Nigerian entrepreneur and social-impact advocate Louis Awode has launched the Louis Awode Foundation (LAF), a global empowerment initiative aimed at expanding access to education and supporting youth and community development across underserved regions in Nigeria and beyond.
Awode, who grew up in Ogbere in Ijebu East, Ogun State, said his experiences of limited educational infrastructure and opportunity shaped the direction of the foundation. According to him, many young people in rural communities face barriers that restrict their academic growth, thereby limiting their potential.
Awode later advanced his education at the University of Lagos and the University of Dundee (UK), and is currently pursuing an MBA in Business Analysis at Georgia State University, USA. He has previously worked with Transsion Holdings, the telecommunications company behind mobile brands such as Tecno, Infinix, and Itel. He is also the founder of ClovisCasuals, a creative lifestyle brand known for youth engagement and cultural collaborations having worked with the likes of Asake, Olamide, and many others.
The newly launched foundation will operate on four strategic focus areas: education, youth and women empowerment, community development, and international partnerships aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Under its education and inclusion program, the foundation will award scholarships, provide mentorship, and support digital literacy, clothe a child initiative under the auspices of ClovisCasuals and accessible learning tools, particularly for persons with disabilities and first-generation students. It will also implement empowerment schemes for young entrepreneurs, including business training and grant opportunities.
In community development, the foundation plans to partner with local organizations to improve access to clean water, healthcare, and learning-friendly community environments. Awode said these interventions are designed to create long-term, sustainable impact rather than temporary relief.
“Real change begins when communities are part of the solution,” Awode said. “Our goal is to create opportunities that enable young people to learn, build, and lead.”
The foundation’s pilot programmes will begin in selected communities in Nigeria, with plans for gradual expansion to regional and global levels.
The leadership team includes Taiwo Mojisola Abdulai (Marketing Lead), Bolatito Ajao (Secretary), Oyelola Olawale Kush (Event Strategist), and Olaide Soaga (Event Publicist)
The foundation says it aims to support a new generation of young people capable of driving economic and social change through education, innovation, and inclusive leadership.
