About Innocent Chukwuemeka Chukwuma
Innocent Chukwuemeka Chukwuma was born on February 6th, 1966 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Umuahia (now the capital of Abia State) to the family of late Pa Dennis and Eileen Chukwuma of Umuodia village in Umuegwu-Mpam in Ahiazu-Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State. The fifth in a family of seven, Innocent had his primary education at St Stephen’s primary school and secondary education at Holy Ghost College in Umuahia before proceeding to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka campus for his undergraduate studies in Religion and Philosophy. Innocent also had a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom.
He was a serial entrepreneur and founded several organizations, networks, platforms and groups either alone or in conjunction with others. The very first organization Innocent founded after leaving Civil Liberties Organization, CLO in December 1997, was CLEEN Foundation, in January 1998. Formerly known as the Centre for Law Enforcement Education in Nigeria, the name had to be changed to CLEEN Foundation as the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) at the time under the Gen Sani Abacha military junta, primarily because only security and law enforcement agencies can establish law enforcement training institutions. So, he had to settle for CLEEN Foundation (CLEEN still means Centre for Law Enforcement Education in Nigeria).
The idea to found CLEEN was based on the identification of the need for an organization that would not only be chronicling police abuses but would also work with the police to change the police from the inside, considering the number of years it had operated under military rule. The police according to Innocent had for long been military police and needed to be changed to a civil one. Today CLEEN Foundation has won several awards for its work in police reform and the justice sector.
In addition to founding CLEEN Foundation, Innocent initiated and/or (co)founded other institutions such as:
- Transition Monitoring Group (with Clement Nwankwo, Edetaen Ojo, Festus Okoye)
- Association for Research on Civil Society in Africa (AROCSA)
- Network on Police Reforms in Nigeria, (NOPRIN)
- Altus Global Alliance
- Alliances for Credible Elections, (ACE)
- African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum (APCOF)
- Oluaka Institute of Technology
- Impact Investors
- Centre for Memories
- Afro-Asian Association for Justice Development (AAAJD)
- Justice Support Services JSSL
Innocent has been referred to as “Africa’s leading expert on police and law enforcement reform” for his passion for promoting civil rights and upholding the justice sector. He was also known to be a gender equality and women’s right advocate as his email “sign off” was “I will not serve as a panellist at a public conference when there are no women on the panel”. His publications and media interviews always conveyed a message of justice, equal opportunity, and fairness.
After his death on the 3rd of April 2021, several of the institutions he had founded or was part of decided to create projects to promote his legacies and values. ICCEF was founded at his first- year memorial to continue his legacy and also serve as a clearing house for legacy projects that had been instituted in his name.
Objectives of the standards
Provide a set of guiding principles for the establishment of legacy initiatives in honour of innocent Chukwuma’s life
Set minimum standards for the establishment of awards, endowments, prizes and other such honours
Offer guidance on the generation, transmission and storage of objects, documentation and digital materials for archival
Describe the process populating a database of beneficiaries, ambassadors and participants in prizes, fellowships and other such
Minimum Standards for Legacy Projects
It is truly humbling to see that Innocent had impacted the lives of many, in different ways and many people and institutions would like to hold those impacts and values dearly, promote these values to younger generations, and institute awards and programs through which he might be remembered. It is also expedient that there are minimum standards for these projects and programs to guide their development.
All legacy projects should be in line with the values of Innocent Chukwuma, respect for human rights, equal opportunity, justice, fairness, empathy, non-discriminatory, inclusive, and anti-sexism.
All legacy projects in Innocent Chukwuma’s name, award, or programs should inform the Foundation and the family of Innocent Chukwuma for documentation.
New projects and awards compliment and not duplicate existing legacy projects as well as be consistent with the legacies of Innocent.
All projects should promote his legacy in education, social justice, social impact, civil rights, gender equality, system change, and ethical leadership.
All projects should, where possible, share relevant reports on projects and pictures and awards in Innocent Chukwuma’s name.
About ICCEF
Innocent Chukwuemeka Chukwuma Empowerment Foundation ICCEF is a family foundation set up in 2022 in honour of Innocent Chukwuemeka Chukwuma to drive his vision of an empowered young generation and an inclusive society where women and young people thrive. ICCEF was founded to continue the impact and legacy of Innocent Chukwuma by his immediate family (wife and three daughters) ICCEF is committed to building a platform that unlocks opportunities for peer learning and value-building initiatives. For more information, visit: WHO WE ARE
Legacy Projects
Current Legacy Projects
Innocent Chukwuma Award for Innovation: StartupSouth instituted an award category in September 2021 known as Innocent Chukwuma Award for Innovation as a category within their Annual Award event. The award is to be awarded to an individual/organization in recognition of their contribution to the technology and innovation ecosystem.
Innocent Chukwuma African NGO Leadership Transition Fellowship Programme: hosted by Association for Research on Civil Society in Africa, AROCSA. Innocent while in Ford Foundation as Regional Director initiated the idea in 2015. AROCSA has an executive leadership transition programme for the founders/executive directors of NGOs planning transitions. This programme’s name was changed to Innocent Chukwuma African NGO Leadership Transition Fellowship Programme after Innocent’s demise in October 2021. For more information, click here
Innocent Chukwuma Award for Social Impact: Impact Investors Foundation, (IIF) was founded by Innocent, who was the Vice Chairman of the Board at the time. The Present Board of IIF announced the set-up of the Innocent Chukwuma Award for Social Impact at the 3rd IIF Annual Awards for Impact Investing in November 2021. The first winner of the award was announced in 2022 at the IIF annual convening and awards night. For more information, click here
Innocent Chukwuma Social Entrepreneurship Prize for Youth and Gender Empowerment: The Board of LEAP Africa instituted an Annual Award in Innocent Chukwuma’s honour. The first award was given out at their Social Innovators Programme and Awards in September 2022. Amanda Obidike was the first winner of this Award in 2022.
Innocent Chukwuma Social Impact Chair and Fellowship: Ford Foundation endowed the Innocent Chukwuma Social Impact Chair and Fellowship (ICSIC&F) being hosted by Lagos more information, click here
CLEEN Foundation
CLEEN Foundation, originally named the Centre for Law Enforcement Education is a civil society organization established in January 1998 and working around justice and security sector reforms. The Foundation is legally registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria and regionally registered in Ghana and Cameroon.
NOPRIN Foundation
NOPRIN Foundation (Network on Police Reform in Nigeria) is a network of 75 civil society organizations spread across Nigeria, and committed to promoting police accountability and respect for human rights. It was established in 2000 to provide opportunity for civil society input to police reform, and the enhancement of safety, security, and justice in Nigeria.
About Oluaka Institute
Oluaka Institute is a social enterprise established in 2017 to contribute in bridging the gap in practical training, business incubation and acceleration in the fields of technological innovation and business entrepreneurship in Nigeria, with a view to impacting social and economic problems in the eastern region, where unmet needs are quite significant