Destiny Frederick 
Nigeria
Business & Entrepreneurship

Destiny Frederick is 25 years old, lives in Benin City, Edo state Nigeria, and is a graduate of Biochemistry from Madonna University, Okija, Anambra State with over three years of experience in the area of waste management, recycling, entrepreneurship, and mentorship. In 2030, she hopes to see a clean and dirt-free Nigeria. She is the founder/CEO of EcoFuture company, (which is a social enterprise that gives low income and middle-class communities opportunities to capture value from recycling waste. EcoFuture has created over five jobs, collected over 50,000+ kg of recyclable waste, prevented over 62,500+ kg of carbon (IV) oxide released into the atmosphere, introduced recycling clubs to five secondary schools in the Benin community, organized monthly environmental clean-up events. carried out campaigns on the importance of recycling, and generated revenue of $5,400 dollars in the past year.

Olufunmilola Adeola Kehinde 
Nigeria
Business & Entrepreneurship

Olufunmilola Kehinde is an intelligent and passionate lady with a first and second degree in Information Technology. She is a member of Smile Care Initiative and is actively involved in four other NGOs focused on eliminating poverty, educating children, and enabling youths to fulfil their purpose. She is the Founder and Lead Strategist at CareerswithFunmi (www.careerswithfunmi.com), a careers development and strategy coaching and consulting firm starting to grow an intelligent and passionate workforce in order to proffer solutions to the unique challenges in many organizations globally.

Emmanuel Agbenonwossi 
Togo
Business & Entrepreneurship

Emmanuel Elolo Agbenonwossi is one of the Founder’s of Choco-Togo, a biological chocolate production/training initiative that has benefitted over 600 low-income cocoa farmers in Togo. Choco-Togo has already sold over 200,000 bars of chocolate and is showing signs of expansion in the coming years.

Emmanuel is an economics graduate and youth empowerment activist, created a training farm called ‘Victoria Cocoa Farm’, to increase incomes and secure Cocoa farmers’ livelihoods in Togo. In March 2016, the Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Program (TEEP) in Nigeria awarded $5000 USD to Victoria Cocoa Farms. Emmanuel is a freelance journalist who tells stories of young Togolese entrepreneurs across Africa and Europe through different media platform such as Reuters, BBC and RFI.

Dr. Osayuwamen I. Egharevba
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

Egharevba Osayuwamen is a senior registrar in pediatrics at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital. She joined the hospital in 2012 and has since passed the West African College of Pediatrics (WACP) Part 1 examination in pediatrics. She is currently the Chief resident and together with the Head of Department of Pediatrics ensures the smooth running of the pediatric arm of the Hospital. She works with an average of 20 doctors, 35 nurses and 15 other staff members in ensuring ill children get the care they require. She has volunteered with several NGOs, one of which is the Health and Missions international, where free health care is administered to people in Out-of-reach areas in the region. She is currently working with other doctors in her department to educate mothers on preventive measures as pertaining to diarrhea diseases, as there is an increase in morbidity and mortality amongst under-fives. She is also working on ensuring provision of School Health services in her community.

Asabe Halimat Momoh
Nigeria
Public Services Management

Asabe has been involved in educating young ones in secondary schools (High Schools) on the importance of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. She has tried in the past to educate young people about making the right choice in choosing their leaders and also how they can be responsible to the society.

Ademolu Oluwaseun Adenuga
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

Ademolu Oluwaseun Adenuga is a trained Sociologist who is passionate about media, social change, and youth development. He came into the limelight in 2010 during his compulsory national youth service when he established the Prison School at the Awka Prisons, Anambra State, Nigeria. Ademolu partners with several media agencies in Nigeria to broadcast youth centered programs on juvenile delinquencies, youth empowerment, ethics, morality, and environmental sanitation. His radio programs on youth include: Lead By Example, Keep Nigeria Clean, and Better Tomorrow. He is an academic and the founder of Team LBE (Lead By Example), a multi-campus students organization.

Amos Oluwatomisin Abiola
Nigeria
Business & Entrepreneurship

Ms. Oluwatomisin Abiola Amos is the Co Founder of Food Bank Africa, a Network organization providing support and care for millions of disadvantaged group in Africa. Prior to joining SMEFUNDS, Abiola worked as Business Development Manager for a Realtors Limited where she helped the company close major businesses and achieved gross sales of about $2.3M a year. As a Social Entrepreneur, she led the Clean Up Nigeria Project, working with LAWMA, LASEPA, UN-WOMEN and other Non Governmental Organizations to reduce tons of plastic wastes on the street. Abiola joined SMEFUNDS as a Relationship Officer and currently the Business Manager, Commercial – Committed to process management and providing Courage-Led leadership to support effective business delivery for the organization.

François Joseph Amon D'aby
Ivory Coast
Business & Entrepreneurship

François Joseph Amon D'aby is a Software Developer and Designer, who has written several apps for Windows Phone, Android and iOS platforms. François believes that technology can help solve the world's toughest problems. He tried to share his passion with young people and teach them mobile app development.

He studied computer science at Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët Boigny (Yamoussoukro - Ivory Coast). He is currently working at Orange Côte d'ivoire, as lead of the mobile app development, and also contribute to the Microsoft Student Partners program.

Homgouyeda Sabanko
Togo
Business & Entrepreneurship

Homgouyeda Sabanko executed and organized a sensitization project called "ART OF AWARENESS" with the NGO Pathways, Agbelouve, Togo. During the sensitization project, she discussed with young women of the village on the issue of emancipation and reminded them of their rights in order for them to not continue being victims of African patriarchal society. She deals especially with violence toward ladies and its consequences in the society.

Victor Edmond Moinina
Sierra Leone
Civil Society Leadership

Victor Edmond Moinina is the CEO and Founder of Forum for the Development of Young People and is an award-winning youth development leader by the African Youth Awards and African News Journal. His tremendous leadership has been felt in his various youth-led activities and student pilot projects on maternal mortality in Sierra Leone and his team's involvement in the post-Ebola recovery in the country. He is currently pursuing his Masters degree at the Pan African University Institute of Governance, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Yaounde II, Soa, Cameroon on scholarship from the African Union Commission. His institution does a weekly training program for community youths in Aberdeen, and Kokofele which has trained about 50 community youths on socio-economic activities leading to full employment.

Kinanwlély Roméo Koné
Ivory Coast
Business & Entrepreneurship

Starting at Elim Travel and Transit Logistics (a South Korean company) in Abidjan as a translator in 2013, Kinanwlély Roméo Koné had to go through a process a training in the field of transit, then 10 months later he became the company Transit Agent in charge of Administrative Affairs by managing the files of more than 1000 containers and packages. Interested in the well-being of Africa and Worldwide. He recently became in 2015, the National Responsible in charge of Foreign Affairs for Platform of Francophone Youth for Sustainable Development, promoting environment preservation and youth employment.

Patrick Chinedu Enwerem
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

Patrick is one individual that derives joy in working for vulnerable groups. He uses his expertise in human rights and peace-building to enlighten people living with HIV/AIDS on their Human Rights. For those living in conflict zones, he works with them and enlightens them on latest strategies on peace-building, conflict resolution and transformation. Through an organization he leads, Advocates for Youth and Health Development (www.advocate4youth.com), he has trained more than 2,000 youths in the aforementioned areas. He lectures on Sexual and Reproductive and Health and Rights (SRHR) at Institute for Humanitarian Studies and Social Development.

Aboyewa A. Oluwabunmi
Nigeria
Business & Entrepreneurship

Following her graduation from Usman Danfodiyo University in Sokoto, Nigeria in 2013. Oluwabunmi Abimbola Aboyewa, used the opportunity by engaging in active community service and building the capacity of young people on entrepreneurial development and reproductive health with a notable NGO in Nigeria, Kids & Teens Resource Centre. She successfully trained and developed the capacity of 35 young people, between 10-25 years and 100 youth corps members on life-building skills. These trained young people now generate income from self empowerment programs, have meaningful and realistic goals, and are thriving in development work and small and medium scale enterprises.

