“Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the person nearest you”
was one of Mother Theresa’s famous quotes that tells a lot about what I stand for.
Growing up in a rural community in Plateau state and witnessing the heart-wrenching reality faced by many Nigerian children – the struggle to access quality education, welfare, and enduring harsh living conditions, etc, were the early exposure that ignited a deep-seated desire within me to be a catalyst for change.
At the age of 16, I took my first steps toward making a positive impact in my community by dedicating myself to activities that ignited hope in the hearts of underprivileged children. Such activities included outreach to orphanages, teaching children in my community for free, and
volunteering myself whenever an opportunity to reach out presents itself.
This commitment to effecting this change globally, but beginning with my community was what led to the birth of Naza Agape Foundation.
The foundation officially kickstarted in July 2018 after I participated in a “Book Drive” educational project initiated by Covenant University’s 13th graduating class. The project’s goal was to collect 1 million books across Nigeria to enhance education in alignment with the
United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education. And with the help of a strong team, we were able to donate 2,000 books to about seven low-income community schools in the state(Plateau) during the project.
Coincidentally, during the time of the book project, a major crisis had broken out in the state with over 2,000 people displaced and were taking refuge in an Internally Displaced People (IDP)
camp the state provided and for over seven months, I committed to volunteering to teach the children at that camp. I was able to pull together a team of 20 dedicated teachers who showed
up daily for the sake of those children. We had over 300 children who benefitted from that, and it was just beautiful seeing that they could access education, regardless of their situations or
conditions. Through the support of family and friends, the foundation got donations in kind, which was used in catering for them. But as we progressed in our humanitarian journey, we started
receiving donations, and meaningful partnerships. So far, the foundation has impacted 18,000 lives globally, especially in Nigeria through projects such as;
- Back to School Campaign; We sponsor underprivileged children or children who are victims of circumstances back to school, and also provides them with stationeries. For over 5 years, 700 children have been supported back to school.
- Girlified Project: As a cofounder of Girlified, we have impacted the lives of over 2,000 girls in Nigeria through the distribution of free sanitary pads, educating them on health management and climate change.
- BookDrive; This project collects books from across the country, and donates it to schools in rural communities with limited access to learning materials. Through this project, 5,000 books have been donated.
- Youth Mobile Project: This was co-funded by UNESCO Regional Office Abuja where we empowered over 500 girls with Basic App Development skills using Application Gyver and Figma platforms.
- Africa Code Week: This was done in partnership with UNESCO and SAP, where we trained 1,250 girls on coding.
- School Tour Project: This is one of our educational projects focused on building societal values and ending bad vices. We educate teenagers in school on topics such as puberty, teen pregnancy and drug abuse. We also donate hygiene kits and educational materials. So far, 1,000 teenagers have been impacted.
- Others; Other projects include Project Feed 5000, Pad a Girl project, extra mural classes for our wards, Special Celebrations like Christmas, Valentine, International Day for Children, Girl Child, Boy Child, etc
- Just like every other humanitarian organization, we are not exempted from the financial challenge part of this commitment. But because we have prioritized the lives of these children, we go all out for sponsorships, donations, partnerships, and grants to ensure that lives are impacted.
There is nothing like a “little impact” so do whatever you can, in whatever way you can to see that you put a smile on someone’s face. Be a changemaker!
Author and editors:
Prayer Nwagboso Ikegwuonu, Dyelpo Kaatnanret Senshak, Olalude Esther Oluwabunmi, Nelson, Obierumani Rita
Prayer Nwagboso Ikegwuonu is an experienced Humanitarian Aid worker with about 6 (six) years of experience. Founder and CEO of Naza Agape Foundation, leading a team of about 500 volunteers across the globe (Pakistan, Ghana, India, Cameroon, Zambia, Cyprusand Nigeria), that daily provide solutions to four (4) out of the 17 UN SDGs (Goal 1 No Poverty, Goal 2 Zero Hunger, Goal 4 Quality education & Goal 17 partnership for the Goals). From 2017 till date, 18,000 lives have been impacted across the globe. Co-founder Girlified Ltd, a sanitary Pad company that produces eco friendly sanitary Pads, made from banana fibers to reduce plastic pollution and fight period poverty.
Leadership Journey:
Diverse leadership roles from church to university, showcasing her ability to inspire and lead. Notable positions include Vice Chair Female Student’s Council of Covenant University 2017/2018 session. Prayer got firsthand leadership talks and training from great personalities such as Dr. David Oyedepo, Dr. Olusegun Omidiora, Prof. AAA Atayero, etc. Through her leadership skills, she was able to impact more than 2,000 ladies and mentored 300.
CEO of Naza Agape Foundation since 2018 till date, impacting 18,000 lives globally. Focus on education, welfare, and empowerment for underprivileged children and families. Successful in securing international grants, donations, and partnerships.
Advocacy for Women’s Empowerment:
Co-founder of Girlified, dedicated to revolutionizing menstrual hygiene and impacting over 1,000 women and girls. Strong alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 4 – Quality Education. Cabinet Minister at the Republic of Women, contributing to global gender equity and empowerment.
Global Representative of the Republic of Women in Nigeria and Africa. Forbes BLK Membership*
Prayer Nwagboso Ikegwuonu is a ForbesBLK member, a vibrant platform dedicated to remarkable
Black entrepreneurs, professionals, leaders, and creators driving transformative change in business, culture, and society.
Global Impact:
Former delegate for the Global Youth Leaders Project, collaborating on sustainable global solutions.
Active presence on global platforms such as World Pulse, advocating for women’s voices and social change.
Strategic Action for Community Development Nigeria (SACD Nigeria):
Trustee and member, playing a pivotal role in driving social impact.
Recognitions and Awards:
Nigerian Volunteers Award (NVA) – July 2021, endorsed by Leap Africa.
Sarauta Network’s “Not All Heroes Wear Capes Series” – June 2021.
Covenant University Alumni Association (CUALA) Eagles Spotlight – June 2021.
Plateau Social Media Awards – Best Use of Media, Charity/Non-Profit Campaign 2020.
Union Bank’s Enabling NGOs for Success – 2019.
Union Rise Challenge – 2020.
United People Global Feature – Support During COVID-19.
Covenant University Feature – 2019.
Global Awards by the Republic of Women: Beauty with Brain Global Award 2021, Global Change Maker Award 2021, and Winner in the #100Women #IWD2021Global Contest.
Nominee for Aminu Kano Award for Leadership by Cahr Awards Africa – 2021.
Winner of the #100Women #IWD2021 Global Contest (Shortlisted by Chief Executive Board for Certification to UN Countries – 2021.
Winner of Nigeria Magazine International Women’s Day Awards – Social Impact Category – 2023.
Award of Honour from Proverbs 31Woman Conference 2023.
Contact details: +2348039380972
Social media handles
Facebook: @Naza Agape Foundation
Instagram: @Naza_Agape_Foundation
Twitter: @NazaAgape
LinkedIn: @Naza Agape Foundation
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