Hafsat Abiola-Costello is the initiator of the China-Africa Forum, which seeks to promote positive socio-economic partnerships between China and Africa. Born to political leaders who died in the course of Nigeria’s democracy struggle, hafsat is also the founder and president of the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND), an NGO that promotes democracy and development in Africa by strengthening organizations and creating initiatives that advance women.

KIND offers leadership training to over 1300 young women in Nigeria annually and runs a campaign to end violence against women that reaches over a million people and raises money for victims of violence each year.

A noted speaker, Hafsat has been interviewed for the BBC, CNN, Voice of America, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, South African Broadcasting Corporation and numerous Nigerian programmes. She is also the author of many articles published in national and international media, including the New York Times, Time, International Herald Tribune and Nigerian newspapers. She is the assistant editor of Imagining Ourselves, an international anthology of young women, which was published in 2006.

She has co-founded several leadership networks including the State of the World Forum Emerging Leaders Programme and Global Youth Connect and serves on several boards including Vital Voices and Women’s Learning Partnership and is a commissioner on the World Future Council, a global forum working to protect the rights of future generations.

In recognition of her work, Hafsat has received many awards including the State of the World Forum Change maker award in 1998, Association for Women’s Rights in Development ‘Women to Watch for’ award in 1999, an Honorary Doctorate from Haverford College in 2004 and Seeking Common Ground Award in 2007.

An Ashoka fellow and a World Economic Forum ‘Young Global Leader’, Hafsat graduated with a Magna Cum Laude degree in Development Economics from Harvard in 1996 and is currently a Masters student at Tsinghua University’s International Development Programme in Beijing.

 

 

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