Oluwatumininu E. Adedeji
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

Ms. Oluwatumininu Elizabeth Adedeji is a Social Worker and a Gender Activist currently enrolled for M.Sc in Gender and Development Studies. She has reached 3,428 people with malaria prevention programs; 7,692 male and female with HIV prevention interventions including: HCT, Condom messaging, Peer Education and sensitization; 2,450 In-School Youths with Career guide, SRHR, Cancer Prevention Campaigns, Girls in Science and Mentoring in 29 communities across Ekiti, Kwara and Lagos States of Nigeria. Other programs she has implemented are skill acquisition, Voters Education, Medical Outreaches, Trainings and Volunteering through her non-profit initiative - Balm in Gilead Foundation for Sustainable Development (BIGIF).

Sukurat Adenike Adelodun
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

Sukurat invited the cofounder of Whole Woman Network to Ilorin to conduct a training for them in Ilorin. She coordinated the event by arranging the venue and conducting and arranging meetings with the Media. She also volunteered for the Educate a Girl program that was conducted by the whole woman network and dawood global foundation as well as some other personal projects like provision of water into her community courtesy through the office of Senator Bukola Saraki. She is passionate about community based projects and she loves giving back to her society in her own little way. She intends to have her own Media and Outreach foundation before the new year ends.

Grace Mamie Kargobai
Sierra Leone
Civil Society Leadership

Grace Kargobai, has always craved to impact her community positively and also challenge perceptions about young women in Sierra Leone. She formed a network of young women achievers named Illuminating Ladies, which aims to encourage young women to aspire for success and achieve their full potential. Illuminating ladies is also a proud ambassador to Illuminessence e-Magazine, a distinctive e-magazine dedicated to showcasing young professionals and their exemplary accomplishments. (www.illuminessencemag.com)

Tommy Tucker
Sierra Leone
Business & Entrepreneurship

Tommy Tucker has been working with a local NGO called Women in Crisis Movement (WICM) for the passed three years. WICM is a human rights base organization helping vulnerable women in capital city Free Town. It. He is currently working as the Finance Assistant at WICM.

Josephine Kamara
Sierra Leone
Civil Society Leadership

Josephine started her advocacy work at the age of nine promoting peace and girls’ empowerment. She is also active in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and was the first to organized awareness and testing program at her university. In 2013, she formed Women of Wonders Sierra Leone (WOW-SL) (www.facebook. com/wowsalone), a movement promoting the involvement of young women and girls in community and nation-building and advocate to end child marriage, teenage pregnancy, rape and sexual harassment in Sierra Leone (www.safe-magazine.com/16-global-heroes). Her Ebola response activities have been directed towards raising fund and donating food and non-food items to Ebola orphans.

Alhaji K. Tarawally
Sierra Leone
Business & Entrepreneurship

Alhaji's is a household media name in Sierra Leone, having served some of the biggest media institutions in Sierra Leone including Africa Independent Radio (www.africell.sl), Foundation Hirondelle/CTN (www.cottontreenews.org), Premier Media, Star Radio/Standard Times Newspaper www.starradio.sl, Radio Mount Aureol, Total News Newspaper and now as Head of Training, Interns, Education and Religious Programmes in the biggest media empire in Sierra Leone (AYV TV, Radio, Newspaper & Printing Press www.avynews.com).

Alhaji is a seasoned journalist, event manager, marketer, public relations and communication expert. He has acquired a B.A Honours Degree in Mass Communication and a Diploma in Peace and Conflict Studies at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.

Henry Eajike Akwuebu
Nigeria
Public Services Management

Since 2009, Henry Ejike Akwuebu has been helping graduates of tertiary institutions in Nigeria develop their human capital. He started the African Resources Development Initiative (AFREDI) in 2013 in line with his passion for capacity development. Through AFREDI, he volunteers his expertise in the training and development of 318 youths annually. His experience in developmental projects influenced his decision to pursue an MSc in Research and Public Policy. Henry is the lead Organizational and Developmental Consultant at Intuivar, a consulting firm he founded in early 2011 to meet the developmental and business needs of people and organizations in Nigeria. He is a member of the Global Alliance for Youth Leaders GAYL.

Babakura Abba
Nigeria
Business & Entrepreneurship

Abba is a graduate of B.Eng. Computer Engineering from University of Maiduguri and a graduate of M.Sc. Computer Science from University Putra Malaysia. He is good in English communication and networking skills. With the issue of insurgency in the north eastern part of Nigeria, a lot of people who are affected by the crisis are disconnected from the society. He therefore organized a forum as contact tracers and community mobilizers in other to motivate them and give them hope in building their future. He travels to different towns with the belief of reviving people’s hope as complete citizens. He convinces them to get back to school and organize extra lessons to fast track their study packs and materials.

Joy Nwamaka Okoro
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

As a secondary school student, Joy Okoro served as the president of the Challenge 2020 Initiative, aimed at youth assistance in the achievement of the global Millennium Development Goals. The group facilitated numerous trainings on 'Sanitation and Illness', provided malaria prevention kits to families and stocked 3 nearby healthcare centers. She now attends the highly selective Minerva Schools at KGI in the US and is deeply involved in cultural diversity and public health studies. Expecting to use her Minerva education as a unique approach to problem solving, Joy, an aspiring medical doctor intends to revamp the healthcare sector in Nigeria.

Ugochukwu Chidiebere Tochukwu
Nigeria
Public Services Management

During his Youth Service Year as President of Nigeria Red Cross CDS, Chidiebere Tochukwu Ugochukwu carried out a full Community Development Service in Kwali Area Council of FCT where the victims affected by Leprosy before its eradicated from Nigeria were re-settled. With the help of his team they were able to fix their borehole water source, provided them with relief materials including cash, drugs, clothing's, food items etc.. At the moment he is working with Victims of Violence Foundation (www.victimsofviolencefoundation.org), and his core target is on women and children. He embarked on a medical mission to 30 IDP camps across the North-East part of Nigeria subsequent to Boko Harram attacks. His goal is to provide them with quality healthcare service with the assistance of the Mobile Clinic.

Fay Cecilia Chalobah
Sierra Leone
Public Services Management

In 2010 Fay Chalobah graduated with a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Sierra Leone. Fay began her career volunteering with The Well Woman Clinic which diagnoses and treats breast cancer in women. Since 2011 Fay has worked as a Medical Laboratory Scientific Officer in the Public Health Reference Laboratory, attached to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation. She is the Focal Point & Lead for: Measles/Rubella and Enteric Bacteria Testing Units at the laboratory. In 2014 Fay also became the lead in implementing the SLMTA program at the reference lab. Website of publication: "www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25022309".

Magdalene Ada Duwai
Sierra Leone
Business & Entrepreneurship

Magdalene Ada Duwai is a highly motivated and dedicated individual and is pursuing a challenging and rewarding career to show the best of her professional ability, skills, and to actively take positive action to promote women and children’s rights and dignity.

She has reliable working experience in the field of Audio Video, IT, Communication, Administration and team leading skills. She first worked at The Special Court for Sierra Leone (www.rscsl.org) as an Information and Communication Technology Technician in December 2011 until November 2013 and then went to Plan International (www.plan-international.org) as an Information and Communications Technology Coordinator since February 2014 to date.

Christian Cedric Toe
Burkina Faso
Business & Entrepreneurship

Christian Cedric Toe is a 26-year-old entrepreneur developing an autonomous thermo-regulated vaccine carrier at International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE) in Ouagadougou. He is an active open community trainer in 3D modeling and electronic prototyping at the first Fab-Lab and the Co-working space in Burkina Faso (Ouagalab: www.ouagalab.org ). Christian has trained over 12 community developers to launch their Fab-Lab communities in Togo and Benin with 3D training and electronic prototyping. He has a Bachelor degree in Industrial Engineering with a strong background in electronic. In 2015, he was the Hydraulics and Pneumatics Business Unit Manager at African Industrial Services (AIS) Group, which was a Bosch Rexroth partner in Burkina Faso.

