Get to Know Us

Our Story, Vision & Leadership

Driving civic renewal, preventing social vices, and empowering youth across all local governments of Lagos State.

Desk of the Executive Director

Founder's Message

"When we founded COSEF, we were not building another organisation. We were starting a movement — a quiet, purposeful revolution in the hearts of Nigerian citizens. Social vices do not announce themselves. They creep into our schools, our homes, our communities — through ignorance, idleness, and the absence of values. COSEF exists to fill that vacuum."

"We believe in the power of information, orientation, and community solidarity to turn the tide. Every book we distribute, every summit we convene, every young person we engage is a declaration that Nigeria's best days are ahead. I invite you to be part of this journey."

Ayoola Makinde

Founder & Executive Director, Civic Orientation and Social Empowerment Foundation

The Operational Engine

Management Team

COSEF's day-to-day operations are led by experienced and passionate professionals dedicated to delivering civic transformation across Lagos State.

Ayoola Makinde

Executive Director

Founder and visionary driving values orientation and community development programs across Lagos LGAs.

15+ Years Experience

Engr. Igwe Ndubuisi Steve

Technical Resource Person

Lecturer/Chief Technologist at Yabatech, guiding digital youth engagement and skill acquisition initiatives.

20 Years Experience

Onasokun Bridget Oludayo

Community Development Lead

Director of Community Development, coordinating stakeholders relationships and grassroots engagements.

32 Years Experience

Oladele Olusegun Emmanuel

Education Resource Person

Retired Director of Education, shaping school outreach curriculums and instructional materials.

35 Years Experience

Campaign Leadership

Governing Council

COSEF Schools Anti-Social Vices Campaigns Governing Council comprises distinguished local government administrators, academic scholars, and education policy experts steering our campaigns.

Mrs. Orebela Abiola Adedoyin

Chairperson

Council Manager, Egbe-Idimu LCDA

Avatar Pending

Mr. Ola Oseni

Vice Chairman

HOD Agric & Social Services, Lagos Island

Mrs. Oyafunke Omolabake

Secretary

HOD Agric & Social Services, Ifako-Ijaiye LGA

Ayoola Makinde

Founder / CEO

Executive Director, COSEF

Engr. Igwe Steve

Director of Operations & Partnership

Chief Lecturer, Yabatech; Community Engagement Lead

Engr. Migah

Head, Tertiary Students Affairs

Senior Lecturer, Yabatech

Mr. Oladele Olusegun

Head, Secondary Students Affairs

Rtd Zonal Director, Lagos State Office of Education Quality Assurance, Mushin

Our Vision

A Nigeria where every citizen is civically informed, socially responsible, and empowered to contribute meaningfully to national development.

Our Mission

To promote responsible citizenship through structured civic orientation, targeted social vices prevention campaigns, youth empowerment initiatives, and strategic community partnerships across Nigeria.

Historical Journey

Our Story

The Concern & Conception

COSEF was born out of a deep concern for the growing wave of social vices eroding the fabric of Nigerian society — particularly among the youth. Recognising that civic ignorance, moral decline, and social disorientation were not inevitable but preventable, a group of committed Nigerians, led by Ayoola Makinde, came together to establish an organisation that would take civic education and social transformation to the grassroots.

Focusing on Battlegrounds

From its earliest days, COSEF identified schools and communities as the primary battlegrounds for the hearts and minds of the next generation. The Foundation launched structured campaigns, produced impactful publications, and built strategic partnerships with government agencies, traditional institutions, faith-based organisations, and the corporate sector — all united by one conviction: that a better Nigeria begins with a more responsible citizenry.

COSEF Today

Today, COSEF operates across all 20 Local Government Areas of Lagos State, with programmes that engage students, teachers, parents, community leaders, politicians, and development partners in a shared mission of civic renewal and social empowerment.

Our Code of Conduct

Core Values

Integrity

We uphold the highest standards of transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct in all operations.

Inclusion

We believe civic empowerment must reach every Nigerian, regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, or location.

Impact

We are results-driven, measuring our success by the real, measurable change we create in lives and wards.

Collaboration

Sustainable transformation requires partnerships across government, corporate sector, and civil societies.

Innovation

We continuously seek fresh, effective, and culturally relevant approaches to civic education and sport.

Youth-Centricity

We place the welfare, development, and empowerment of young Nigerians at the heart of everything we do.

Operational Targets

Strategic Objectives

To reduce the prevalence of social vices among youth in Lagos State through targeted, evidence-informed campaigns.

To strengthen civic literacy and democratic participation among citizens across all 20 Lagos LGAs.

To build a network of LG Civic Ambassadors and community stakeholders committed to social vices prevention.

To produce and distribute high-quality civic education publications, including The Poison Called Honey, to schools.

To establish COSEF as the leading civic orientation NGO in Nigeria, with replicable models adaptable to other states.

To mobilise corporate, government, and development partner resources to sustain and scale COSEF's programmes.

To empower women and girls through the Women Advocacy and Empowerment Campaign (WAEC) and Operation FTK community food banks.