Hamzat Lawal hands over leadership roles at CODE, pledging continuity in the fight for accountability.
Connected Development (CODE), Africa’s leading citizen-led accountability organisation, has announced a change in leadership as it celebrated 13 years of grassroots advocacy in Abuja.
Briefing news men at a forum, Founder and Chief Executive of CODE, Hamzat Lawal, said he would temporarily step aside to pursue a Master’s degree in Governance, Development, and Public Policy at a University in the United Kingdom, having been awarded the Chevening Scholarship.
“Today is a deeply humbling and historic day for me, thirteen years ago, I stood in a small room with nothing but an idea, a burning passion, and a determination to save lives. That idea was Save Bagega.” Lawal told journalists.
The Save Bagega campaign, launched in 2012, exposed lead poisoning in Zamfara State that killed hundreds of children and forced government action and from that effort, CODE was born.
Since then, Lawal said, the group has grown into “a movement powered by citizens, driven by youth, and fueled by a vision of a more accountable, transparent, and equitable Africa.”
Through its flagship Follow the Money initiative, CODE says it has worked in more than 3,000 communities across Nigeria and 12 African countries, tracking over N400 billion in public funds.
Speaking further, Lawal recalled campaigns that shaped policy both in Nigeria and abroad, including Not Too Young To Run, which lowered the age for political participation, and the COVID-19 Transparency and Accountability Project (CTAP), which monitored billions of dollars in pandemic funds.
“Our work has faced resistance and intimidation,” he said. “But time and again we have shown that transparency is not a privilege; it is a right.”
To ensure continuity Mukhtar Halilu was appointed Secretary General of Follow the Money International, with a mandate to expand the initiative to at least 20 African countries by 2030.
In addition, Hyeladzira Mshelia, was named Head of Office/Acting CEO of Connected Development.
Lawal stressed that the appointments were “not just administrative changes but symbols of continuity, renewal, and collective commitment to accountability.”
He explained that, CODE has received several global honours, including the 2016 ONE Africa Award and the 2019 United Nations SDG Mobiliser Award.
“As I temporarily step away to embark on this academic journey, I reaffirm my personal commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with citizens and communities fighting for justice, accountability, and development,” Lawal added.
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