Uzodima Lyndon Ulasi
Sierra Leone
Business & Entrepreneurship

Uzodima L. Ulasi is a Social Entrepreneur from Sierra Leone. He believes Africa can be rebranded by empowering its youths through education. In 2012, he and his colleague saw a problem in their community and decided to fix it by entering a business plan competition with an idea that was aimed at improving the nutritional content and price of flour being produced in Sierra Leone. He is part of a charity foundation that aims to improve the lives of children through education in the remote areas of his community. He believes in entrepreneurship for a good cause. He is an Accountant, a Photographer and a Radio Personality. He runs a blog – The African Standpoint (theafricanstandpoint.wordpress.com).

Olalekan Ahmed Opaleye
Nigeria
Business & Entrepreneurship

Mr. Opaleye Olalekan is an environmentalist who graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-ife Nigeria in 2008 and founder of start-up venture called IMOTOTO in 2014. A Cleaning, waste management and recycling venture based on his passion for healthy and safer environment. He sensitized and educated at least 10 community members a day on health related issues of unmanaged waste and how to turn it to wealth.

He is a member of anti HIV/AIDS initiative group during National Youth Service in 2008 and is a recipient of the World-Changer award by Heal the World Ministry International in 2014.

Ajao Oluwatomisin Kehinde
Nigeria
Public Services Management

Ms. Oluwatomisin Kehinde Ajao is an entrepreneur that believes in wealth and job creation. She also strongly believes in the prosperity of Africa and using technology to scale, and grow businesses to impact many lives across the continent. Her venture, Verveskoture & Confectionery Ltd, is a new startup company that was registered with the corporate affairs commission in 2013 but will be duly registered with Master Bakers Association and NAFDAC, and has been in production of premium confectionery products, gift package, event Management and Training. The Bakery is proposed to be located at the commercial capital of Lagos so as to capture and cater for the needs of the growing number of middle class family around that location and its surrounding vicinity demanding for freshly baked affordable cake & bread.

Abdulahi Abayomi Abdulraheem
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

In the year 2014, having seen the lapses in the Education Policy of his state government, Abdulahi Abayomi Abdulraheem started Aspiring the Best Competition (ABC), with the objective of sponsoring the SSCE Examinations (WAEC, NECO, GCE & UTME) of the excelled students in the competition. This he believes would reduce youth violence, high rate of High Schools’ Dropouts, High rate of Teen Mothers and Teenage Pregnancy etc. experienced in the state. 54 youth have benefitted from the program while 23 are in Higher Institutions of Learning. He founded: Initiative for Sound Education, Relationship & Health (ISERH) in the year 2014 (www.iserh.org)

Ifeoluwa Tryphena Olatayo
Nigeria
Business & Entrepreneurship

Ifeoluwa Olatayo is the founder of Soupah Limited, a business whose mission is to nourish its customers, support local farmers, tackle food waste and nourish the hungry. She is also the pioneer of Zest Entrepreneurship Academy (www.zela. com.ng) which is a platform to develop entrepreneurial skills that exists in the African youths through business development trainings and workshops. She believes enterprise education plays an important role in addressing the jobs shortage in Africa and has subsequently mentored 216 youths to grow their start-ups, and inspired over 2,000 jobless youth to start businesses that contribute to a greener planet and a better society.

Diallo Assane
Burkina Faso
Public Services Management

Given the growing influence of extremist groups, it was necessary to prepare the population not to yield to those groups. That's why Assane did not hesitate to join the IRD NGOs for the implementation of the project "Peace through Development". Young leaders and civil society are at the center of interventions with capacity building, which contributes to true leaders of youth development.

The information being capital, he participated in the creation of an information site (http://sahel24.com/ and https://web.facebook.com/Sahel24com) dedicated to the Sahel. The ultimate ambition is to go to the newspaper and set up a radio and to reach the leaders of today and tomorrow.

Inoussa Traorea
Burkina Faso
Civil Society Leadership

Mr Inoussa Traore holds a Master in Economics and a Master in Development studies. He started working since 2008 in Yam Pukri Association (www.yam-pukri.org), responsible for information and communication technologies (ICT) for development projects. He has conducted over 40 training sessions for rural farmers in Burkina Faso and led several projects to strengthen capacities in ICT for agro-businesses. In 2012, he joined the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering on a capacity building project for rural electrification actors in West Africa within the framework of the Energy Facility funded by the European Union. Currently, Inoussa is a lecturer in economics at the University of Ouagadougou, and a consultant on topics such as ICT for development, renewable energy.

Fatoumata Sawadogo
Burkina Faso
Business & Entrepreneurship

Fatoumata Sawadogo is active, young, and ambitious. She is a student in communication and President of the Association Jeunes Leaders Burkinabé (JLB). After making a trip to Morocco to attend the national competition for Youth in Morocco, she successfully mobilized over 150 youth and 30 colleges of the city at the official launch of the Association in June 2015. Also, she signed a partnership later to find placements for some participants (23 students). The project "La terre à notre disposition, faisons-en une richesse" aims to assist local women in difficulty while "Noel pour tous!!!" led a team to mobilize 15 students from an institution to join a volunteer venture for disadvantaged children from the AHBY orphanage. The theme of this project is "La joie pour nous, c'est le sourire d’un enfant".

Minata Coulibaly
Burkina Faso
Civil Society Leadership

The 2008 food crisis had a serious impact on lives. In Burkina, civil society and government recognized the need to invest more in agriculture. Minata has been interested in rural development and real change since 2009. She worked to attract more young people in agriculture. Currently, with other youth in the network Young Professionals for Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) Burkina, she shares opportunities in agriculture for youth on social media. In 2015, she organized several discussions on access to land for young people and agricultural entrepreneurship. She facilitates exchange with different stakeholders on problems youth in agriculture face.

Ibuchukwu N. Orabueze
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

Ibuchukwu Nkeonyenasoya Orabueze is a medical doctor currently involved in the National Youth Service Corp Program where she works in a government owned hospital located in the rural area. Working in a community with high rate of teenage pregnancy, low literacy levels and high birth rate, she acts in the role of a Peer educator. She volunteers in one of the secondary schools in the community where she gives health talks and counsels adolescents. In March 2015, she launched a blog - HEALTHGLAMM.COM, which is a nonprofit dedicated to discussing health issues in such a manner the layman can understand; keeping it simple, entertaining, yet educative.

Edema-Sillo Diana Ereyitomi
Nigeria
Business & Entrepreneurship

Diana E. Edema-Sillo is a pro-poor advocate and entrepreneur. She is MD at Dreamdiary Concept, an event and logistics management company (www.dreamdiaryconcept. com). She has taken up several leadership positions in youth and women groups. As the first female Senate President of the National Association of Delta State Students (NADESSTU), she organized its first political conference for over 5,000 delta state students pre-2011 elections to ensure students are not used for violence during the elections.

She recently set up a foundation after her late mother called MoeSillo Foundation, the aim to use it as a platform in bringing succour to the needy in her society using the SDG goal 1 as its guide. Diana is a passionate leader, who has and will continue to give her best for the growth & development of her society.

Festus Ejiro Ovbie
Nigeria
Business & Entrepreneurship

Festus Ejiro Ovbie founded Festovine Building Concepts in 2010 as a building construction firm and a center for skill acquisition. In his quest to reduce the high rate of emigration of Nigerian youths, he started equipping young persons in his community with leadership and professional skills in building construction, making them job creators, and thereby reducing unemployment in the country.

So far, he has trained over 250 youths in his community on computer applications (use of cads in designing buildings), and building construction. He is also a group leader in Shekinah Youth Initiatives, a nonprofit organization for raising visionary youths.

