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Connected Development [CODE]
Connected Development [CODE] is a Nigerian nonprofit founded in 2012 that operates Africa's largest citizen-led public accountability movement, Follow The Money, tracking over $507 million in public funds across 12 African countries through mobile platforms used by 9,000+ community monitors to document government service delivery.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersAbuja, Nigeria
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Connected Development [CODE] does
Connected Development [CODE] is a Nigerian nonprofit civil society organization founded in 2012 in response to the lead poisoning crisis in Bagega, Zamfara State, where allocated government remediation funds could not be accounted for. From its headquarters in Abuja, CODE has built Africa's largest citizen-led public accountability movement, Follow The Money (FTM), tracking more than $507 million in government and donor-funded project expenditures across 36 Nigerian states and 12 African countries (Nigeria, Kenya, Malawi, Cameroon, Liberia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone). A network of over 20,000 volunteers and 9,000+ active community monitors uses its mobile-first platforms, including the iFTM real-time fund tracking application, NomTrac for project nomination and monitoring by CSOs and CBOs, Uzabe for real-time election observation, Open Parly for parliamentary transparency, Civic Guardian, and ProjectSabi, to document whether governments deliver on budgeted services. The organization reaches an estimated 10 million people across five thematic pillars: Governance, Accountability and Citizen Engagement; Gender Equality and Social Inclusion; Climate Justice and Extractive Accountability; Education and Youth Empowerment; and Public Health Accountability. The Digital Mobilisation Lab (DML) fellowship trains young Nigerians in digital activism, open data, and civic mobilization.
CODE operates as a grant-funded nonprofit and does not charge for its services. Revenue is sourced from a diversified institutional funder base spanning Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Skoll Foundation, Luminate, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, CIPE, European Union, African Union, OSIWA, USAID, the Canadian High Commission, the World Bank, and strategic partners including Malala Fund, Oxfam, ONE Campaign, and ActionAid. Go-to-market is community-led rather than commercial: growth is driven by grassroots organizing, state-level Communities of Practice, the DML fellowship pipeline, and coalition-building with CSOs and CBOs. Notable programmatic outcomes include advocacy in Kano State that led to recruitment of 1,500 female teachers in rural primary schools, harmonization of the VAPP Act with the Kano State Penal Code to protect women and girls from gender-based violence, and supervisory oversight of USAID's $60.4 million E-WASH program in Delta State. Independent recognition includes the UN SDG Mobilizer Award (2016), ONE Africa Award (2019), Council of Europe Democracy Innovation Award (2019), and World Summit Award in Citizen Engagement (2022). The organization underwent a leadership transition in August 2025 when founder Hamzat Lawal stepped down as Chief Executive.
Connected Development [CODE] firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Connected Development [CODE]
- Legal name
- Connected Development [CODE]
- Website
- https://connecteddevelopment.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Connected Development [CODE] is a Nigerian nonprofit founded in 2012 that operates Africa's largest citizen-led public accountability movement, Follow The Money, tracking over $507 million in public funds across 12 African countries through mobile platforms used by 9,000+ community monitors to document government service delivery.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Connected Development [CODE] industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civic Accountability & Transparency Services
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300), International Affairs (9721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Communications, Transparency & Open Government (BPAIAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Democracy, Human Rights & Governance Assistance (BPADABAG)
Keywords
Where Connected Development [CODE] is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Abuja
- HQ country
- Nigeria
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Connected Development [CODE] business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Foundation and Institutional Grants: CODE operates as a nonprofit civil society organization funded by foundations, governments, and institutional donors. The organization does not generate commercial revenue but relies on grant funding to support its civic accountability programs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Connected Development [CODE] product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Connected Development [CODE] operates Africa's largest citizen-led public accountability movement, Follow The Money (FTM), which tracks public funds from federal budgets through to last-mile delivery and community-level project completion. It delivers this through mobile-first digital platforms (iFTM, NomTrac, Uzabe, Open Parly, Civic Guardian, ProjectSabi) used by 9,000+ active community monitors across 36 Nigerian states and 12 African countries, paired with grassroots organizing, civic education, election observation, parliamentary transparency, and youth fellowship programs (DML).
Product overview
Connected Development [CODE] operates a unified civic accountability ecosystem built around its flagship Follow The Money (FTM) movement. The core iFTM platform powers real-time fund tracking across 36 Nigerian states and 12 African countries, supported by specialized tools including NomTrac for project nomination and tracking, Uzabe for election observation, Open Parly for parliamentary accessibility, and Civic Guardian for broader civic monitoring. The Digital Mobilisation Lab (DML) fellowship program builds civic capacity, while ProjectSabi extends community-level engagement. Together, these products form an integrated citizen-led accountability movement that connects public money tracking to community organizing and advocacy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Follow The Money (FTM): Africa's largest citizen-led public accountability movement, tracking public funds from federal budgets to communities
- iFTM
- NomTrac
- Civic Guardian
- Open Parly
- DML
- Nomination and Tracking Tool
Products and services
- Follow The Money (FTM) Africa's largest citizen-led public accountability movement, tracking public money from federal budgets to the last mile, documenting whether governments deliver on their promises to communities. Free for citizens and communities to use.
- iFTM Platform (iFollowTheMoney) Mobile and web platform providing over 9,000 active community monitors across 36 Nigerian states and 12 African countries with real-time tools to track public funds and document project status from mobile devices.
- NomTrac (Nomination and Tracking Tool) Platform enabling Civil Society Organizations and Community-Based Organizations to constitute Communities of Practice, nominate projects, and track project progress and milestones in real time.
