
The Founder of Follow The Money, Hamzat Lawal, has emerged a finalist in the Sweden WIN WIN Gothenburg Sustainability Award, alongside Icelandic whistleblower, Jóhannes Stefánsson, Integrity Watch Afghanistan (IWA), and Italy’s lead prosecutor, Nicola Gratteri.
The Chairperson of the WIN WIN award jury Emma Dalvag, announced that Lawal and the other finalists were selected after the jury carefully reviewed 64 nominations, from 34 countries around the world, who actively oppose corruption and strengthen opportunities for a sustainable future,
Dalvag added that USD4 billion is lost every year to corruption across the globe.
” This is an enormous figure, which can be compared with the USD2.9 billion financial gap that needs to be filled in order for the world to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Fighting corruption often involves risks and requires courage.”
We are very proud to present a wide range “of finalists who, in different ways and in different parts of the world, fight for a fairer and more sustainable world.”
The Founder of Follow the Money, Hamzat Lawal highlighted that his organization is tackling corruption in government’s funding.
” We are ensuring that everyone, even in the remote areas have access to basic needs. More importantly, during COVID-19 pandemic, where our lives have been changed and altered. Trying to build back better should be the ultimate goal.”
The world-leading sustainability award has sought nominations from individuals and organisations that actively combat corruption, and thereby improve the opportunities for the world’s countries to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, in the past few months.
Hamzat Lawal was also recognised as one of the world’s 100 most influential people in digital government by Apolitical in 2018 and 2019.
He has also been ranked as one of the 100 most influential Africans along with Amina J. Mohammed, Aliko Dangote and Chimamanda Adichie.
He founded Follow The Money, a Pan-African grassroots data-driven movement and leads a team of technology & innovation driven campaigners to amplify the voices of marginalized grassroots communities in promoting accountability, as regards the utilization of public funds focusing on specific communities across Africa.
His Follow The Money initiative won the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Mobilizer 2019 Award and the Council of Europe’s 2019 Democracy Innovation Award.