Kehinde Oluwaseun Fadare
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

Mr. Fadare Kehinde Oluwaseun is a motivational public speaker and has trained over 500 young people on public speaking skills and career relevance in Nigeria. He is also a founding member of the Guild of African Patriots; a team of individuals committed to promoting African cultural heritage. Together with his team, he pioneered the hosting of the 2015 Youths Festival of African Culture in Lagos, with about 400 youth participants. Through the help of donors, he presented clothes and wheelchairs to 15 physically challenged people in Lagos; a gesture amongst others that articulates his determination to make life better for people in need within his community.

Tolon Jeremiah Cephas
Liberia
Civil Society Leadership

Tolon Jeremiah Cephas is young leader with a vast experience in community development and civic engagement. Over the past three years, Cephas has been involved in civic education where he informs young people about their rights and how to redevelop Liberia. He has ensured that the rights of children are known to parents and kids themselves. In 2015, he played a leading role in promoting the 2015 winner of the International Children Peace prize, Abraham Keita who his organization nominated for the award.

Elwood Garmonyou Gbessagee
Liberia
Public Services Management

Elwood G Gbessagee is a Peer Educator at the Organization of African Youth - Liberia (oayouth.org). He currently engages with the Young People Peace Maintenance Mentorship Program which aims to educate young people from diverse backgrounds on the roles they need to play in order to maintain the country's decade-long peace. He organizes monthly monitor programs in high schools and communities to teach young people particular skills associated with leadership, particularly programs associated with youth voice or youth empowerment and helps to bring together prominent university students within Monrovia to an open-minded exchange of ideas concerning the future of world leadership. He is a Co-Founder of the Support Kids In Need - SKIN, a non-profit charity organization he started in 2014.

Anzohn W.P. Menyon
Liberia
Civil Society Leadership

Anzohn W.P. Menyon is an ambitious individual who has developed a responsible approach to any task he undertakes. As a Program Manager and a Youth Activist with 5 year of leadership experience, he has the uncanny ability to organize people and systems in order to achieve desired objectives.

Anzohn relishes challenges, works under pressure and meets deliverables. He trained 350 youths and young adults in 50 communities to engage communities’ leadership on good governance, accountability and transparency. In 2015, He recruited and led 80 community volunteers who were trained by the Young Adult Intellectual Forum, where he serves as Chairman, to carryout awareness on Prevention of EBOLA and Reintegration of EBOLA survivors in communities.

G. Umaru Sheriff
Liberia
Civil Society Leadership

G. Umaru Sheriff is the National Executive Director of 4-H Liberia. His main duties are to establish 4-H clubs, recruit and train 4-H staff and volunteers, and implement the day-to-day activities of 4-H Liberia to develop life skills in youth and build food security. Through his efforts, 72 4-H Enterprise Garden Clubs are established in Liberia. He also serves as a reconciler in his community, helping to negotiate misunderstandings among community members. His long term goal is to develop young people in his home country and in Africa through collaboration with government and non-government organizations.

John Idemudia Oriakpolor
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

Having identified one of the killers of the 21st century youths called illicit drugs in his community in the year 2013, John initiated and sponsored a program on the impact of illicit drugs and youth’s awareness under the umbrella of the criminology students association (crimSA), which he was privileged to chair twice as a president. This program drew the attention of the whole university community and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in the state as there was indeed a life change witnessed amongst some of the participants who were actually into drugs prior to the full day program.

Chidinma Eunice Akaniro
Nigeria
Business & Entrepreneurship

Chidinma Akaniro is a distinguished young leader and entrepreneur. She received the "Youth With Innovation in Nigeria Award" from the federal government of Nigeria in 2013 at the age of 21. She is very passionate about youth empowerment and founded the Young Female Entrepreneurs Network Nigeria in 2014, which grooms aspiring female entrepreneurs in specific fields. So far, 18 young women have been trained to set up their own businesses. She is the CEO of "Nizzavogue," a fashion company in Enugu, Nigeria. She is also very passionate about the environment and has an MSc in Environmental Management from the University of Nigeria.

Zainab Said Suwaid
Nigeria
Public Services Management

Zainab is currently undergoing her M.Sc program in Economics. During her first degree she chose a special area to research on which was energy crisis in Nigeria, because of its importance and impact on the lives of Nigerians. Recently, she is writing on exchange rate policy and economic growth in Nigeria; this is as a result of the persistent rise in prices and deterioration of standard of living of most Nigerians. As part of her community engagement programmes, she has the opportunity of being a member of the Global Shapers Community: Kano Hub. Through this hub and their monthly contributions, they help victims of terror attacks and also educating youth on important issues.

Amina Abdulazeez
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

Amina Abdulazeez is a Lot Quality Assessment Surveyor for the World Health Organization (W.H.O). She also volunteers with the Royal Impact Healthcare Services in Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria. Amina participated in the distribution of about 250 long-lasting treated mosquitoes nets to rural women in 3 LGAs of Zauro, Yauri and Koko. Additionally, Amina is the only female student parliamentarian during her years at university. She advocated and moved a motion for female inclusion in student politics and today, she has 5 female representatives in the student assembly of her university. She is the founder of a nonprofit organization called Sadakatul Jariya (www.facebook/Sadakatul_jariya), which advocates, mentors and empowerment children and women.

Miatta Bofa Mulbah
Liberia
Public Services Management

Apart from being Biology teacher for 9 years, in 2014 during the Ebola outbreak, a team of 3 persons including. Miatta established a non for profit organization to address the prevailing situation in strengthening communities through active engagement. She has trained 1600 Communicators, Community health Committees, Community Support Officers and Community Mobilizers with support from Mercy Corp and USAID Ebola Community Action Platform (ECAP) as Implementing Partners. The ECAP projects have succeeded in behavior change, and linking communities to Health facilities. She is the Project Support Officer and the Founder of Leemah, a new social venture for teenage girls.

Gbendile Henryln Sumo
Liberia
Public Services Management

Ms Gbendile H. Sumo is a nursing student at the United Methodist University in Liberia, where she also works as a nursing student at C. H. Rennedy Hospital in Kakata, Margibi County, Liberia. For the past 4 months, Gbendile, fundraises and supports the promotion of girl's education in Monrovia, by distributing donated anti-ebola material to the community. She is extends her anti-ebola awareness campaign via radio on True FM and via television on Real TV to education young people on the ebola awareness. Since she started her awareness campaign, Gbendile has reached over 1 million listeners and viewers in Liberia.

Alieu D. York
Gambia
Public Services Management

Alieu D. York, was the former Vice President of the University of the Gambia Student Service Learning Association (UTG) since 2013 – 2014. He also volunteered to teach senior secondary school students in Mingdaw Senior Secondary School, in Farato, West Coast Region of The Gambia. Mr. York, participated in the rehabilitation of the Buduk community in the Central River region of The Gambia. The rehabilitation entailed organizing community engagements where 5000 community members were education on the importance of clean drinking water and sanitization. He was also part of the team that organized the University of the Gambia Ambassador’s debate championship, on which he served as the Information and Public Relations officer of the Association.

Beyan Flomo Pewee
Liberia
Civil Society Leadership

Beyan Flomo Pewee is a 2014 UN Global Education Youth Courage Award Winner, studying Development Studies with over 8 years of experience working directly with youth and children groups in promoting child rights, access to quality education and governance across Liberia. Beyan is the Founder/Executive Director of YOCEL, a Liberian non-profit organization that promotes quality education and provides a supportive platform challenging the creativity of young people. He serves as a member of the Learning Metrics Task Force 2.0 Global Citizenship Education Working Group on Policy, Advocacy, and Communication that is convened by the UN Youth Advocacy Group (YAG).

Chiemeka Sidney Iroegbu
Nigeria
Business & Entrepreneurship

Chiemeka Sidney Iroegbu is a healthcare professional with interests in business/entrepreneurship, leadership and volunteerism. He was named business man of the year by the University of Nigeria Radiography Students' Association in 2012. He is a leader and an active volunteer for medical missions with AWCAA, HIV/AIDS peer educator for Lifeline Plus Foundation and a member of GenLeaders Nigeria, a group of young professionals who mentor young school leaders in career choices.