- Uzabe Real-time election observation platform enabling citizens and accredited observers to submit live reports from polling units, making electoral malpractice visible and harder to deny.
- Open Parly Platform that makes parliamentary proceedings accessible to citizens, closing the distance between lawmakers and the people they represent.
- Digital Mobilisation Lab (DML) Fellowship 12-week fellowship program training young Nigerians in digital activism, open data, governance literacy, and civic mobilisation to build the next generation of civic leaders.
- Civic Guardian Platform for civic engagement and governance monitoring.
- ProjectSabi Community-focused project tracking and accountability platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- Tracked over $507 million in public funds since 2012
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Connected Development [CODE]
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Connected Development [CODE] technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Connected Development [CODE] partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Malala FundcorePartnership with Malala Fund supports the Girls' Education Project tracking education budgets, monitoring school infrastructure, and supporting Local Education Sector Operational Plans across Borno, Bauchi, Adamawa, and beyond.
- Canadian High CommissioncoreWith Canadian High Commission support, CODE galvanised mass advocacy campaigns in Kano State that helped accelerate harmonisation of the VAPP Act with the state Penal Code, protecting women and girls from gender-based violence.
- OxfamcoreThrough extractive sector transparency work with Oxfam, CODE holds oil companies and governments accountable for environmental and economic damage imposed on Niger Delta communities.
- INKA ConsultcoreCODE partnered with INKA Consult from Denmark to produce The State of Climate Finance in Nigeria report, providing an overview of international climate finance for Nigeria from 2015 to 2021.
- ONE CampaigncoreCODE partnered with ONE Campaign and LEPAN to organize outreach engaging legislators on the #MakeNaijaStronger campaign for increased public investments in health and nutrition outcomes.
- ActionAidsupportingListed as one of CODE's institutional partners supporting civic accountability work.
- UshahidisupportingListed as one of CODE's platform partners in the civic technology ecosystem.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Connected Development [CODE] competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Namati: Global organization building legal empowerment and community-driven accountability networks; comparable grassroots paralegal/community-monitor model for delivering public accountability in Africa and beyond.
- Global Integrity: Independent organization producing evidence on governance and anti-corruption; comparable focus on tracking public spending and producing data-driven accountability research across developing countries.
- Publish What You Pay: Global civil society coalition demanding transparency in extractive industries; closely aligned with CODE's Niger Delta extractive-accountability work with Oxfam and oil/mining sector scrutiny.
- BudgIT Foundation: Nigeria-based civic-tech nonprofit that uses creative technology to make public budget information accessible; closest direct peer in citizen budget-tracking methodology and Nigerian civic accountability space.
- Code for Africa: Pan-African civic technology and data journalism organization building digital tools for citizen engagement and accountability; directly comparable platform-led model and geographic footprint across multiple African countries.
- Accountability Lab: Global nonprofit that supports civic leaders to build tools for accountability and transparency; similar approach of combining grassroots organizing with technology-driven accountability interventions across emerging markets.
Broad incumbents
- Transparency International: Global coalition and leading anti-corruption organization; broader in geographic scope and policy work but overlapping mandate on public fund accountability, governance, and citizen engagement in Africa.
- Enough Project: US-based policy organization focused on conflict minerals and governance in Africa; comparable to CODE's extractive-sector and anti-corruption advocacy, particularly in mineral-producing regions.
Emerging players
- Ushahidi: Kenyan-rooted civic tech platform enabling citizen reporting and election observation; technology and platform peer to CODE's Uzabe election monitoring and iFTM, and listed partner in the ecosystem.
- mySociety: UK-based civic technology nonprofit building open-source tools for parliamentary transparency, freedom of information, and citizen engagement; directly comparable to Open Parly and Uzabe platform offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Connected Development [CODE] social profiles
Digital presenceConnected Development [CODE] financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Connected Development [CODE] leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Connected Development [CODE] funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Connected Development [CODE] M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Connected Development [CODE]
What does Connected Development [CODE] do?
Connected Development [CODE] operates Africa's largest citizen-led public accountability movement, Follow The Money (FTM), which tracks public funds from federal budgets through to last-mile delivery and community-level project completion. It delivers this through mobile-first digital platforms (iFTM, NomTrac, Uzabe, Open Parly, Civic Guardian, ProjectSabi) used by 9,000+ active community monitors across 36 Nigerian states and 12 African countries, paired with grassroots organizing, civic education, election observation, parliamentary transparency, and youth fellowship programs (DML).
Is Connected Development [CODE] a public or private company?
Connected Development [CODE] is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Connected Development [CODE] founded?
Connected Development [CODE] was founded in 2012. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Connected Development [CODE] based?
Connected Development [CODE] is headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria, in the Africa region.
How does Connected Development [CODE] make money?
One revenue line is on record: foundation and Institutional Grants.
Who are Connected Development [CODE]'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Namati, Global Integrity, Publish What You Pay, BudgIT Foundation, Code for Africa and Accountability Lab. Broad incumbents are Transparency International and Enough Project. Emerging players are Ushahidi and mySociety.
Does Connected Development [CODE] have an API?
No public API is recorded for Connected Development [CODE].
What industry is Connected Development [CODE] in?
Connected Development [CODE]'s product category is Civic Accountability & Transparency Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAAAH, Public Communications, Transparency & Open Government, with a secondary code of BPADABAG, Democracy, Human Rights & Governance Assistance. Its NAICS code is 813410 and its SIC code is 8300.