3 Nigerians chosen for 2016 Queen’s Young Leaders Award | Peace Builder, Maternal Health & LGBTI+ Advocate

2015 Winner Nkechi Azinge meeting the Queen

It is today announced that three young people from Nigeria are among 60 young people from across the Commonwealth who are being recognised as exceptional leaders in their community. These 60 young people will receive a prestigious Queen’s Young Leaders Award.

The Award, which will be presented in London by Her Majesty The Queen in 2016, and is part of The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme, celebrates the achievements of young people who are taking the lead to transform the lives of others and make a lasting difference in their communities.

This year’s Award winners, aged between 18 and 29 and who come from all over the Commonwealth, are working to support others, raise awareness and inspire change on a variety of different issues including; education, climate change, gender equality, mental health and disability equality.

23 year old Olanrewaju Adeloye from Lagos is being recognised for his dedication to maternal health. 23 year old Imrana Alhaji Buba from Yobe State has been selected in recognition of his work around peace building. 28 year old Olumide Femi Makanjuola from Ogba, Lagos has been acknowledged for advocating on LGBTQI issues.

Olanrewaju Adeloye said: “I am so honoured to be part of the Queen’s Young Leaders programme. I’ve always had an interest in health care, and volunteered as an intern at a small health centre, which served over 12,000 pregnant mothers and newborns a month. I then co-founded SaferMom, a startup which uses low cost mobile technologies (SMS, voice services and apps) to engage mothers with health information through pregnancy and their baby’s early years. More than 900 women in nine rural communities now use the service.”

Runners Up from Nigeria are Charles Immanuel Akhimien, Chijindu Umunnakwe, Godspower Oboido, Ijeoma Idika-Chima, John Oluwadero, Kate Ekanem, Victoria Ibiwoye & Wemimo Abbey.

The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme was established in 2014 by The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust in partnership with Comic Relief and the Royal Commonwealth Society in recognition of The Queen’s lifetime of service to the Commonwealth. Over the next three years the Programme will support thousands of young people to achieve their goals.

Dr Astrid Bonfield, Chief Executive of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust said: “Once again 60 incredible young people from around the Commonwealth have shown strength, leadership, empathy and drive. Some of our winners are just embarking on their leadership journey and others are more established. Either way, we recognise not only what these amazing young people have achieved, but also their potential in changing people’s lives for the better in the countries and communities in which they live.”