By admin 
In February 2024 Legacy lost another one of its very supportive early members, a
person who made a very significant contribution to the organisation that most people
do not know about.
Ako Amadi was a marine biologist and consultant in natural resources management
who dedicated his life to protecting Nigeria’s environment in concert with improving
the livelihoods of people. He had a brilliant mind and expertise in a wide range of
areas and a great believer in the power of people coming together and accelerating
positive change in society through mobilising around important causes.
The organisation was initially called Legacy – The Historical Interest Group of Nigeria.
During one Legacy meeting, when the need to look for funds was raised, Ako Amadi
donated his entire fee from a consultancy project he was working on. With great
foresight he then predicted that environmental issues would gain increasing
importance and that organisations showing awareness of the need for environmental
stewardship would be at an advantage, and he suggested that ‘environment’ should
be included in Legacy’s title.
Today many organisations focused on protecting heritage, including leading ones
such as the National Trust in the UK, have made issues on the environment central
to their activities in order to respond to the threats posed by climate change. Heritage
organisations are putting more emphasis on the importance of environmental
sustainability in strengthening cultural heritage resilience.
Thanks to Ako Amadi, Legacy was able to demonstrate commitment to safeguarding
the environment very early on in its journey.
Kofo Adeleke
