Nigeria’s Zannah Mustapha among top 10 CNN 2021 Heroes of the year

A Maiduguri-based philanthropist, Barr. Zannah Mustapha, has emerged as one of the top 10 2021 CNN Heroes of the year for his contributions to peacebuilding and other charity projects, especially for children orphaned by the decade-long Boko Haram crisis in Borno State.

The philanthropist, who was a 2012 Daily Trust Unsung Hero, and a 2017 winner of the UNHCR NANSEN Refugees Award, among other international recognitions, founded his Future Prowess Islamic Foundation (FPIF) – a school that kicked off with only 36 orphans in 2007.

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Barr. Mustapha, while accepting his award, said for more than a decade, he has devoted his life to providing hope and peace for children caught in the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency.

While commenting on the CNN Heroes award, he said he was highly elated by the recognition his charity work has attracted in the international community, describing it as one of his fulfilled moments.

He recalled that when he started the charity project 13 years ago, he never imagined it would attain the magnitude that it has now reached.

“So for me, whenever I do something, I do it honestly. And that is the thing that has spurred the progress of the school,” he said.

Daily Trust reports that Mustapha and his staff educate more than 2,000 students from both sides of the conflict at the Future Prowess Islamic Foundation in Maiduguri.