Oluwafunke Adeoye, or Funke as everyone calls her, is a lawyer, human rights defender, social innovator, young global leader, and proud Accountapreneur. She is Hope Behind Bars Africa’s Founder and Executive Director. It’s an organization that promotes human rights and criminal justice reforms using legal aid, research, evidence-based advocacy, and technology. Funke has led interventions that amplified the work of grassroots advocates across sub-Saharan Africa and saved hundreds of indigent pre-trial detainees. She is a Mandela Washington Fellow and an Acumen West Africa Fellow, winning the 2023 Global Citizen Prize last year. This year saw her also being admitted to Oxford University for a master’s degree in International Human Rights Law!

Hope Behind Bars Africa began its impactful journey by representing inmates at no cost in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The organization soon expanded its network to other states across Nigeria after learning about the socio-economic difficulties of pre-trial detainees. “The hard truth is that many of them were not only socio-economically handicapped but would be of no use to themselves and society, if released from prison, un-empowered,” recalls Funke. The organization also discovered that many incarcerated women were still responsible for caring for their children and families. Inspired to do more, Funke and her team piloted a new program, Made in Corrections, the first social enterprise behind prison bars that works with women, equipping them with vocational skills. The program provides these women with the opportunity to make money to support their families and secure a better future upon their release, with assistance from donors, including the German Embassy. “We also donated tailoring equipment and items to the industry unit of Suleja Custodial Centre. So far, we have worked with 102 women.” 

Under the organizations’ Back on Track program, they support the reintegration and reentry processes of their access to justice beneficiaries. Hope Behind Bars Africa also plays a pivotal role in caring for inmates and mitigating the spread of COVID-19, including donating palliatives to Keffi and Oko custodial centers. “We have also been calling for the decriminalization of petty offenses as part of the campaign for decongestion of correctional centers,” adds Funke. “We have represented 420 indigent pre-trial detainees. About 40 percent were charged with simple offenses, 20 percent for misdemeanors, and the rest for felonies, capital crimes, and fundamental human rights actions. Around 80 percent of these cases were taken from inmates during visits to the custodial centers, while 20 percent were based on referral and at the police stage.”

Hope Behind Bars Africa halves the time spent for persons awaiting trial, saving taxpayers money that otherwise would have been spent on wrongful incarceration. Funke shares a notable case from the organization. “Christian John was a young man picked up by the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). He spent five years awaiting trial for armed robbery and conspiracy, even though he only met his charge mate at the SARS facility. Upon hearing his case, we provided him with free legal representation, and he was released after the lawyer’s first court appearance. Christian John has fully reintegrated into society through our reintegration programs, working and raising a family,” she recalls. Another noteworthy mention is the legal representation that Hope Behind Bars Africa provided to almost 90 peaceful protestors. They were detained unlawfully in EDO State during the #ENDSARS protests. “We also worked with the feminist coalition to provide training to over 100 lawyers that provided free legal representation to peaceful protesters across the country,” adds Funke. 

Funke became aware of Accountability Lab after applying for the SDG16 Innovation Challenge, a program run by Accountability Lab Nigeria that supports good ideas around the United Nations SDGs. This was six months after she started to provide free legal services to indigent pre-trial detainees. “At the time, I pitched the idea of connectlawyer, a web-based application to connect lawyers interested in doing pro-bono work to indigent pre-trial detainees. I configured the idea while shuttling to the prisons to take up cases,” she recollects. After winning the SDG16 Innovation Challenge, Funke joined AL Nigeria’s Accountability Incubator program. “I learned terms like monitoring and evaluation, theory of change, and design thinking for the first time as an Accountapreneur.

“My time in the incubator also exposed me to core aspects of building an organization. I used a portion of the stipend to register Hope Behind Bars Africa.” In 2021, Funke was selected as a finalist for Echoing Green, and the following year, she received a seed grant of $10,000. These wins all strengthen the organization – Funke has used some of the funds to start a capital defense training project for lawyers in partnership with Cornell University.

Her journey of late has taken her to no less than Oxford University where she’s been formally admitted for a master’s degree in International Human Rights Law. “I am reminded of the immense privilege this opportunity represents—made possible with a fully funded Commonwealth Scholarship. This opportunity comes at a key moment, as Hope Behind Bars Africa —the organization I founded in 2018 to address violations within Nigeria’s criminal justice system has recently begun engaging international human rights mechanisms for the benefit of the vulnerable populations we serve. I am excited for the positive impact my studies at Oxford will have on our mission and deeply grateful to be part of this esteemed intellectual community,” she commented.

“My advice to accountapreneurs is to go all out. On the other side of fear lies a world of opportunities that will benefit them and the communities they seek to affect,” says Funke. “The impact we made thus far is due to my tenacity, the strength of my team, and the benevolence of friends, family, and partners offering opportunities and support along the way. In this work, your network is your net worth.”

Naseera Noor-Mahomed