Fashion & Beauty
Abasiekeme Ukanireh
Fashion & Beauty
Abasiekeme Ukanireh
Fashion & Beauty
Abasiekeme Ukanireh is the founder and Creative Director of Éki Kéré, a Nigerian fashion label launched in 2020 that merges African heritage with sustainable design. Hailing from Ikot Ekpene, a town famed as “Raffia City,” she draws on deep cultural roots, using locally sourced raffia, natural dyes, and biodegradable materials to reimagine traditional craftsmanship with a modern sensibility.Combining a background in environmental tech and circular‑fashion research with hands‑on tailoring experience, Ukanireh designs pieces meant to minimize waste and environmental impact, garments that celebrate culture while respecting the planet.In 2025, Éki Kéré’s runway at Lagos Fashion Week was a standout for its sustainable elegance, and Ukanireh also captured attention with the Utonne Rafia doll, a playful, culturally resonant creation that had everyone talking amid the Labubu craze. Through her work, Abasiekeme continues to push the boundaries of fashion, crafting pieces and experiences that honor heritage, sustainability, and storytelling in equal measure.
Adeola Adeyemi
Fashion & Beauty
Adeola Adeyemi
Fashion & Beauty
Adeola Adeyemi is the founder and CEO of Beauty by AD, a Nigerian cosmetics brand she launched in 2016 to fill a gap she saw in beauty inclusivity and product quality. Before that, she began her career modelling and working as a video vixen; later she trained formally in makeup artistry at Make-Up Designory (MUD), turning her lifelong passion for colour, craft and styling into a full‑blown business.Today, Adeola is recognised as one of Nigeria’s top beauty influencers, she has released inclusive cosmetic lines, and set a standard for beauty entrepreneurship rooted in confidence, versatility, and cultural authenticity. In March 2025, Adeyemi represented the Nigerian beauty industry at the UK House of Lords. As part of the "Global Rise of Nigerian Soft Power" initiative, she was recognized for her role in building bridges across borders through entrepreneurship and cultural influence.Beyond product development, Beauty by AD also runs Face of Beauty by AD, an annual beauty contest created to support young women interested in modeling. The platform offers visibility, mentorship, and professional opportunities, with winners representing the brand for a year.
Amy Aghomi
Fashion & Beauty
Amy Aghomi
Fashion & Beauty
Amy Aghomi is the visionary founder and Creative Director of her eponymous luxury fashion label, a brand she launched in 2016 in Warri, Delta State. Since moving operations to Lagos in 2017, she has transformed the label into a go‑to name for couture and bridal fashion.The label gained wider recognition when her designs were worn by high-profile figures including Davido and Chioma Adeleke for select wedding looks, as well as brides Sharon Ooja and Toni Tones. Her work has also appeared on celebrities such as Mercy Eke and Adesua Etomi, reinforcing her presence on red carpets and major cultural moments.Aghomi dominated fashion headlines during the 2025 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards (AMVCA) with the "Diamond, Water and Light" gown designed for Mercy Eke. The crystal-encrusted piece was widely cited as one of the most iconic looks of the year.Known for marrying traditional African aesthetics with polished silhouettes, from striking bridal gowns to red carpet and couture wear. Her 2025 collection “Water to Wine” further cemented her status as a designer eager to channel elegance into fashion.
Ifeanyi Nwune ADJ
Fashion & Beauty
Ifeanyi Nwune ADJ
Fashion & Beauty
Ifeanyi Nwune is the creative mind behind fashion label I.N Official, a Lagos‑based brand redefining African menswear and unisex fashion with a mix of streetwear, tailored staples, and cultural textures.In August, Nwune made global headlines by unveiling "Transcendence" at Africa Fashion Week London. Created in partnership with Meta, it was the first fashion collection developed using Meta AI tools (Search and Imagine) at every stage, from fabric selection and pattern concepts to visual storytelling. He went on to execute partnerships with global brands Aston Martin & Glenfiddich.As the founder of VVS Lagos, Nwune led the 4th edition of the creative convention in July 2025. Themed "Este Fuego: The Fire Forging The Future," the event expanded into a week-long festival featuring film screenings with AFRIFF, art exhibitions, and a high-concept fashion show supported by the Federal Ministry of Arts and Culture.Nwune is a rare breed of creative director who understands that to truly clothe the future, one must first build the infrastructure to support it.
