Taiwan’s foundation begins mission in Lagos

Taiwan’s Chou Ta-Kuan Cultural and Educational Foundation, committed to advancing the “Global Love of Lives Award” and advocating the spirit of “Every Talent Has Its Use,” has embarked on its inaugural international mission to Nigeria.

With support from the Overseas Community Affairs Council and the Taipei Trade Office in Lagos, the foundation founder Chou Chin-Hua and Chairperson Guo Ying-Lan led a six-member delegation of “Taiwanese Life Warriors” to Nigeria.

The foundation presented the Global Love of Lives Award to the Nigerian public interest lawyer and poet, Karimot Odedabo.

To kick off the initiative, the foundation donated US$5,000 to support the Black Girls’ Dream Initiative and other life fighters in Nigeria striving to fulfill their dreams, advocating for a world free from poverty and inequality. Ambassador Liu Yi-Ping of the Taipei Trade Office in Nigeria, along with representatives from Taiwanese businesses and overseas compatriots, personally witnessed this “Taiwan Love Nigerian Affection” event, joining together to spread the positive energy of love that knows no borders.

Chou Shang-Guan, Executive Director of the International and Cross-Strait Exchange Centre at the Chou Ta-Kuan Foundation, stated that the visit was in response to invitations from Global Love of Lives Medal recipients, including Karimot Odedabo, Danish charity angel Anja Ringgren Lovén, and Nigerian child artist Waris Olamilekan Kareem.

During the trip, the foundation delivered aid to the Black Girls’ Dream Initiative, the Ayowole Academy of Arts, and the Land of Hope in Nigeria. They also donated the English edition of Chang Kuo-Chu’s posthumous work, I Still Have One Leg, along with gifts from Taiwan to encourage disadvantaged students, artists, and life fighters across the region.

Foundation Chairperson Guo Ying-Lan remarked: “Karimot Odedabo, a lawyer from Ibadan and founder of the Black Girls’ Dream Initiative, has been actively volunteering for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), earning high praise from UN Secretary-General António Guterres.”

Whether in policy-making, poetry creation, or social activism, Karimot has consistently striven to build a world where girls receive education, youth are empowered, and feminist leadership shapes the future of development. Notably, she leads by example. Beyond her work as a public interest lawyer and poet, she has taken her advocacy to the United Nations, uniting global youth to launch the “We, the Youth of the World Declaration for Educational Transformation.” This initiative promotes dialogue and collaboration across generations, cultures, and religions, aiming to reach every corner of the world—including the most marginalized Black girls—by fostering unity, diversity, empathy, and mutual respect.

Recognised as one of Africa’s “100 Most Influential Young People,” she truly embodies the title of “Nigeria’s Public Interest Lawyer-Poet.” Standing out among 3,795 global nominees, she was honored with the 29th Global Love of Lives Award by Taiwan’s Chou Ta-Kuan Foundation in 2026.