The Social Development Activist, Idris Bilyaminu Ndasadu’Lau is an Award-winning Social Impact Leader, who has been featured on UN Youth Envoy as one of the leaders who can inspire you to change the world.
He is a researcher and community development expert with experience in project management, grassroots advocacy, communication and graphic design skills, content writing, community engagement, advocacy, policy-making and good governance.
He has over 6 years of experience in promoting inclusive quality education, health, community development and social inclusion. Beyond these, he is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of YAPD4Africa, an upcoming large grassroot social development organization which leverages creating sustainable solutions that stand up for the most vulnerable people around Africa.
He is currently a Queen’s Young Leader, Civic Changemaker Fellow at TransparencyIT, TheirWorld Global Youth Ambassador, and an International Member of Grassroots Coalition for Environmental and Economic Justice USA.
He is playing a vital role in the lives of 13.2 million out-of-school children through his organization project and he advocates for government to support both formal and non-formal systems of education in Nigeria.
Idris is also a UN Sustainable Development Goals Actor, Peace Campaigner, Anti-Drug Advocate, Gender Values, Inclusion, Youth Participation and Justice for all.
He has been volunteering with both national and international NGOs. His work earned numerous international recognition and awards, notable among his achievements include Winner of Noble Citizen Award India 2019, Nominee for Young Philanthropist of the Year Award 2020 Ghana, COVID-19 Warrior Project100 India 2020, Male Community Advocate of the Year 2020, Nominated for Future Africa Project as Young Person of the Year 2020, Nominee under 25 Social Founder of the Year Award Kenya 2021, Pre-Finalist for AfricTivistes African Civic Action Engagement Prize Senegal 2021, Winner of Leadership Award in the promotion of Girl Child Education and Health Nigeria 2021 and First Runner Up for Community Service Award BudgIT Nigeria 2022.
He likes to describe himself as highly adaptable, which motivates him to take on unfamiliar roles and projects. While driven by the passion for making social impacts to create a better world, Ndasadu’Lau is always looking to boost his skills of strategic thinking and acting toward solving social problems, teamwork, community engagement, social leadership, advocacy and policy influence and project management to amplify the work he’s already doing in the social development space locally and globally.
Idris is not working but enjoys travelling, researching, reading, thinking, cooking, teamwork, meeting new friends, bicycle riding and other activities.
Q: Tell me a little about yourself
My name is Idris Bilyaminu Ndasadu’Lau, I am a 22 years old Nigerian social development activist. I prefer to be called “Bili”.
Q: Why did you decide to take the path you’re currently on?
There’s something very significant that prompted me to embark on this journey. But first, looking into my background, I was born in a semi-urban community into a low-income household. In the community I grew up in, 90% of the people were extremely poor. They depended on daily earnings and didn’t have access to adequate social needs.
Growing up with such an experience, I decided to take a path not only for my own community but for every human being facing critical social challenges.
Q: Tell me a bit about your organization
At the age of 18years, I founded my organization YAPD4Africa in 2017 with the aim of it being the largest grassroot social development organization which leverages creating sustainable solutions that stand up for the most vulnerable people around Africa.
We focus on education, health, well-being, WASH facilities, social inclusion and others.
Q: Why are you so passionate about grassroot development?
For the past few years in the development, I had the incredible privilege of travelling around Nigeria to hear stories from hard-to-reach places with children, women and young people, who are having a hard time living without social needs. These are daily realities affecting millions of lives around Nigeria. The problem is further worse for children, women and young people, especially in marginalized grassroot places.
So that is also why at YAPD4Africa, we put the grassroot community first and at the centre of our engagement process because most of these people are left behind especially when it comes to development matters.
We are trying to give them a voice.
Q: What type of projects have you embarked on?
We are working on several social impact projects including the “Out of school children” project, the “Almajiri” project, the “We Need Peace” project, the “Rescue A Girl” project and other community development projects
Q: What challenges have you faced in your journey of making impact?
In this world, our life itself is a challenge to us, not only what we do. In this journey, there have been several occurrences where I am underestimated for being a young person leading social impact works.
Funding has been a massive issue for me to manage the organization’s activities and project works. Nevertheless, I didn’t give it a chance to push me down. We keep believing and impacting more lives.
Q: What’s your favourite mantra (quote)?
“A poor African child’s dream begins to die the moment he/she realises no matter what is done, the failed system will always be against them.”
I am struggling to bring this dead dream alive by supporting hard-to-reach marginalised communities.
Q: How do you balance work with other life aspects?
It is hard to describe it better here, I spend much of my time on my work. But only when I have something very important like school activities and other personal engagements, do I put them on hold.
I am just growing up, so there’s no better time to rest for now.
Q: What advice do you have for other young Nigerians like you?
A huge percentage of our country is made up of young people. They have progressive thinking but are afraid to take risks.
To make a change, you have to stand up. Be the change you wish to see. Stay focused, be patient and continue to believe in yourself because nothing is impossible.
Q: Finally, what kind of legacy do you want to leave?
A beautiful life begins with a beautiful mindset. I want to be a source of inspiration to those who will create incredible social impacts in the future. In times or years to come, those impacts will speak in my absence and that of the entire people I served through YAPD4Africa.
