Praise Fowowe

Praise Fowowe is one of Nigeria’s most respected sex educators. His original thoughts and ideas have helped the youths in Ajegunle (a densely populated ghetto in Lagos, Nigeria) and Nigeria at large. Born 16th September 1978, Praise grew up taking a lot of responsibility for the people around him.

He graduated with a BSC in accounting from the University of Ado Ekiti in Nigeria, but never practised accounting. Instead, he headed for the brothels and started helping prostitutes out of prostitution. Praise later changed his focus from rehabilitation to preventing women from becoming prostitutes, and that was the beginning of the Uncommon Man Network, with a vision to raise an AIDS-free generation as a way to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Praise started a weekly meeting that has affected thousands of people across Nigeria and has been able to redefine sex and reproductive organs in a way that young people have found very helpful. It has helped them abstain from pre-marital sex. The meeting records an average attendance of 400 young people weekly.

His comprehensive sex education dvd is being used in many homes across Nigeria, and his columns and interviews have really transformed the sexuality of our young people. He was honored with the International Youth Foundation/NOKIA/LEAP Youth Leadership Award for the prevention of HIV/AIDS in 2005. He has inspired many Nigerian youths and is a testimony to the fact that we can make things happen with or without any external support, because his project has been sustained without any fund from any donor agency.

He is my hero because of his focus and selflessness, and because he had to resign from a good job to undertake the task in the ghetto. He is fondly referred to as the Doctor of Sex, or the Area Father of Ajegunle Youths in Nigeria.