more about the Lagos Boot Camp here and about the Abuja Boot Camp here.

The Boot Camp Project culminated in the giving of a mini grant of N50,000.00 to one successful CSO who was able to demonstrate how they would sustainably impact the knowledge learnt from the boot camp to the grassroots communities they served. Despite aiming to give a total of N100,000.00 for both Lagos and Abuja, the grant was only made to a CSO in Lagos because no viable submission was received from the participants at the Abuja Boot Camp. The CSO who won this mini grant in Lagos was ConstitutionLab and they successfully completed their Project earlier this month. You can read more on their Project here.

The Neoteric Governance Boot Camp was followed by another Neoteric Engagement Project that touched on the discourse around technology and elections in West Africa, particularly Nigeria and Ghana. This discourse held on the 19th September 2021, and brought together experts in the area of elections and technology in both Nigeria and Ghana. In a rich and engaging panel discourse, our panelists spoke to the existing framework on technology and elections in Nigeria and Ghana, what we are doing and what can be done better. Read the full details of that discourse here.

Since the 20th October 2020, the month of October has become very significant in our national calendar because it is a month that reminds us of the Lekki Toll Gate Massacre where security operatives gunned down innocent Nigerian citizens for exercising their constitutional right to peacefully protest. At the Foundation, we also added our voice to the voices of several others in reminding our nation what the month of October means to us.

In commemorating and remembering our fallen heroes of 20th October 2020, we invited short pieces from members of the public, providing a platform for them to express their feelings on what the Lekki Toll Gate Massacre meant to them 1 year after the Massacre. This invitation was met with several illuminating pieces which you can read about here, here, and here.

We ended the month long remembrance on a bitter sweet high with a Commemorative Panel Discourse held on the anniversary of the Lekki Toll Gate Massacre, the 20th October 2021. It was a rather somber time of reflection. This reflection brought with it a saddening realization that even after 1 year, not much has changed as regards the injustices which birthed the ENDSARS protest and the Lekki Toll Gate Massacre that followed in its wake. You can catch up on this Panel Discourse here.

As the year draws to a final close today, we look back at the few remarkably fruitful months we’ve had as a budding organization with a sense of pride and joy. We also know that none of it would have been possible without the help, support, and encouragement of all friends and well-wishers and everyone who contributed their time, resources, expertise, and love to us as an organization. We want to say a very big thank you to everyone who played a part, both significant and otherwise, in our success as an organization in 2021.

We hope to continue and carry on the good work that we do in 2022 and continue to hope for your support and encouragement. Compliments of the season from all of us at Glory Ifezue Foundation, and a prosperous 2022 ahead.

Glory Ifezue Foundation is registered as an Incorporated Trustee under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and pushes for active citizen engagement and education on development issues as they affect Nigeria.