Ifedayo Agoro
Fashion & Beauty
Ifedayo Agoro
Fashion & Beauty
Ifedayo Agoro is a Lagos-based Nigerian lifestyle entrepreneur and creative storyteller. She is the founder of Diary of a Naija Girl (DANG) and the CEO of DANG! Lifestyle, brands making a mark on digital communities for women and beauty in Africa.When Ifedayo realized her community was spending fortunes on European skincare that wasn't formulated for African humidity or melanin-rich skin, she launched DANG! Lifestyle in 2020 to address that need, launching a line of science-backed skincare and home fragrances. She has since scaled the brand, establishing stores in the UK, Canada, USA, Kenya, and Ghana. This solved massive shipping hurdles for the diaspora, effectively making DANG! one of the first Nigerian beauty brands to achieve seamless, localized global fulfillment.Following her 2024 Victoria Island flagship, 2025 saw the launch of DANG! Lifestyle Experience Centers in new territories. These physical retail locations and sensory hubs feature scent bars for her famous oud-based perfumes, as well as private consultations for skin repair.Agoro has been a vocal leader in the anti-bleaching movement, introducing a climate-adaptive SPF and serum range specifically formulated for high-UV regions, to promote skin repair over lightening.Her event, DANG Women Fest, doubled in scale this year, serving as a platform for networking and mentorship for female founders.
Omoyemi Akerele
Fashion & Beauty
Omoyemi Akerele
Fashion & Beauty
Omoyemi Akerele is the driving force behind modern Nigerian fashion. As founder and CEO of Lagos Fashion Week (LFW) and creative‑development agency Style House Files, she has spent over two decades expanding the reach of Nigerian and African designers, turning local creativity into global influence. Her path began in law, then styling and editorial work, before she answered a larger call: to build a platform that nurtures talent, culture, and industry growth from within.Since launching LFW in 2011, Akerele has shaped it into Africa’s leading fashion event, one that draws thousands of visitors, media, buyers, and creative professionals from across the world and has propelled designers like Orange Culture, Lisa Folawiyo and Iamisigo into international recognition.In 2025, her work reached a historic peak when Lagos Fashion Week won the prestigious Earthshot Prize in the “Build a Waste‑Free World” category, one of the most respected global awards for environmental innovation, beating 2,500 nominees and securing £1 million to scale circular fashion solutions rooted in African craftsmanship and sustainability.Akerele’s influence spans advisory roles with global institutions, speaking engagements on climate action and industry leadership, and robust advocacy for African creative agencies on international stages. Her vision has transformed LFW from a runway event into an ecosystem builder that champions heritage, economic empowerment and responsible innovation, proving that fashion can be a driver of culture, community and global change.
Subuola Oyeleye
Fashion & Beauty
Subuola Oyeleye
Fashion & Beauty
Subuola Oyeleye is revolutionizing beauty retail across Africa as the founder and CEO of Beauty Hut Africa, a pioneering platform that bridges the gap between global beauty brands and African consumers. Launched to address the scarcity of authentic beauty products on the continent, her venture has grown into a trusted destination for premium cosmetics and skincare.
After gaining experience with global beauty giants like Sephora, Boots, and Target, she officially launched Beauty Hut Africa in November 2023. It has evolved from a passionate experiment into Nigeria's first venture-backed beauty retail startup.
Tolulope Oye
Fashion & Beauty
Tolulope Oye
Fashion & Beauty
Tolu Oye is the Nigerian-born, New York–based creative behind Meji Meji, the streetwear label she founded in 2020. Raised between Nigeria and the US, she studied fashion at the Fashion Institute of Technology before translating personal memory into design. Meji Meji draws heavily from Nollywood’s golden era, juju-era music, church aesthetics, vintage posters, and everyday Nigerian visual culture.The brand quickly carved out a distinct identity through bold graphics, oversized silhouettes, and unapologetically African references, resonating with a global, diasporic audience. Beyond clothing, Meji Meji operates as a cultural archive and conversation, reframing African nostalgia as something current, wearable, and forward-looking. Through the label, Oye challenges how African stories are told in fashion, grounding her work in heritage while speaking directly to a new generation.
