{{Short description|Nigerian non-profit that improves public governance}} {{Infobox organization | name = Connected Development Initiative(CODE) | native_name = <!-- Organization's name in its local language --> | image = | image_size = | type = Non-profit<br />NGO | headquarters = Abuja, Nigeria | services = Governance, Health, Environment, Sanitation, Gender and Education | leader_title = Founder | leader_name = Hamzat Lawal | key_people = | founded = Started as a community activism and grass root movement in 2013 by Hamzat Lawal in Nigeria | location = Nigeria | fields = to improve access to information and empower local communities in Africa | website = {{URL|connecteddevelopment.org}} }}
'''Connected Development Initiative (CODE),''' is a Nigerian not-for-profit founded in 2012, and focused on empowering marginalized communities to demand goods and services by creating platforms for dialogue and building citizens’ capacity to hold their government accountable<ref name="auto">{{cite web |title=Connected Development (CODE) |url=https://luminategroup.com/investee/code |website=luminategroup.com |access-date=18 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref> through its Follow The Money (FTM) initiative.<ref>{{cite web |title=Connected Development Initiative - MacArthur Foundation |url=https://www.macfound.org/grantee/connected-development-initiative-10114408/ |website=www.macfound.org |access-date=18 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us {{!}} Follow The Money |url=http://followthemoneyng.org/about-us/ |access-date=2022-06-09 |language=en-US}}</ref>
==History== Connected Development started as a community activism and grassroots mobilization. In 2012, the founder, Hamzat Lawal was grieved by the lead poisoning that took place in Zamfara state two years earlier.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-18 |title='A wonderful accomplishment': success for cleanup of Nigeria's deadly lead pollution |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/mar/18/nigeria-child-gold-miners-lead-poisoning |access-date=2022-06-09 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> When he realized that nobody was talking about the disaster and the people affected after killing more than 400 people, he embarked on a 14 hours journey to the community, Bagega,<ref>{{cite news |title=Hamzat "Hamzy" Lawal, Education Champion {{!}} Malala Fund |url=https://malala.org/champions/hamzat-%22hamzy%22-lawal |access-date=18 May 2022 |work=malala.org}}</ref> where the incident took place in order to learn more about the aftermath of the problem.
This propelled him towards community activism and to start a grassroots movement known as follows The Money,<ref>{{cite news |title=Nigeria's Hamzat Lawal Emerges Finalist for $120k Gothenburg Sustainability Award |url=https://technext.ng/2021/03/10/nigerias-hamzat-lawal-emerges-finalist-for-the-120000-gothenburg-sustainability-award/ |access-date=18 May 2022 |date=10 March 2021}}</ref> using data to hold government accountable, and demanding action from government agencies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Open data on the ground: Nigeria's Follow the Money initiative |url=https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/open-data-ground-nigeria-s-follow-money-initiative |access-date=2022-06-09 |website=blogs.worldbank.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ushahidi.com/ |access-date=2022-06-09 |website=www.ushahidi.com|title=Ushahidi}}</ref> CODE has worked to improve public governance in Nigeria and across Africa by empowering marginalized communities to demand high levels of accountability and transparency from the government. Since its inception, it has been awarded various grants to carry out community development and citizen empowerment of marginalised communities.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Connected Development Initiative - MacArthur Foundation |url=https://www.macfound.org/grantee/connected-development-initiative-10114408/ |access-date=2022-06-09 |website=www.macfound.org}}</ref>
==Vision and missions== CODE envision a world where all people even in the most remote areas of the globe can hold their government accountable.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.connecteddevelopment.org/about-us/#:~:text=Founded%20in%202012%2C%20Connected%20Development,empower%20marginalized%20communities%20in%20Africa. |website=www.connecteddevelopment.org |publisher=CODE |access-date=18 May 2022}}</ref>
==Work and achievements==
* In 2012, Connected Development initiated Follow The Money Campaign, an initiative that leverages technology and open data to track public funds and holds government accountable. The campaign started as a follow-up to No. SaveBagega, which brought the crisis scenario front and center to government officials who were able to channel resources to Bagega.<ref>{{cite web |title=Open data on the ground: Nigeria's Follow the Money initiative |url=https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/open-data-ground-nigeria-s-follow-money-initiative |website=blogs.worldbank.org |access-date=18 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-03-07 |title=Social media and creative technologies: A recipe to save Bagega |url=https://www.environewsnigeria.com/social-media-and-creative-technologies-a-recipe-to-save-bagega/ |access-date=2022-06-09 |website=EnviroNews Nigeria |language=en-US}}</ref> Through Follow the Money (FTM), connected development and partners mobilize more young people to use technology to document and amplify voices and hold governments to account.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hamzat Lawal: Leading Africa Anti-Corruption Activist Shares Online Media Strategy, COVID-19 Response |url=https://acgc.cipe.org/business-of-integrity-blog/hamzat-lawal-leading-africa-anti-corruption-activist-shares-online-media-strategy-covid-19-response/ |access-date=18 May 2022 |work=Anti-Corruption & Governance Center |date=15 August 2020}}</ref> FTM currently has 6,000 members from the 774 local government areas in Nigeria.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Follow The Money saved govt N50bn in 2019, says Hamzat Lawal |url=https://www.thecable.ng/follow-the-money-saved-govt-n50bn-in-2019-says-hamzat-lawal |newspaper=TheCable|access-date=18 May 2022 |date=4 August 2020}}</ref> * CODE partners with Budgit to track COVID-19 Intervention Funds in 10 African countries<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Shibayan |first1=Dyapkhaza |title=Phase II: BudgIT, Connected Development partner to track COVID funds in Africa |url=https://www.thecable.ng/phase-ii-budgit-connected-development-partner-to-track-covid-funds-in-africa |newspaper=TheCable|access-date=18 May 2022 |date=16 February 2022}}</ref> * In 2021, CODE tracked 23 constituency projects worth N1.2 billion in Kaduna state.<ref>{{cite news |title=NGO tracks N1.2bn constituency projects in Kaduna |url=https://nnn.ng/ngo-tracks-constituency/ |access-date=18 May 2022 |work=NNN |date=27 November 2021 |language=en}}</ref> * Since inception, CODE has tracked about $113.6 million budgeted for projects across 181 communities in 25 states in the country<ref>{{cite news |last1=Obike |first1=Grace |title=Group tracks $113.6m budgeted for projects - The Nation Newspaper |url=https://thenationonlineng.net/group-tracks-113-6m-budgeted-for-projects/ |location=Lagos, Nigeria|access-date=18 May 2022 |date=24 August 2020|newspaper=The Nation}}</ref>
==Supporters and Partners== * Luminate Group<ref name="auto"/> * MacAuthur Foundation * Ford Foundation * Skoll Foundation
==See also== Akin Fadeyi Foundation
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{official website|connecteddevelopment.org}}
Category:Nigerian companies established in 2012 Category:Information technology companies of Nigeria Category:Technology companies established in 2012