26 May 2025

Organization’s profile

21st Century Community Empowerment for Youth & Women Initiative is a humanitarian, not for profit, and non-governmental organization founded in 2012, with the mission to serve as a platform for good governance and societal development, through policy advocacy for inclusive participation and people-centered research towards sustainable peace and development.

CEYWI was incorporated as a corporate body with Corporate Affairs Commission on 7th November 2014 (CAC/IT/NO73348), National Planning Commission (12th August 2015), NPC/NGO/IC/S.638, Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (24th November 2014) RN: SC 151401085, Federal Inland Revenue Services (11th February 2015) MTOABJ/NGO/73348/0000814.

CEYWI is a member of various networks and coalitions, including at National Level: Civil Society Scaling-up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), Nigerian Network of NGOs, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Tax Justice and Governance Platform (TJGP), Zero Corruption Coalition (ZCC), State of the Union Nigeria Campaign Platform (SOTU-NCAMP).

At the Regional Level: CEYWI belongs to the West Africa Civil Society Forum (WACSOF), while at the Continental Level: we belong to the African Caucus NGOs on Social Development and Globally we belong to the UNCAC Coalition, and United Nations NGO Committee on Social Development. CEYWI has UN Special ECOSOC Consultative Status.

https://ceywi.org.ng/about-ceywi/

Organization’s experience

CEYWI has a UN Special ECOSOC Consultative Status

In operational terms, 21st Century Community Empowerment for Youth & Women Initiative main activities focuses on:

• Transparency, Accountability, Good Governance and Promotion of Public Finance Management
• Budget Transparency and tracking
• Procurement Processes Monitoring
• Open Government Partnership
• Environmental security, wildlife crime, corruption and illicit finance
• Tax Justice Campaign

CEYWI was part of the cluster member of Anti-Corruption project anchored by ANEEJ with title “Enhancing Anti-Corruption and Social Inclusive Reforms in Nigeria”. CEYWI has been in fore front with other CSOs to engage on the implementation of the recommendations of the two reviews of UNCAC recommendations in Nigeria.

CEYWI, as an organization that serves as a platform for good governance and societal development, through policy advocacy for inclusive participation and people-oriented research towards sustainable peace and development signed grant agreement with United Nations Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms (UNSCAR) to implement project in 3 West Africa Countries of Ghana; Nigeria and Senegal. The title of the project is Evidence-Based Capacity Building for ECOWAS Member States on Military Expenditure Reporting. CEYWI work closely with media at the country level to monitor public procurement to reduce abandoned projects in the country.

Top 3 priorities to achieve as a CCC Member

1. As a member of UNCAC, CEYWI will engage more CSOs at the country level to be part of the coalition for greater impact and engagement by increasing the current members from Nigeria to 20 and same will be done with other sub-Sharan Africa countries to have more members that will engage at various countries for impactful anti-corruption fight.

2. Recommendations of the reviews from the Sub-Sharan African countries will be distilled with UNCAC members CSOs and media advocacy will be set up as priority for further engagement and implementation with relevant members organisations

3. Networking with other regions for best practices in anti-corruption programming will be major priority as lessons to be shared with members organisations that will contribute to our resource’s mobilization efforts as a strategy for resources mobilization.

Candidate’s profile

Adekunle Lukman Adefolahan has almost two decades’ experience engaging anti-corruption issues. Some of his experiences include membership of research team that conducted Mapping and Scoping Survey of Anti-Corruption and Governance initiatives in 28 States in Nigeria and also represented the CSOs at the two-country visit of the team of reviewers to peer review Nigeria on the UNCAC implementation. Lukman has experiences in anti-corruption programming, monitoring, reporting and advocacy.

Currently Lukman is the Lead Coordinator at 21^st Century Community Empowerment for Youth and Women Initiative. Lukman as a development worker, with high-level policy advisory to Good Governance themes with a focus on Anti-corruption, Public Financial Management, Law Enforcement Reform, Illicit Financial Flows and Public Service Delivery.

He had successfully implemented projects through financial acquisition of development projects from bilateral and multilateral development partners; Management of multicultural teams; Networking and high-level representation at diplomatic venues, conferences and top development events such as UN General Assembly; Conference of State Parties, Publishing and research within the scope of political economy and good governance. Lukman is a Certified Corruption Risk Assessor by UNDP/ICPC.

Contributions to the work of the Coalition

As a board member, if elected I will be coming with expertise on advocacy as well support in the resource mobilization efforts to support the work of the coalition. Apart from bringing my expertise in anti-corruption programming, I will leverage on the coalition convening power to institutionalize knowledge products by supporting research around the coalition thematic areas of focus by supporting development of policy briefs and fact sheets for advocacy by member organisations.

My convening power with the regional blocs like ECOWAS and African Union will be utilized for the coalition to engage better on the key resolutions for implementation.

Candidacy & Interest Disclosure