Tomike Adeoye
Fashion & Beauty
Tomike Adeoye
Fashion & Beauty
Tomike Adeoye is busy building her own luxury architecture through Malliá World. The brand has bridged the gap between the ephemeral nature of social media and the tactile world of high-end commerce. To her nearly one million followers, she isn't just a screen-bound personality; she is 'Olori Ebi,' a leader who has turned the parasocial relationship into a blueprint for modern African entrepreneurship.In 2025, Malliá World evolved from a high-performing e-commerce brand into a physical landmark in the Nigerian luxury beauty space. The brand is a case study in how "influencer-led" businesses can achieve institutional scale through strategic infrastructure and product quality.Malliá established a reputation for ethically sourced human hair, which helped them capture a significant portion of the "high-end bridal" and "corporate professional" markets, while streamlining their international shipping and "walk-in and pick-up" systems in 2025, making Malliá one of the few Nigerian beauty brands with a seamless global delivery pipeline.
Uzodinma Esther
Fashion & Beauty
Uzodinma Esther
Fashion & Beauty
Esther Uzodinma is the founder of EsteBare, a Nigerian beauty brand dedicated to hair‑removal and skincare solutions specifically formulated for melanin‑rich skin. Drawing from her own experiences with hormonal skin challenges, Esther created products that prioritize gentle, effective, and inclusive self-care.Through EsteBare, she empowers people to embrace confidence and body positivity while providing expert guidance on skincare routines and personal grooming. Her work bridges innovation, accessibility, and cultural understanding, establishing her as one of Nigeria’s rising voices in beauty entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship
Adaobi Ajegbo & Tritima Achigbu
Entrepreneurs
Adaobi Ajegbo & Tritima Achigbu
Entrepreneurs
Adaobi Ajegbo is a product designer with a background in design systems, and Tritima Achigbu is a finance and strategic operations professional. Together, they developed an ecosystem based on trust and financial transparency.They co-founded Crowdr in response to the infrastructure gaps revealed during the EndSARS protests. Going beyond simple fundraising, Crowdr was established in 2022 for mutual aid and to support individuals aiming for positive impact in their communities.They have also partnered with Nigerian corporations to manage their CSR more effectively by connecting them directly with verified community projects.Adaobi and Tritima successfully scaled the platform to handle a diverse range of needs, reaching a critical mass of verified users. So far, their platform has raised over 100 million naira in over a year with over 6000 donors and campaigns.
Chidi Ajaere
Entrepreneurs
Chidi Ajaere
Entrepreneurs
Taking over his family business at the age of 21, Chidi Ajaere executed a total overhaul by turning a traditional transport company into a technology-driven mobility platform. The GIG Group has expanded into a self-sustaining ecosystem through Ajaere’s visionary leadership as Chairman, branching into GIG Logistics (GIGL), Stella's Banking and Finance, Ziuss Energy, and Richmondhill Real Estate.He was appointed to the Presidential Economic Coordination Council, a role he has effectively utilized to advocate for private-sector-led industrial growth and logistics reform. Ajaere successfully brokered a deal to deploy Jet Systems' electric vehicles for mass transit in Delta State. This partnership includes the installation of solar-powered charging stations along strategic highways, creating a green corridor for regional travel.Chidi has moved from being a successful second-generation heir to a pioneer of Africa’s industrial future. While he first made headlines for modernizing God is Good Motors (GIGM), he has advanced logistics through modern technology and energy solutions.
