The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos State Chapter, on August 30, 2025, conferred a Humanitarian Award on Betty Abah, founder of the Centre for Children’s Health Education, Orientation and Protection (CEE-HOPE).
Presented during the NUJ Correspondence Press Week, the award recognizes Abah’s decades-long commitment to championing the rights of children, women, and vulnerable populations across Nigeria through her non-profit organization.
The NUJ praised Abah as “an unrelenting voice for the voiceless, less privileged, and social justice.” At 51, Abah has dedicated nearly three decades to amplifying the voices of marginalized groups, particularly women and children. Through CEE-HOPE, she has spearheaded impactful initiatives, including educational scholarships and skills empowerment for underprivileged children, campaigns against period poverty, advocacy for domestic workers’ rights, women’s livelihood programs, and efforts to combat gender-based violence, including operating a shelter for abused women and girls in Lagos.
Accepting the award on Abah’s behalf, CEE-HOPE’s Productions Manager, Willie Workman Oga, highlighted the organization’s 12-year legacy of grassroots programs. “This recognition is deeply appreciated and will help rekindle our fire for more impactful work,” Oga said, noting CEE-HOPE’s efforts in supporting trafficked and migrant children, advocating for labor rights, and running empowerment programs across several Nigerian states.
Abah expressed gratitude for the honor, stating, “I am humbled by this award. It is a call to deeper service, a reminder that the struggles of children, women, and vulnerable groups must remain at the center of our collective conscience.” She added that the recognition would inspire greater dedication to her advocacy work.
Abah’s extensive accolades include the NYSC State Honours Award (Ogun State, 2001), the Nigeria Media Merit Awards, the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting, and being named among the 100 Most Impactful Nigerians by YNaija in 2017. In 2019, she was recognized as one of Leading Ladies Africa’s Most Inspiring Nigerian Women and received the SHEPreneur Africa Lifetime Award in 2025. Internationally, Abah has been an Alfred Friendly Press Fellow (USA, 2006), a Kaiser Family HIV/AIDS Reporting Fellow (USA, 2006), a Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Fellow (2010), a Riseup Women Fellow (Nigeria, 2018), and a Visiting Fellow at the University of York, England, under the Human Rights Defenders Program (2019).
A prolific author of six books, Abah is a frequent commentator on social justice issues across traditional and digital media platforms.
The NUJ also honored other notable figures during the event, including Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, General Overseer of MFM Worldwide, for excellence in humanitarian services, philanthropy, and religion; Dr. Larry Jones-Esan, CEO of London Academy Business School, for human capacity building and innovation; and Ayodele Richard Makun, CEO of Corporate World Entertainment, for media and entertainment development. Other recipients included Dr. Titus Adeniyi Ale, founder of LG-Rhythms Network, and H.E. Amb. Dr. Marshall Jonathan Ojadah, recognized as a diplomat and global peace advocate, alongside several corporate brands.
The awards ceremony underscored the NUJ’s commitment to recognizing individuals and organizations making significant contributions to Nigerian society.