The Nigerian lawyer and teacher who had negotiated and helped secure the release of more than 100 schoolgirls from Chibok kidnapped by the Boko Haram militant group received one of the United Nations’ top awards on Monday.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi handed Zannah Mustapha the annual Nansen Refugee Award for his “crucial mediating” role and his efforts to help children affected by the conflict in Nigeria. The agency called him “a champion for the rights of displaced children growing up amid violence in North East Nigeria”.
Mustapha’s The Future Prowess Islamic Foundation School in Maiduguri, which is the capital of Borno state and the centre of Boko Haram violence, stayed open through the insurgency and now provides education to more than 500 students. His school took in children of Nigerian Army soldiers as well as of Boko Haram militants.
“The work Mustapha and his team are doing is of the utmost importance, helping to foster peaceful coexistence and rebuild communities in North East Nigeria,” said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. “With this award, we honour his vision and service.”
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