Deola & Darey Art Alade
Entrepreneurs
Deola & Darey Art Alade
Entrepreneurs
Deola and Darey Art Alade have consistently raised the bar in the creative and entertainment industry. As the co-founders of Livespot360, they have transitioned from their individual roots in design and music into a powerhouse duo changing how the world experiences Nigerian culture.Together, they successfully scaled Entertainment Week Lagos into a pan-African platform. The inaugural edition attracted 28,683 participants from over 8 countries across multiple venues, positioning Lagos as Africa’s creative capital.The Art Alades set new standards for African entertainment with the month-long Detty December Fest. This cultural takeover, with a mix of musical performances from international legends and African heavyweights, brought together Lagosians and diasporans for a time of immersive entertainment. Through their ambitious achievements, Deola and Darey are building refineries for Africa’s most valuable resource.
Femi Oriowo & Fawaz Abdul
Entrepreneurs
Femi Oriowo & Fawaz Abdul
Entrepreneurs
Femi Oriowo and Fawaz Abdul first met in 2015 at the University of Lagos during an OLX sales program. Carbin Africa, a Nigerian B2B automotive tech startup, was founded in 2023 to digitize car sales and inventory for dealers. They built an AI-powered platform to aggregate and verify these listings in real-time.Building on their experiences as ex-employees at Cars45, their startup aimed to simplify the process of car purchasing by solving the problem of unverified listings and fragmented middlemen.The duo successfully secured $300,000 in pre-seed funding from 54Collective and surpassed ₦1 billion in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) within a year. Oriowo and Abdul moved the brand beyond Lagos, establishing footprints in Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Kaduna, effectively nationalizing their data-driven business model.With over 1600 merchants and 400 dealers with real-time analytics and verified inventory, they have turned Nigeria’s automotive industry into a transparent, bankable asset class.
Hakeem Disu
Entrepreneurs
Hakeem Disu
Entrepreneurs
As the founder and CEO of Lihon Energy and Kadara Agric, Hakeem Disu pioneered a model that uses renewable technology to turn smallholder farming into a bankable industry. He combined solar energy with modern farm management, providing water, power, and market access, that allow rural communities to prosper.Recognizing how much Nigerian farmers lose annually due to poor irrigation, Disu launched a solar-powered water pump initiative. Lihon Energy deployed thousands of pumps across climate-vulnerable zones, allowing for year-round cultivation for the first time in many regions.He scaled Kadara Agric into a platform that provides end-to-end support from precision farming technology and soil management to direct linkages with supermarkets and exporters, ensuring farmers get premium prices for their yields.
Ibidapo Lawal
Entrepreneurs
Ibidapo Lawal
Entrepreneurs
Ibidapo Lawal is a Drexel University MBA alumnus who founded Neveah Limited in 2014. He elevated the company from a small commodities startup into one of the fastest-growing commodities companies in Nigeria, exporting solid minerals and agro-commodities to over 15 countries.Despite high inflation rates and currency volatility, the company raised a cumulative total of ₦25.51 billion through Commercial Paper (CP) issuances and successfully redeemed multiple series, maintaining a rare 100% repayment record.His greatest feat this year, however, was the completion and commissioning of a 44,000 MT aluminum and copper recycling plant in Ogun state, with an annual production capacity of 36,000 metric tons of aluminum and 8,100 metric tons of copper. Lawal is forging a path toward
profitability and sustainability in modern entrepreneurship with high-purity exports, and creating opportunities for employment within the industry.
Ifeoma Uddoh
Entrepreneurs
Ifeoma Uddoh
Entrepreneurs
Before launching Shecluded in 2019, Ifeoma spent over a decade in strategy consulting and analytics at firms like PwC and IROKO Partners. Her time in seed funding opened her eyes to the barriers women faced in receiving access to financial opportunities.Uddoh’s initiative provides loans, financial education, training, and a physical coworking hub in Lagos for female entrepreneurs. With over 50,000 women successfully trained across four African countries, the platform has disbursed over $4 million to women-led businesses.Shecluded partnered with ALX to announce the Tech Meets Finance Initiative, helping over 900 tech professionals master financial management and giving out grants to emerging female innovators. In collaboration with FHSA to implement the Advancing Nutrition Through Female-Led Food Processing (ANTFem) program, Ifeoma’s organisation empowered 133 women across five Nigerian states to enter the high-value agricultural export market.Using gender-focused technology, Ifeoma Uddoh is funding an overlooked demographic and creating a community of financially empowered women, making sure that no one is barred from taking a seat at the table.
