The centrepiece of our anniversarycelebration was the unveiling of the"Iwadii App." This innovative application, developed by PAID,serves as a powerful tool for facilitating the collection of accurate andlocalised data. The Iwadii App empowers informed decision-making at variouslevels, ranging from households to national governments, by enablingresearchers, policymakers, and the general public to access reliable data. Werecognise the significance of indigenous data sources and seek to strengthenthe availability of Nigerian and African data, which is crucial for drivingmeaningful development in areas such as health, education, gender, and childand youth development.

Our visionary Chief Executive Officer, Dr Nkemdilim Ene,emphasised the importance of generating empirical data to counterbalancedecision-making based solely on influential voices. With our deep understandingof the African context, we hope to work closely with governments to collectcontextualised data that reflects the realities of Nigerian society. We hope tofacilitate more equitable decision-making and strong planning processes byproviding evidence-based research. We are convinced that access to accuratedata will enable governments to implement meaningful development initiativesand effectively address our people's challenges.

Our journey from a kitchen office to our current position as aleading research organisation demonstrates our unwavering commitment to makinga difference. We prioritise social impact over profit, guided by avalue-centric approach. We have positively influenced the development space inNigeria by providing technical assistance to development partners and engagingin philanthropic activities over the last decade. Despite numerous challengesalong the way, our clear vision and perseverance have resulted in a successfultransformation, establishing us as industry innovators.

As we reflect on our incredible 10-year journey, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has been part of our success story. We express our sincerest appreciation to the following individuals who played pivotal roles in making our anniversary event a resounding success:

Dr Eleanor Nwadinobi (President Medical Women’s International Association) for her inspiring words and acknowledgement of our achievements in the development space.

Associate ProfessorChandrashekhar Uppin (Baze University), DrFrancis Ohanyido, FAPH (International Public Health Forum), Prof. Adenike Osofisan (Chairman ofCouncil, Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria), Dr Nsikak Udofia (CEO, Silex Secure LabLimited), and Mr Abdulhamid Yahaya(Deputy Director, Global Health Informatics, Health Africa) for their valuablecontributions as panellists in the discussion on “the role of big data analytics andartificial intelligence in development sector research on the African continent”.