He is the founder of CTHub, a clinical assistance platform in Medical Radiography profession and runs a blog (. He is also a feature editor for ER magazine. His company Cseal Nigeria hopes to create more access to healthcare instrumentation in Africa.

Ameh Grace Gbedeojo
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

Ameh Grace, a graduate of Chemistry and Education, works as an Administrative Officer at the Godfrey Okoye University Radio, and is involved in training students on broadcasting. She was Media Assistant (2012-2015) to Archbishop I.A. Kaigama, President of CBCN. She addressed over 3,000 youth on return from World Youth Day (WYD) in Brazil in 2013. She is an international volunteer with WYD2016 Media Committee in Poland. In 2013, she donated learning materials and sculptures as a community development project to OLCGSS, Taraba-Nigeria. Ameh believes in giving youth a voice to make their mark in society. This inspired her column, "Frank Talk with Young Minds" on "The Word of Life" Newspaper.

Olalekan John Adepoju
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

Working in a remote rural mission hospital, Olalekan John Adepoju demonstrated sound knowledge of evidence-based medical practice and outstanding skills in performing over seventy life-saving and disability-preventing surgical procedures within seven months despite paucity of resources. He leads a team of forty-three members of staff to coordinate facility-based SUSTAIN (Sustainable HIV Care and Treatment Action In Nigeria) Project funded by Caritas Nigeria (caritasnigeria.org) under the benevolence of CDC to cater for over 1000 HIV positive individuals, including some internally-displaced persons. He is a serial academic award winner, including the Nigeria Medical Association Award.

Sipasi Olalekan Ayodele
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

Children and youth are marginalized from community development activities in rural areas. Sipasi Olalekan Ayodele, a dogged entrepreneur driven with passion and enthusiasm in community development through sustainable agricultural processes, innovations, and appropriate technology, sees opportunities in turning waste into economic viable tool to fight hunger, alleviate poverty, protect the ozone layer systematically, and increase the socio-economic standard of communities, imbibing local content initiative. He won the 2015 Hidden Eco-Hero Award in Seoul, South Korea. He has trained and reached out to over 1,352 children and youth from diverse socio-economic backgrounds by establishing Children and Youths Inclusive Neighbourhood Spaces.

Ebrima Bah
Gambia
Civil Society Leadership

Ebrima Bah is a Gambian by nationality and Fula by tribe. He is 22 years old and is currently practicing as a nurse. Aside from his nursing career lies volunteerism. He is a Red Cross volunteer and the link leader for his community Red cross link, some of my links activities include social mobilization on polio camping, Ebola response and preparedness and community sensitizations on current health problems. He spearheads all activities which allow him to have a very good relationship with his community elders. He has successfully implemented the give dalasi to the Red Cross. Dalasi (Gambian money) was geared towards building an office for his local link. At the school level, he was the president of The Gambia’s only national college, ‘The Gambia College’. Ebrima is a journalist at Star and Teranga FM.

Mamadou A.H. Bah
Gambia
Civil Society Leadership

Mamadou Bah volunteers for the ActionAid International Youth Network (Activista The Gambia http://www.actionaid.org/gambia/what-we-do/activista-gambia) as Regional Trainer Ambassador between 2011-2014 and later rose to the position of regional Focal Person. As a Regional Trainer Ambassador, he facilitated a training of over 100 students and young professionals in Upper River Region on leadership and management skills, campaign planning, amongst others. Mr Bah is a youth activist and campaigner on end poverty, food insecurity, disaster risk reduction and resilience and recovery. Mr. Bah is the host of a civic engagement radio talk show with National Assembly members and local authorities in The Gambia on Paradise FM radio.

Haddy Jonga
Gambia
Civil Society Leadership

Haddy Jonga recently completed her LLB Program at the University of The Gambiaworking with Think Young Women, a young women-led non profit organization that seeks to create a new generation of enlightened young female leaders through capacity building, networking, mentorship, leadership development, advocacy and sexual and reproductive health of women and girls as the Program Officer. Between the past two years, Haddy has been involved in engaging about 550 young people from all parts of The Gambia to discuss issues relating to the rights women and girls specifically Female Genital Mutilation through various national and regional youth fora. She has been a Children and Women's Rights Activist for over a decade due to her interests in women and children at heart.

Binta M.L Ceesay
Gambia
Civil Society Leadership

Binta M.L Ceesay is the Program Development Officer for Kombo North Federation; a community based organization affiliated to ChildFund, and also serves as the communication focal person.

She facilitates and conducts training programs on leadership and management, funds mobilization and business development. She also served as a trainer on AFFLATEEN (www.Aflatoun.org), a social and financial education organization for youths, where she trained over 100 youth last year. She also serves as Volunteer for Karmic Angels which is a UK-based Charitable organization supporting Gambian communities through Fundraising programs ( in education, agriculture, and health.

Onyekachukwu Nnaemezie Ugwu
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

Growing in a society where human rights are demeaned, Onyekachukwu grew passionate about issues surrounding the universality and indivisibility of adolescents’ rights with peculiar interests to their right to life and security, right to be heard and right to sustainable livelihood. To that end, he trained 63 peers on Reproductive Health and Rights, HIV/AIDS care and prevention and trained 95 adolescents on educational and health topics through his Community Save Project in 2014. Currently, he provides HIV Testing Services under the Center for Family Health Initiative. Through his Teenagers’ Voice Network, he seeks to create effective interventions for the marginalized adolescents in community and domestic violence settings in Nigeria and Africa.

Arakpogun Hilda Isoken
Nigeria
Business & Entrepreneurship

Arakpogun Hilda Isoken, is a graduate from the University of Benin, Nigeria. After graduating university, she could not get a job, and decided to turn her events management hobby into a business venture. Hilda enjoys planning events, baking and training people in the world of events management. She trains them to become better people, planners and contributors to the community. She also visits orphanages across her community to play with the children and support then plan events.

Imrana Alhaji Buba
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

Born and brought up in North-Eastern Nigeria (a hotbed of the Boko Haram insurgency), Imrana Alhaji Buba founded the Youth Coalition Against Terrorism (YOCAT), a volunteer-based youth-led organization with over 600 members that aims to unite young people against violent extremism in Nigeria through counter- radicalization enlightenment and empowerment programs. Owing to his incredible peace building work, Imrana won the 2016 Queen’s Young Leaders Award and was selected for the Generation Change fellowship of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and LEAP Africa Social Innovators Program. Mr. Buba holds a BSc in Political Science (First Class) from the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria.

Philips Olasurubomi Durojaiye
Nigeria
Business & Entrepreneurship

Philips Durojaiye is an entrepreneur and inventor. He is the CEO and Chief Inventor at Mydaz Aerospace (www.mydazaerospace.com), of which their primary project is the development of long distance cargo drones to deliver packages and humanitarian needs over inaccessible areas. He takes advantage of every opportunity to make a dierence and has impacted over 2,000 young individuals since 2013 through donation of rst aid boxes to schools and police stations, organizing mentorship sessions and seminars on different platforms, and hosting one of the rst major skating marathons in West Africa "Pro Sleek Skatathon 2013." He believes that many problems can be solved by looking at them from different dimensions.

Gertrude Futi Amewuda
Ghana
Business & Entrepreneurship

Gertrude Futi Amewuda is a young graduate of the University Of Ghana. She currently works with the Institute of Statistical Social And Economic Research as a national service personnel. It is her aim to inuence the society around her and the world at large to be a better place to live. In her quest to achieve all these, she chooses to be a peace activist and a humanitarian and one of the great entrepreneurs in her time so that she may encourage others to do same. In this way, she wants to achieve this aim so that generations and this present age will be a better place to live: a place conducive for everyone to be.

