Founder, Brainbuiders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI), Abideen Olasupo, has won the outstanding integrity award at the 5th Gani Fawehinmi Impact and Integrity Awards which was held in Lagos on Friday.
The award was instituted by Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) Resource Centre with the support of MacArrthur Foundation in honour of the late human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Gani Fawehinmi.
Mr Olasupo was awarded for refunding the sum that was mistakenly paid into his account by a foreign organisation he consulted for.
He was presented with the award by the human rights lawyer, Femi Falana.
Mr Olasupo, who emerged winner of the award category ahead of few other nominees, dedicated it to his parents.
He said; “When I was young, my mum always checked my bag when I came back from school. I never knew why until I was in secondary school and challenged her, she said she wanted to ensure I didn’t mistakenly pack anything not mine. My dad always tells me and my siblings not to ever take what doesn’t belong to us, that we have a duty to always protect the name of our family.”
Speaking on the money mistakenly paid to him, the young entrepreneur and climate justice advocate said “when I got the over erroneously paid to my account, I never thought twice to return it because it is not mine and I know mine will surely come.”
Mr Olasupo, who is also a global goals youth panel member, has championed the translation of the Sustainable Development Goals into local languages. He recently represented Nigeria at the United Nations Corruption Summit held in May.
The award
According to HEDA Resource Centre, 271 nominations and entries were received out of which 21 persons were shortlisted in the four categories of the awards.
The organisation said there were six nominees for Outstanding Impact category; eight for Outstanding Integrity, four for Valuable Whistle-Blower, and three for Nigerians-In-Diaspora Integrity Ambassador.
Olanrewaju Suraju, Chairman of HEDA Resource Centre, noted that the overall objective of the award ceremony was to promote transparency.
While Mr Olasupo won the outstanding integrity award, the valuable whistle-blower award was won by Paul Lawani; the global town crier media award and the outstanding impact award was won by Muhammad Dzukogi, a former National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Authors.
Other prominent personalities at the awards ceremony include Achike Chude, Nurudeen Ogbara and Kunle Adegoke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN.
