IDEA BUILDER’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Receives 2012 Global Fairness Award

 http://www.fairnessaward.org/about-the-fairness-award

Mrs. Lucy Kanu is a Nigerian social entrepreneur and innovator who has helped build innovative private-public partnerships to serve Nigeria’s underserved and under-represented communities. Ms. Kanu has led a process of economic empowerment that prioritizes local aspirations, introduces outside resources, and builds scalability across sub-Saharan Africa. The success of her organization, Idea Builders, and her model to transition local priorities into powerful engines for development has created a shift that favors local ownership and strategies, and builds on best practices to ensure success. Through Idea Builders, Ms. Kanu has worked with disadvantaged women and youth to provide sustainable livelihood programs that foster entrepreneurial spirit in the SME and agricultural space. Read more…

...Helping Women to Help Themselves 

Initially focused exclusively on Agriculture, Idea Builders Initiative has morphed into an organization working to strengthen citizen-led grassroot organizations/NGO sector.

Our mission inspires us to initiate innovative, market based solutions to social problems that generate both financial resources for sustainability and social value.

Our programmes encourage women & girls to move beyond survival and become leaders and advocates for change.

Ms Shade Coker and Georgia Court at the Artistic Expressions Panel Discussion

Who we Are!

Idea Builders Initiative is an NGO, founded in 2003 focused on women & girls in Nigeria. The main thrusts are in Leadership & Mentoring, agriculture and rural development.

In 2005, the organisation re-launched its women programmes to include a new focus on inspiring women to succeed first as individuals before other roles in society called "Tomorrows Woman"; this year also saw us moving closer to serve young people in secondary schools as in keeping with our first love -agriculture, we launched the "SVGP" -a School Vegetable Gardening Project targeting public schools in four geo-political zones of the Nigeria.

Further to this, in 2007, the organisation ventured into "mainstreaming agriculture into environmental education and also launched its Capacity Building and Micro-Enterprise Spport Programmes.

In 2008 the organisation began a process internal restructuring, and began collaborative programme delivery through NGOs and by strengthening Community Based Organisations as a key delivery partners.

Now after 9 years of committed service, Idea Builders Initiative occupies a more than significant presence in the Nigerian social sector. The organisation has developed into a Due Dilligence Consulting and Social Entrepreneurial endeavour.

Idea Builders Initiative employs 7 key staff, a host of volunteers and interns of which 92% are women. 

TAKE A MINUTE -TELL US SOMETHING...

We help women achieve change, come together and ultimately lead lives of choice ...not chance.

2008 Pioneer Mentees visiting the Little Saints Orphanage