Meet Louis Awode, entrepreneur empowering Nigeria’s next generation

Driven by a passion for empowering the next generation, Louis Awode, the founder of Louis Awode Foundation has continued to transform lives by providing education opportunities for underprivileged youth across Nigeria.

The philanthropist through scholarships, mentorship programmes, and community development initiatives, is helping many young Nigerians gain access to quality education and a brighter future.

Louis said the inspiration behind the Louis Awode Foundation comes from his childhood trajectory in Ogbere, a small community in Ijebu East, Ogun State.

“Growing up there, access to quality education was poor. Our entire town had only two public primary schools, one Catholic private school, and a single senior secondary school serving thousands of children from neighboring villages.

“I remember sitting in overcrowded classrooms with broken desks and outdated textbooks, and with not most clean water to drink during break time, among other challenges,” he narrated.

He explained that opportunity bankruptcy was his greatest challenge growing up, but inspired him to found the foundation.

“I lacked ability, because I lacked opportunity. Those early experiences opened my eyes to the deep inequalities that define so many young lives,” he said.

All these changed when his sister took him to Ijebu- Ode, for his secondary education at Sacred Heart Catholic College.

“My ability was discovered as I was one of the top two students who graduated with scholarships and laurels,” he said.

Although, he was denied admission to study Law at Obafemi Awolowo University after an excellent and making top three in his pre-degree programme, he was spurred to excel.

“I chose to turn my setback into strength, and studied Political Science, graduated and served as secretary of the students’ union, representing over 30,001 students.

“That experience showed me that leadership is not about titles, it’s about service and purpose,” he emphasised.

Along the way, Louis found new ways to express his purpose. “I founded ClovisCasuals, a youth-driven fashion startup that has collaborated with incredible talents such as Asake, Olamide and many others, using creativity as a form of empowerment.

“I went on to work with Transsion Holdings, the Chinese telecoms giant behind Infinix, Tecno, and Itel, where I gained a deeper understanding of innovation and youth engagement at scale,” he explained.

According to the philanthropist, later, his work in alumni relations at the University of St Andrews in Scotland strengthened his belief in the power of connection and community.

“Now, as a first-generation university graduate and triple-degree holder from the University of Lagos, the University of Dundee, and Georgia State University which currently running for my MBA in Business Analysis, I carry my story as both a responsibility and a mission.

“The Louis Awode Foundation was born out of that mission, to uplift underprivileged youth through compassion, education, and opportunity. My passion for philanthropy is deeply personal: I’ve lived the challenges I now work to solve,” he stressed.

Speaking on his vision for the Louis Awode Foundation, he said it is to become a home of opportunity, where education and empowerment meet compassion.

“We want every child to learn, find direction, and every individual, regardless of background or ability, to thrive and believe in the power of ‘validity of dream’.

“We’re building programs that go beyond aid: scholarships for students who dare to dream, empowerment grants for young entrepreneurs, digital and vocational training for employability, and inclusive education initiatives for people with disabilities,” he said.

His dream is to see LAF grow into a movement that extends beyond Nigeria, a global network of change-makers and partners united by one belief: that where you start in life should never determine how far you can go.
Louis explained that as one who studied and understood the power of diplomacy and collaboration, the foundation identifies community problems by listening.

“Real change begins when you sit with people, understand their struggles, and let them help shape the solutions. At LAF, we don’t impose help, we co-create it.

“Our approach is built on three core principles: inclusion, sustainability, and partnership. We believe empowerment must outlast charity. Every project we design helps people build confidence, independence, and ownership of their progress,” he said.