By Joan Nwagwu
The United Nations (UN) and former governor of Ekiti State, Mr Kayode Fayemi have joined many others to felicitate with Dr Kole Shettima as he marked his 65th birthday celebration.
Shettima is the Director of MacArthur Foundation for Africa, and he was commended for his commitment to human right, social justice as well as his significant contributions to Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts.
Dr Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations gave the commendation during a symposium organised to mark his 65th birthday on Friday in Abuja.
The symposium had the theme, “Role of Philanthropy in Strengthening Democracy in Africa.
Mohammed described Shettima as a humble man who makes a difference wherever he was found.
According to her, he is a Nigerian, a human being with such a level of humility that makes all of us embarrassed when we come into the room.
“Thank you for being who you are, for the consistency of that and the friendship to every one of us.
“We have so many people online and it’s so important for us to recognise that there is a big family out there but the real family, I want to thank today, is your wife and your children l.
“Because they have stood behind you, for you, with you and we are grateful to them for giving us you all this time because you are always the best.
“He went to the international level just to show us how things should be done because there are only very few philanthropists that have this caliber of person leading them for this many years,'”she said.
Also, Mr Kayode Fayemi, the former of Ekiti State, described KAS as he is fondly called, as a selfless leader, brother and friend who has been a major counsel, advisor on many issues and has helped in stabilizing institutions he belongs to.
“If there’s anybody fully
deserving of being celebrated and acknowledged for his service and sacrifice to country and to humanity, it can only be Kole Shettima.
“I would like to think that many of us here would regard him as more of our brother than friend.
“For many of us here he managed to maintain different social relationships, he is always supporting. Even when they want to break an uncomfortable news to someone,”he said.
He added that Shettima has the best manner, the most gentle manner to break that news without offense, constantly self-effacing in his approach.
“He has been involved in some of the most
significant activities that many countries won’t talk about.
“People in this room are aware of the role Kole particularly played in addressing insurgency, connecting people, helping to rescue several.
“That story will be told someday by those who are also actively involved. Even our intelligence services would give significant credit to Kole of course.
“That role that Kole has played may not be as visible to many as it should, but those who
know, know what I’m talking about ,”he said.
Dr Emmanuel Akwetey, Executive Director Institute for Democratic Governance, while
delivering the keynote address, said
that through the efforts of Kole Shettima, some institutions were able to expand their contributions to civic
education, digital democracy initiatives, and media freedom.
“The rise of disinformation, cyber threats, and attacks on press freedom pumped philanthropic data to find fact-checking platforms, investigative journalism, and digital security training for civil society organizations and journalists across African countries.
“The MacArthur Foundation has played a pivotal role in advancing democratic governance and fostering sustainable development across West Africa, with its efforts significantly bolstered by the visionary leadership of Dr Kole Shettima.
“Over three decades, the Foundation’s investment and initiatives have addressed critical challenges, such as weak institutions, corruption, and limited civic participation, while promoting peace, stability, and inclusivity in the region,”he said.