About Us
WELCOME TO
OBAFEMI AWOLOWO FOUNDATION
About half a decade after the transition of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, SAN, GCFR (1909 – 1987), the daughter of the renowned Nigerian statesman, Olatokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, with the support of her mother, Yeye Oodua, HID Awolowo concluded preliminary work on the creation of a public institution through which to immortalize, in a scholarly and systematic fashion, the memory and thoughts of the man popularly called “AWO”. The Foundation was conceived as an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organization committed to furthering the symbiotic interaction of public policy and relevant scholarship with a view to promoting the overall development of the Nigerian nation, and launched by General Ibrahim Babangida, former President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at an impressive ceremony on Saturday 11th April, 1992 at the Liberty Stadium, Ibadan.
Founding Philosophy: The Obafemi Awolowo Foundation
The aspirations of the founders of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation are articulated in the preamble to its Constitution in these words:
- Desirous of inaugurating a new chapter in the work that gave Chief Obafemi Awolowo his national and international stature;
- Eager to ensure that Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s deep concern for our nation, Nigeria, under God, shall continue to be of leadership relevance;
- Pursuant to our wish to immortalize Chief Obafemi Awolowo and conscious of the need to institute a forum, in perpetuo, for that purpose;
We, the founding members of The Obafemi Awolowo Foundation have caused to be inaugurated The Obafemi Awolowo Foundation as the institution to continue the work of building a Nigeria united through the ideals that inspired the public and patriotic activities of the man immortalized as AWO.
The foundation is thus established as an independent, non-profit research institute, dedicated to immortalizing the democratic and development-oriented ideals of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, one of the founding fathers of modem Nigeria and is committed to the promotion of a socially-edifying interaction between policy and scholarship.
Mission and Policy Statement
The Foundation is not affiliated to any political party or movement or to any religious organization or interest group. It is a think-tank devoted to the analysis of important policy problems and dedicated to the principles of public welfare, responsible, free enterprise, social democracy, a federal and republican Nigeria, an economically self-reliant Africa- and a stable and equitable global system.
Our Objectives
- to undertake and sponsor research on a broad range of public policy issues aimed at ameliorating poverty and unemployment and at promoting social justice, individual and press freedom, the rule of law and independence of the judiciary;
- to provide a forum for frequent and fruitful interaction between policy makers, reputable academics and the general public, so that each party will be enriched and public policy upgraded;
- to make available to the general public and relevant authorities the findings and conclusions of its research;
- to advance public awareness and discussion of the great issues of the day and thereby enhance the participatory capacities of civil organizations in the formulation of public policy;
- to promote learning and research in diverse academic disciplines through the award of scholarships and grants, and the endowment of professorial chairs; .
- to seek to advance the cause of North-South cooperation and the evolution of a more equitable global system; and to critique, elucidate and disseminate the teachings and ideals of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
Awo on Free Education and Free Health Services
“In order to attain to the goals of economic freedom and prosperity, Nigeria must do certain things as a matter of urgency and priority. It must provide free education (at all levels) and free health facilities for the masses of its citizens.”
- Awo
