For the second year in a row, the Global Health Advocacy Incubator is proud to recognize a world leader driving meaningful change in global public health. We are honored to present the 2025 Global Health Advocacy Changemaker Award to Ademuyiwa Bamidele Damilola of Nigeria. Mr. Damilola will be recognized during the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids/Global Health Advocacy Incubator 2025 Youth Advocates of the Year Awards on May 8 at the National Portrait Gallery and Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C.
Learn more about Ademuyiwa Bamidele Damilola below:
Ademuyiwa Bamidele Damilola is the Director of Programs at the Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL), a leading civil society organization in Nigeria that works to cultivate political commitments and actions toward achieving development goals. Damilola has spent his career focused on strengthening Nigeria’s health systems and enhancing the country’s ability to prepare for and respond effectively to health crises. He has led advocacy efforts for life-saving policies and increased funding and worked to fill critical gaps in Nigeria’s public health landscape at all levels.
Damilola played pivotal roles in advocating for the Public Health Emergency Bill, landmark legislation that has significantly impacted Nigeria’s health security architecture. With support from GHAI, Damilola helped secure increased funding for Nigeria’s Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other key government bodies. These investments have strengthened the NCDC’s capacity to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks, ultimately protecting lives and building resilience within Nigeria’s health system.
One of Damilola’s most notable achievements is his work on the Health Security Financing Accountability Framework, a tool developed to ensure efficiency, transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s health security spending. He redesigned the framework and developed an interactive dashboard for tracking not only budget allocations but also actual expenditures. This tool is being taken over and adopted by the Nigerian government as the official instrument for monitoring the National Action Plan for Health Security (NAPHS) financing, aligning with International Health Regulations (IHR) requirements.
Damilola’s dedication to public health stems from witnessing firsthand the struggles communities face during health crises, which continues to fuel his relentless drive for policies that can achieve lasting change. His work is transforming Nigeria's health security landscape and helping ensure that Nigerians have access to quality healthcare. Through his efforts, the country is better equipped to handle future public health challenges.
For more information about the Youth Advocates of the Year Awards and our other honorees, please click here.