2024 UNSUNG HEROES

Often you find within communities people who put in extra effort to help make life much easier for their neighbours. This assistance ranges from giving a morsel to providing social services to the community. In some cases, some have laid down their lives for the survival of others. These are people Daily Trust searches for every year to hear their stories, motivations and satisfaction. All of them had embarked on their respective missions not because they want to be publicly recognized but because of the inner conviction that it brings them satisfaction.

This year, we again present those Nigerians who make our societies better and crave no publicity.

Lieutenant Commander Gwaza woke up to a normal work day but things changed dramatically, as he was summoned to an emergency rescue mission of a sinking vessel. While he succeeded in rescuing 59 people from the sinking vessel, the military officer never made it alive, leaving behind an aged mother, wife and children.  Similarly, Sa’idu AbdulRahman, known as Dogo, was a water vendor in a Lagos community. When a local mosque collapsed, trapping worshippers including Dogo, he held up a section of the collapsing wall, allowing many to escape before the wall fell, killing him.

We also feature Dorcas, a young woman dedicated to securing the future of our children by providing learning materials to underprivileged kids in rural areas. When Maiduguri was flooded by water from the Alau dam, it was a disaster not seen in the city for decades. Lawan Bukar Maigana’s immediate instinct was to organize and provide a lifeline to those affected. He sought donations from Nigerians through social media which he used to provide meals and medicines to the distressed. Wada Kachako’s case is that of being your brother’s keeper. He used his resources to provide education and empowerment opportunities to the teeming youths in his Kachako community.

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There are also the likes of Muhammad Dalhatu who embodies the spirit of resilience and determination despite being confined to a wheelchair. He designs and manufactures household gadgets to make life easier and shares this knowledge with his community and beyond.

Our heroes and heroines represent the hope for Nigeria. They inspire us to reach out to others, no matter how challenging the situation is. Given the current situation in Nigeria, this represents a silver lining on the horizon. Let us celebrate our Unsung Heroes.