Joseph Zotoo
Ghana
Business & Entrepreneurship

Joseph Zotoo is the CEO and co-founder of FindMe, his third successful startup company that has created a very ecient solution to this problem (www.ndme.city). His desire to establish the biggest research & development rm in Africa and use literature to stimulate change keeps him writing on sensitive societal issues; www.writeghana.blogspot.com, www.senseclimategh.blogspot. com and other sites employ ten students in his publishing rm. He is the membership chairman of IDEA Africa, an NGO that focuses on educational development in rural areas.

Jennifer Adade Ampong
Ghana
Civil Society Leadership

Jennifer Adade Ampong is the Founder of ‘Our Future Leaders Our Hope,’ a project that reaches the less privileged, especial young females in the Nkoransa community in the Atwima Kwanwoma District of Kumasi. She started this project in 2014 and has since trained and empowered 18 students with the help of 3 teachers. Our Future Leaders Our Hope is an after school to help the students get a better understanding of topics studied during school and also to provide them with assistance on their homework. Jennifer procures and donates stationery’s, footwear and food items to the students in her project, Our Future Leaders Our Hope, on a monthly basis.

Jacqueline Oyimer
Ghana
Civil Society Leadership

Africa needs for good leaders such as Jacqueline Oyimer to passionately teach young people the art of leadership. She develops curriculums for the Adinkrahene Leadership Program (http://www.alphabeta.edu.gh/alp/) and with her rich experience in Youth Leadership and Personal Development, she serves as a counselor, mentor and coach on the program that purposefully equips 101 students with dynamic leadership skills and ensures that 46 of them who have been placed on Individual Success Plans achieve their goals. She is also the Director of African Youth Excellence Abroad, a program uniquely designed for African Youth in Diaspora to study, intern, research, impact and explore opportunities in Africa and promote brain gain.

Morenikeji Damola Aanu
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

A leadership, education and human capital development enthusiast, Damola Morenikeji has impacted over 250 emerging leaders from over 35 countries globally, through Studership - an international youth leadership academy which connects, engages and equips emerging leaders to innovatively creating solutions to problems in their societies. In 2015, he along with other GlobalYouthAmbassadors and partners mobilized support for education through the #UpforSchool campaign which sought to pressure leaders/government for action, with 10 million signatures globally. Damola leads the team at AllforDevelopment, an organization he started at age 16.

Peremene Raphael Fuludu
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

When ood ravaged Nigeria in October 2012, Comrade (Engr.) Fuludu Raphael Peremene, mobilized about 200 youth volunteers who assisted in supervising/ organizing shelter, food, personal ect for the internally displaced persons across various camps in Delta state, Nigeria and also provided free computer training for over 500 young persons, using his resources as a youth leader from National Youth Council of Nigeria and his experience as a member of the Nigerian Red Cross Society. He facilitated the development of various agricultural enterprise for over 1000 persons in Nigeria. He is the Founder/Executive Coordinator of FADEVOIN (www.fadevoin.org), a youth focused organization he started in 2015 advocating for the creation of opportunities for youth across Africa.

Amaka Jane Ekezie-Joseph
Nigeria
Civil Society Leadership

Amaka J. Ekezie-Joseph holds a Bachelors Degree in History and International Relations. As a young African passionate about issues affecting children and the girl child, Amaka started an informal campaign in 2014 that educates youths, high school students, and women in Nigeria about the dangers of child abandonment.

A passionate writer, she also runs a blog (amakaekezie.blogspot.com) where she publishes short ction and essays concerning other contemporary issues. Amaka is determined to carve a niche for herself, make a dierence in her community and she also embraces the unity of the African people even in their diversity.

Aquila Awam Kalagbor
Nigeria
Business & Entrepreneurship

Mr Aquila A. Kalagbor is presently as co-founder at Silicon South technologies; he has been driven into entrepreneurship by the belief in the potential for simple technology to drive social change. He has a diverse educational and career backgrounds in banking, nance, oil and gas and computer programming, which has given him a broad spectrum of thinking and solving problems. He is passionate about youth and agriculture and is currently nding ways to improve the sector with simple mobile application technology.

Victor Adane-Barifi
Ghana
Public Services Management

Between 2008 and 2011, Victor Adane-Bari, was involved in community based activities including Peer education, Guidance and Career Counseling, on the dangers of Teenage pregnancy and unsafe abortions and a general awareness of HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention and choosing a career after school in almost all the Second cycle institutions of the Kwahu-District in the Eastern Region.

Mr Adane-Bari, is an organizing member of Student’s Against Aids (SAA)/ Oce of the Dean of Students (KNUST), a Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Programme organized in conjunction with the United States Peace Corps in April 2009. It was largely successful with the screening of more students than 200 students on their HIV and hepatitis C status.

Aminu Bonifacio
Ghana
Public Services Management

Aminu Bonifacio is a graduate of Sunyani Polytechnic with a Higher National Diploma in General Agricultural and a nal year student at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Forest Resources Technology. He is the Administrator at Brong Ahafo Research & Extension Centre (BAREC) and doubles as the Senior Administrative Assistant at the General Agriculture Department of Sunyani Polytechnic. In 2009, Aminu was awarded the Entrepreneurial Action in Us (ENACTUS) International, a service leadership award for students in free enterprise. He hopes to develop a successful career in sustainable agriculture and international development.

Nadia Akosua Nyarko
Ghana
Business & Entrepreneurship

Nadia Nyarko is a senior student of the University of Ghana and also works as the Personal Assistant to Arnold Boateng, CEO of Axis Limited and General Secretary of Alliance for Accountable Governance. She has completed the Ghana Exchange Program aimed at promoting inter-cultural diversity, intellectual advancement, HIV/AIDS awareness creation and development of quality leadership. She was the Acting SRC Secretary for University of Ghana (May 2014). She headed the Sponsorship Committee and became the First Lady Speaker of Parliament of Alexander Adum Kwapong Hall during the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 academic years respectively. She has won numerous awards including Best Public Speaker.

Derick Ekem Sedenkor
Ghana
Public Servives Management

Derick Ekem Sedenkor is the founding member of the Pan-African Interdisciplinary Research Consortium-PAIR-C, (www.paircafrica.org) a research and community development organization with members from several countries in Africa. He has undertaken research in the assessment of water quality and the management of a major water resource serving a population of 86,000 people in the Eastern region in Ghana. Derick undertook the sensitization and education of 2,000 young people in schools in the Eastern region in the management of their environment for sustainable development as part of his national service and volunteer work with the Environmental Protection Agency.

Adedamola David Adejobi
Ghana
Business & Entrepreneurship

Adedamola has a great passion to help young people discover, develop, and maximize their leadership potentials right from their tender age, groom them to be difference makers in leadership, entrepreneurship, and the work place, and prepare them for life and make their world a better place. Every day, he derives his sense of fulfillment from helping his country explore and utilize the potency of the next generation of young people, which made him become an honorable member of the Nigerian Youth Parliament representing Osun East Senatorial District .His sense of fulfilment from helping his country explore and utilize the potency of the next generation of young people in the European Access Network made him a Student and Youth Ambassador.

Bless Atreku
Ghana
Business & Entrepreneurship

During her National Service Period in the Corporate Affairs Department of Nestlé Ghana, Bless Atreku was one of the facilitators of the Nestlé Healthy Kids Program. The project seeks to help children, families and teachers understand the basics of healthy lifestyles. The Program in Ghana has reached over 10,000 children and 360 teachers since it was launched in 2011. (www.nestle-cwa.com/en/csv/case-studies/ allcasestudies/nutrition-healthy-kids-ghana). Currently she is the Assistant Activations Team Lead in the Customer Care Department at Peg-Ghana Solar, the largest off-grid solar company, providing access to productive assets such as solar home systems to tens of thousands of Ghanaians.

Dr. Jemima Owusuaa Yeboah
Ghana
Public Services Management

The challenges of rural health and its links with development struck Jemima Yeboah, even as a preclinical medical student. She actively involved herself in her medical students’ association and quickly rose to positions of responsibility and leadership as nancial secretary / vice president. She used her inuence to raise funds and mobilize other medical students to help address the challenges of rural populations through digging bore hole wells, assisting with adult education and providing free health screenings for over 800 people. As a medical doctor, Jemima remains a staunch advocate for female empowerment, health care management, and is interested in the social determinants of health and disease.

