Former president of the United States, Barrack Obama has expressed pride in a 28-year-old Nigerian activist who was recently listed in the TIME 100 Next list.
The listing content was released by TIME in celebration of 100 young most influential people in the world.
Six Africans made the list, but it appears it is the 28-year-old gender activist who has caught the eye of former president Barrack Obama. She was one of the 53 women who made the list.
Why was Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi picked out for recognition by the former president?
She is a recipient of the prestigious Obama Foundation Leadership program, and Obama was glad to his alumni from the program get such international recognition.
Barrack Obama took to Twitter to praise Oluwaseun Osowobi’s recognition, saying:
“Proud to see Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi in this list. She’s an Obama Foundation Leader who’s organizing young people in Nigeria to help end sexual violence, and her work embodies what our foundation is all about: passing the baton to the next generation.
She was part of a handful of young Africans or persons with African extraction who made the TIME Magazine’s list. She was one of 53 women who made the list – the list is dubbed “the world’s most ascendant leaders” who are “rising stars in their fields.”
Reacting to Obama’s tweet, a delighted Oluwaseun promised to be part of the next generation of leaders while admitting that she was over the moon with Obama’s recognition.
She Tweeted:
“Oh my goodness!!! Barack Obama just said my name and acknowledged @StandtoEndRape!!! Feeling over the moon right now.
“Thank you so much @BarackObama for the leadership & community service lessons via the @ObamaFoundation. I’ll continue to build the next generation of advocates.”
You will recall that Oluwaseun Osowobi was also named as the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year 2019 earlier in the year.
Oluwaseun Osowobi is the founder of an NGO which aims to advance awareness on women’s sexual reproductive rights and advocate against gender-based violence.
It also provides medical and psychological support to victims and survivors of sexual and domestic violence.
What TIME wrote about Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi
Dismayed by the lack of resources available for sexual-assault survivors in Nigeria, Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi decided to start an organization dedicated to the issue—despite her fears.
“Telling my story as a survivor, that comes with a lot of stigma,” Osowobi tells TIME. Five years on, her organization Stand to End Rape (STER) has reached around 200,000 people across the country through its services, such as training for health workers and counseling for survivors.
Osowobi—who has been honored as an Obama Foundation emerging leader—has big plans for 2020, including lobbying the Nigerian government for a stronger bill addressing harassment at universities. —Suyin Haynes
Header Image Credit: Aba Blog