LEAD Anglophone West Africa

Read highlights of LEAD Anglophone West Africa 2006 activities

LEAD Anglophone West Africa was one of the first LEAD Member Programmes established in 1991. LEAD is hosted in Nigeria by the Foundation for Environmental Development and Education in Nigeria (FEDEN), a non-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) established in 1991 to promote awareness on the environment and sustainable development in Nigeria and enhance the building of local capacity required to drive the nation’s transition to a more sustainable development.

Over the last ten years, we have successfully organised and conducted capacity building sessions and stakeholder dialogues, seminars, and workshops resulting in a national network of 146 LEAD Fellows and Associates. We have many Fellows in positions of great influence in various sectors in Nigeria. They continue to bring about change, and serve as examples of good leadership, propagating ideas of sustainable development and best practices. We have Fellows in business (Multinationals), the industrial sector, the banking sector, small and medium enterprises owned by Fellows themselves, the media, Government, universities, academic and research institutes, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Some of our Fellows are, for example

Boyowa Anthony Chokor attended University College in London (University of London) where he received a Ph.D. in July 1983. In 1996 he was appointed as Professor of geography and regional planning at the University of Benin, Nigeria where he teaches the department's environmental courses.

Anthony Abolarin is manager of Sustainable Development with ELF Petroleum Nigeria, a subsidiary of the TOTAL Group (TotalFinaElf), where his responsibilities include strategic planning, corporate performance indicator design and control. Prior to his current position, he managed the Amenam/Kpono oil and gas field development project and the Obite Gas project for Nigeria LNG feed.

Iniobong Edith Abiola-Awe is a Principal Environmental Scientist with the Federal Ministry of Environment. She earned a master’s degree in parasitology and bachelor’s degree in zoology both in Nigeria and worked as a consultant on special service in the public health section of UNICEF, Lagos.

Muyiwa Olaitan Odele currently works with Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme (BDCP) a knowledge based organisation dedicated to creating innovative mechanisms for sustainable development that encompass the interface between health and environment. He is actively involved in the Bio-prospecting/ Bio-partnering and valuing of nature (resources related to pharmaceutical development) projects of the organisation.

LEAD Nigeria Partners

Together with LEAD Southern Africa and LEAD Francophone Africa, LEAD Nigeria participated in several joint projects including: with NEPAD on African Capacity Building Foundation Project (ACBF); with DBSA on African Knowledge Management and with EU on the Climate Change Project.

LEAD Nigeria continues to collaborate with several key partners in the region, like the Federal Ministry of Environment, Nestle plc, Lagos State Government, UNDP

Recent Activities

The Commission for Africa Consultative Forum (CfA Lagos Event) was held in Lagos, Nigeria in May 2005.

Cambridge/IFC Consultative Forum on Business and Sustainable Development, Abuja, April 2005: A. Abolarin (Fellow Cohort 3) and A.O. Okuwobi (Fellow Cohort 10) as well as Professor Adeniyi Oshuntogun, National Programme Director of LEAD-Nigeria, participated in Cambridge/IFC Consultative Forum on Business and Sustainable Development held in Abuja, from April 15-17, 2005.

LEAD Nigeria in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Environment organized a National Workshop on ‘Capacity Building for all Federal Ministry of Environment Accredited Environmental Consultants in Nigeria’ was held in Lagos.

On-Going and Proposed Projects

• Understanding Sustainable Development and Building Key Competences
• Enhancing IT skills of Network Administrators in NGOs focusing on Environment and Sustainable Development
• Advisory Services to State Governments in Nigeria on capacity building and agricultural input areas
• Building local capacity for reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria
• Formation of LEAD-Anglophone West Africa
• Think Tank Services (Centre for Information Dissemination)