Freeman Ahegbebu
Ghana
Civil Society Leadership

Freeman Ahegbebu has a deep passion for community development, promoting education and assisting disadvantaged children. He is an innovative professional with ve years of leadership experience in the non-profit sector, focusing on international program management. He has a proven track record of building partnerships and coalitions among diverse interest groups. He is a ‘hands-on’ project manager who coordinates teams of up to 40 staff and volunteers. His accomplishments include: Managed large scale events/projects on time and within budget; Designed initiatives to secure local and international government contracts; and Project Manager a Stop Child Labour & Tracking Project.

Beatrice Wonder Ahli
Ghana
Public Services Management

Ms Beatrice Wonder Ahli is an administrative assistant at the School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (www.gaecgh.org). Ms. Ahli believes in given back to the community and is part of the "Prisons Ministry" at her local Pentecost Church in Accra, Ghana. She spearheads the donation drive at her church by soliciting for clothes, canned food and other items from members of her church and place of employment to provide provision to over 500 prisoners. Beatrice also worked as a volunteer for the Ghana National Election during both the 2004 and 2012 presidential elections.

Mina Okuru
Ghana
Civil Society Leadership

When a late course mate was diagnosed with leukemia, Mina Okuru mobilized friends and led them to embark on raising funds to support the patient nancially for two years. Mina is a communications specialist with experience and in-depth knowledge in corporate communications and public relations with excellent record in employee engagement, public relations and media strategy, public diplomacy, reputation and crises management. Mina is currently the Afrobarometer Communications Coordinator for Anglophone West Africa. She started as a Broadcast Journalist with Radio Universe developing content for news bulletins and produced various current affairs and lifestyle programs.

Kofi Asamoah
Ghana
Business & Entrepreneurship

Kofi Asamoah (born 1987) is a Ghanaian lm director, writer, and producer. He is the founder and CEO of KOFAS MEDIA, a lm, television and advertising production company. Kofi Asamoah is also the creator of hit youtube comedy series, BOYS KASA on www.youtube.com/boyskasaghana. Since 2012, he has discovered many inuential talents in the Ghanaian entertainment industry. Mention of Kofi Asamoah's discoveries can be made of KALYBOS and AHUOFE PATRI. Kofi Asamoah is described as one who seeks to raise the standard of lm production in Ghana and Africa by telling progressive African stories as seen through the eyes of Africans.

Asibi Tizaazumah Kombor
Ghana
Public Services Management

As a disaster management ocer, Asibi’s job entreats her to educate her community on the dangers of both natural and man-made disasters. Also relief and counselling services are offered to affected victims in cases of the occurrence of a disaster. During the June disaster in 2015 caused by both water and re, Asibi and her colleagues came together to mobilize funds from the surrounding industries to help those who didn't get what was due them due to political interference. As a disaster control ocer, she educates a lot of people both young and old, literate illiterate on the prevention of disasters in our communities and schools. I go to schools to educate children during their club meeting days on disaster prevention using stimulation exercises.

Shadrach Sarpei Kwadey
Ghana
Business & Entrepreneurship

Shadrach Sarpei Kwadey is a cofounder of 2 digital art companies; INDIGENE B.R.O.S and Poka Studios. Using digital arts as a mental transformative tool geared towards solving Africa's endemic problems is a motivation for he and his team. As a community advocate, he works with Taxi Drivers in his community by helping them develop realistic nancial plans to aid them to pay for car loans in a timely manner. He is the founder of the Goodfood Farms Project which aims at the development of innovative ways of implementing sustainable organic farming practices the tropical areas. He is the administrative and marketing Head of the GUBA Ghana team (www.gubaawards.co.uk). GUBA is a non-profit organization, which organizes events aimed at enhancing the bilateral relationship between Ghana and the UK.

Noble Kofi Nazzah
Ghana
Public Services Management

I am a teacher and a mentor. My key attributes are a strong commitment to multidisciplinary learning and social improvement. Teaching is an activity that gives me great fulfillment. I have been teaching ocially since the age of 17.

I have facilitated sessions in Chemistry, Mathematics, Human Geography and Diplomacy. My Principal commended my leadership, unwavering drive and tireless devotion to the success of countless programs designed to broaden students' awareness and sense of agency, in terms of their role in Ghana's development and the world beyond, adding tremendous value to their educational experience at The Roman Ridge School.

Heidi Wellington
Ghana
Business & Entrepreneurship

Heidi Wellington is currently studying Development Communication at African University College of Communication in Accra. She has an Advanced Diploma in Project Management. She is currently with Delin Consult as a Secretary and has over five (5) years of experience in customer service and administration.

She's passionate about empowering the youth especially the vulnerable in the society in order to liberate them from poverty, effects of negative cultural practices, teenage pregnancy among others. She believes that when young people are empowered they make informed decisions and are instrumental in the development of their society and even the world at large.

Abigail Opoku Ayeh
Ghana
Civil Society Leadership

Abigail Opoku Ayeh is a self-motivated Biomedical Scientist who undertakes laboratory investigations and uses the knowledge acquired to help her community. Before polio eradication in Ghana, she participated in immunization exercises organized by the Ministry of Health (M.O.H) and the administering of vitamin A supplement for children in her zone. Occasionally, together with some colleagues, she holds presentations on general health issues bothering the vulnerable and the aged in churches and advises them on preventive health. She also counsels and mentors the youngsters preparing for entrance examinations and advises them on courses leading to their career choices.

Eunice Mintah Young
Ghana
Business & Entrepreneurship

Eunice Mintah Young is the Legal Assistant at Barclays Bank. As a communication graduate from the Ghana Institute of Journalism, she has mentored over 3000 students from selected high schools from across the ten regions of Ghana. Since May 2013, she volunteered as the Marketing Lead for Junior Camp Ghana, a career guidance and mentoring program run by the GhanaThink Foundation, where she successfully mobilized over 200 young professionals to mentor students across the ten regions of Ghana on the career path they would want to take.

Peter Danwaah
Ghana
Civil Society Leadership

Peter Danwaah has two years’ experience in community service and advocacy and has been actively involved in several developmental programs in his community. He enjoys caring for and assisting young children, women, youth and person with severe functional limitation, helping them bring about social change and improve the qualities of life. He is co-founder of Vision Aid and Relief Agency (VARA) a local Faith Base organization aim at providing access to education, women empowerment, youth development and improving the life’s of the vulnerable in the society. He works with many women groups as a volunteer educating them on nancial literacy in part of Upper West Region of Ghana to improve their knowledge on managing their nances and the need to save towards the future. He is a volunteer for Jacobs Well Appeal Ghana.

Dr. Albert Kojo Hammond
Ghana
Business & Entrepreneurship

Dr. Albert Hammond is currently the Head of the Dental Department of the Narh-Bita Hospital, a leading private hospital in Tema. In a time frame of two and half years at the helm, he has transformed the unit into one of the formidable dental practices in the city with a diverse array of dental services provided. He is also actively involved in volunteerism; currently the head of the hospital's blood donation and welfare committees. He is also a volunteer youth coach with the HuD group, a youth-youth outreach ministry in Ghana where he mentors young people in second and third cycle institutions. He also regularly partakes in community-based dental outreach programs in the rural towns and villages in Ghana with previous collaborations with Global Brigades.

Janix Kwabena Asare
Ghana
Civil Society Leadership

Janix Kwabena Asare is the founder and executive director of Geo-Heads Ghana (geoheads.wordpress.com), a geospatial intelligence organization for Geographic Information System, (GIS) advocacy, research and education of youth in the applications of GIS to develop practical and effective solutions to environmental problems in their communities. He combines community mapping with GIS technology for spatial learning, information exchange, and analysis. His community involvements include donations to orphanages, transition management (t-group.science) for over 12,000 people, and teaching and counseling over 100 young people in Ghana.

