Overview

Full name / Acronym: Baba Azimi Foundation (BAF)

Country / Region: Nigeria; works primarily in Jigawa State, with a branch in Kano State.

Founded: Began in 2014 and was formally established in February 2015.

Legal status: Registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Nigeria.

Vision, Mission & Objectives

Vision
A society with good governance and accountability, nurturing development, offering equal opportunity to all, and guaranteeing enjoyment of human rights.

Mission
To synergize and inspire various stakeholders — governments, institutions, private sector, civil society, and individuals — to promote change in governance, justice, rights, and development.

Core Objectives / Focus Areas

Good governance and accountability

Gender, human rights, and access to justice

Education & health

Amplifying marginalized voices

Legislation and legal reform

Changing harmful social norms and practices

Organizational Structure & Leadership

Headquarters: Dutse, Jigawa State, Nigeria

Branch office: Kano State

Key Contacts: Telephone and email contacts are publicly available

Governance: Managed by a Governing Council and a Secretariat that handles day-to-day operations

Leadership Highlights

Aishatu Suleiman Jahun is the Founder and Executive Director. She previously worked in justice sector reform in Jigawa State, holds a Master’s in Law from the University of Warwick, and has significant experience in governance and rights-based advocacy.

The Governing Council includes judges, Islamic scholars, women and children’s rights advocates, legal practitioners, and health professionals.

Programmes, Activities & Achievements
Key Activities

Human Rights Training & Outreach: Training on rights of children, women, and persons with disabilities.

Awareness Raising & Social Mobilization: Campaigns through media, jingles, and community dialogues.

Legislative Advocacy & Policy Reform: Promoting reforms on children’s rights, rape laws, and immunization financing.

Child & Gender Protection Services: Offering legal, medical, and psychosocial support for survivors of gender-based violence.

Health & Reproductive Rights: Campaigns on immunization, reproductive health, and menstrual hygiene management.

Coalition Building: Leads platforms like “Voices for Justice” to bring civil society groups together.

Monitoring & Court Support: Tracking cases of sexual violence to ensure timely resolution.

Achievements

Helped advance an amended Children and Young Persons Bill in Jigawa State.

Supported creation of state technical working groups on child protection.

Contributed to adoption of guidelines for handling sexual assault survivors.

Played a role in immunization advocacy and funding at state level.

Conducted school-based programs on health and reproductive rights, reaching hundreds of students.

Partnerships & Collaborations

Works with organizations like ActionAid Nigeria, government ministries, police, traditional and religious leaders, civil society groups, and schools.

Focuses on aligning local advocacy with both national and international human rights standards.

Challenges

Funding: Limited resources to scale activities.

Scale & expansion: Projects are still limited to a handful of communities and schools.

Policy enforcement: Gaps between advocacy wins and implementation on the ground.

Cultural resistance: Pushback on issues like gender-based violence and child rights in conservative communities.