Linda Adjei
Ghana
Business & Entrepreneurship

After been trained at Africa Lead II at its Champions for Change Leadership in Agriculture Workshop, she mobilized 7 of her colleagues at the training to form an NGO in 2015 of which she is the Monitoring and Evaluation Manager. The vision is to form a network of youth to lead change towards achieving food security, sustained economic growth, eradicate extreme hunger and poverty and lead agricultural transformation in Africa through capacity building, evidence based policy advocacy, knowledge sharing and creating network linkages. This has been made possible with the help of Africa Lead who signed an MOU with her network in September, 2015 to support her activities. In June, 2015, she was awarded a beneficiary of the Youth Enterprise Support Initiative by the President of Ghana to assist her in her agriculture career.

Owusu Daniel Antwi
Ghana
Business & Entrepreneurship

Mr. Owusu Daniel Antwi, led a community youth campaign on environmental cleanliness and healthy in his local environment, Medina in Accra, Ghana. He also led the Task Force of pirated clothes during his National Service at the Tariff Advisory Board of within the Ministry of Trade and Industry. He has developed good planning and organizational skills. Daniel received a bachelor’s degree in Renewable Natural Resources with specialty in Forestry and Forest Resource Management.

Elinam Afi Adadevoh
Ghana
Civil Society Leadership

Elinam Adadevoh designed, developed, delivered, implemented and evaluated the Young Leaders Mentorship Program (YLMP). Using her inuence as program manager of Databank Foundation, Elinam led the mentoring of 166 secondary school students from Kinbu Secondary Technical School and Accra High School. The focus of the program is to build the confidence of Ghanaian youth and build a new generation of leaders.

Though she no longer works at Databank, the program still exists. Elinam currently focuses on assisting African businesses grow in the competitive global market. She is a management consultant who has a deep passion to help restore Africa’s dignity in the international community.

Elizabeth Patterson
Ghana
Civil Society Leadership

Elizabeth Akua-Nyarko Patterson is the founder and executive director of the Girls education initiative of Ghana, (GEIG). GEIG's mission is to provide academic and nancial support for girls including applicants with special needs, so they may access secondary, higher education, and professional opportunities. Since 2014, GEIG has supported twelve students in the Ashanti and Greater Accra regions of Ghana in their transition from basic school to junior high school. Two of the twelve girls are now enrolled in senior high school and the remaining ten will fully transition by the 2017/2018 academic years.

Bright Atawiah Kwami Adoboe
Ghana
Civil Society Leadership

In 2009, Bright Atawiah Adoboe noticed a rise in the mortality rate in his village in the Volta Region and took a decision to investigate and minimize the trouble. In collaboration with the Regional Minister and the Chiefs, he mobilized a total of 63 volunteers including medical experts and his colleague students from University of Ghana to conduct a health promotion project. The project, which served a total 955 members of the community, challenged Bright's passion towards community health interventions to establish Freedom Aid Ghana (www.freedomaidgh.com) to champion health promotion projects in Ghana.

Bernadette Ekua Bedua Afful
Ghana
Civil Society Leadership

Bernadette Afful is a young travel consultant and an upcoming project manager; she is a volunteer for Africa ICT Right (www.africaictright.org) as a Communication Ocer. She has been part of the team reaching out to schools and communities with ICT training and equipment. One of the projects which focus on young girls called Girls in Tech (gtech.africaictright.org) has reached out to over 800 young girls in Ghana and still counting. She is currently the Manager of Vitus B Travel and Tour in Sunyani. It is Bernadette’s dream to make an impact in Africa and the world at large some day.

Ama Amoabea Baiden
Ghana
Civil Society Leadership

Ama Amoabea Baiden was moved with compassion in December 2009 to start a special program, which focuses on teaching, training and development of children and teenagers to become good and responsible citizens. This was based on her passion to raise young leaders who will positively affect their families, communities and Ghana as a whole. Currently, she is a coordinator of a non-denominational Saturday school for over two hundred children at Alogboshie, a suburb of Accra.

Jacob Kwaku Gyan
Ghana
Business & Entrepreneurship

With a keen eye for business opportunities, Jacob Kwaku Gyan is the CEO of the Hub Multimedia which was incorporated under the laws of Ghana in 2014 and is owned and employs. Under the leadership of Jacob, the Hub Multimedia has set-up an IT venture (www.strasys.com), a newspaper (The Hub) and an event organization team, which employs 20 people. Jacob has led the Hub to organize non-profitable skills development seminars on some university campuses in Ghana including the University of Ghana, Legon and University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani. Jacob Kwaku Gyan worked as regional coordinator for programs, student affairs and Public relations with the Greater Accra Regional SRC under the Ghana Education Service and served on the National Executive Committee of the National Union of Ghana Students.

Dr. Bernard Aanoume Ziem
Ghana
Public Services Management

Dr. Bernard Ziem is a physician working with the Ministry of Health since 2010. He obtained his medical degree from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) School of Medical Sciences (2010) and holds a Masters degree in International Health from Heidelberg University, Germany (2015). Currently, he is the medical ocer in charge of Hain Polyclinic, serving over 50,000 inhabitants in a deprived area in the Upper West Region. He has been the pioneer medical ocer working to establish and sustain basic medical services in other deprived areas in the Upper West region and has been a source of inspiration to many other young health care practitioners.

Robert Tanti Ali
Ghana
Civil Society Leadership

Robert Tanti Ali is a counselor in Assin North Senior High Technical School offering support to students from all the ten regions of Ghana as well as serving as the lead campaigner of the Anti-Teenage Pregnancy Campaign, an initiative against teen pregnancies in Ghana by his organization, Youth Alliance for Development. His campaign has equipped several students in rural schools in Adansi South and Obuasi with comprehensive information on sexual reproductive health.

Dominic Benson Sinsa
Ghana
Business & Entrepreneurship

Dominic B. Sinsa is a highly motivated and determined young graduate from KNUST, Ghana with a strong passion and drive for entrepreneurship and the desire to bring about positive change in every environment He nds himself in. He currently leads a small focus group of 10 young entrepreneurs in Wa, were they basically help each other in running their businesses. He has a vegetable farm and dreams and plans, in the near future to run amongst several other businesses, a Real Estate Development company to target the low and middle income earners in Ghana in order to help them own decent accommodations.

David Awine Aniah
Ghana
Business & Entrepreneurship

David is a 30-year-old physically disabled social entrepreneur who lives in Bolgatnga in the Upper East Region of Ghana. He exports straw baskets woven by persons with disabilities from Bolgatanga, Ghana to Denmark, Sweden, France and New York and has been working on this business for the past three years with partners. He trained 97 Persons with Disabilities in employable skills and they are all fully working, having constructed a permanent weaving center for the Weavers in Nyariga, and a modern Computer Lab for T.I Ahamadiyya Junior High and furnished it with desktop computers. 8 Tricycles and 9 wheelchairs have also been distributed.

Henrietta Asiedu
Ghana
Civil Society Leadership

After the June 3rd disaster in Ghana, which claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed properties, Henrietta Asiedu educated over 200 school children to take positive action towards the environment using her knowledge in research and advocacy in the Environmental Education Program (EEP). She develops content for publication and manages website/social media platforms for Conservation Alliance (www.conservealliance.org). She is the Event Coordinator for Little Green Hands Ghana, an annual environmental program for children and youth, which she started late last year to inform minds, reform lives and transform behaviors for improved human and environmental well-being.

Salia Alidu
Ghana
Business & Entrepreneurship

Alidu Salia is from the Upper West region of Ghana and works as a teacher and small scale farmer in his community. In 2002 he was a PRA for an NGO in the Upper West region for one month. Serving in a smaller community in the Sissala West District in 2007/2008, he led the urinal facility in the community. School children used to urinate any how which was not good for their health, and he therefore mobilized the community members through a PTA meeting. After his SHS education in 1999 he was also a volunteer teacher in his community for one year just to help cover the teacher deficit in his community.