Papa Omotayo
Entrepreneurs
Papa Omotayo
Entrepreneurs
Papa Omotayo is an architect, cultural facilitator, and researcher. As the founder of A Whitespace Creative Agency (AWCA) and Principal of MOE+Art Architecture (MOE+AA), Omotayo’s work has focused on using architecture to build structures and curate the soul of the city.Through AWCA, he has become a significant part of the Lagos creative scene, collaborating with artists such as Yinka Shonibare (notably Shonibare's Guest Artists Space Foundation), where he designed the main farmhouse and residency buildings, creating spaces for art, ecology, and cultural exchange in Lagos and Ijebu. He has also worked with institutions like ART X Lagos to create aesthetically captivating environments.As a lead collaborator with the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) in Benin City, he has turned structures from the colonial era into vibrant, futuristic creative spaces.Papa’s most visible achievement this year was the curation and spatial design of the Afrobeat Rebellion Exhibition at the Ecobank Pan-African Centre. Originally staged in Paris, Omotayo expanded the Lagos edition into a multi-sensory journey, reconstructing the Kalakuta Republic and the Afrika Shrine.
Richard Vedalago
Entrepreneurs
Richard Vedalago
Entrepreneurs
Richard Vedelago’s early career was defined by his involvement in the world of energy, luxury real estate, and oil and gas. He initially built his reputation as the Managing Director of Wrothams Windsor, a luxury property firm, as the go-to advisor for high-net-worth Africans investing in London, Dubai, and Nigeria.Vedelago soon focused on the intersection of art, architecture, and lifestyle. He founded Windsor Gallery, which now has a presence in Lagos, Abuja, and Abidjan. His most recent achievement was the opening of Nahous, located in the east wing of the historic Old Federal Palace Hotel, an architectural icon from Festac '77. He revamped the derelict space into a 2,500-square-meter modern creative hub, featuring a contemporary gallery, a concept store, a furniture showroom, and Bar 77.
Much of Richard’s work is inspired by the Bauhaus movement: the idea that art, design, and industry should be integrated to improve the way people live and think.
Seyi Asagun
Entrepreneurs
Seyi Asagun
Entrepreneurs
With over 20 years of experience in commercial banking, founded Entourage Integrated Trust Limited to solve the structure gap preventing small businesses from qualifying for traditional bank loans.Asagun’s business model prioritizes financial literacy, ensuring that MSMEs receive financial inflow and the education to use it productively. The financial institution expanded its operations to 29 Nigerian states, including underserved regions often overlooked by competitors.
His initiative to expand lending to female entrepreneurs, Weekly Group Product, also proved successful in leveraging the high repayment discipline of women-led businesses to drive economic growth.His devotion to financial inclusion and recognition of the informal sector’s contributions to the economy have made his company a lifeline for Nigeria’s underserved. The sustainable economic systems he has built over the years reinforces Seyi’s reputation as a leader who truly understands the heartbeat of Nigeria’s business ecosystem.
Art & Photography
Abdulwaduud Afolabi
Art & Photography
Abdulwaduud Afolabi
Art & Photography
Abdulwaduud Afolabi, popularly known by his professional moniker MrWaduud, is a contemporary Nigerian cross-disciplinary artist, art publicist, and digital strategist. He has carved a niche as a "creative advocate" who bridges the gap between traditional fine art and the modern creator economy.Beyond his personal studio practice, he is a formidable force in art publicity, managing a digital community over 100,000 strong where he promotes emerging artists and advocates for the professionalization of the art industry.He collaborated with seasoned curators like Nana Sonoiki to bridge the gap between digital-native creators and traditional art institutions, successfully bringing thousands of "digital first" art enthusiasts into physical gallery spaces.
Ayobami Ogungbe
Art & Photography
Ayobami Ogungbe
Art & Photography
Ayobami Ogungbe is a visual artist that uses photography, weaving and collage to prospect community and memory in the African identity. Ogungbe has pioneered a unique "weaving photography" technique. By slicing photographs into strips and hand-weaving them back together, he merges his background in photojournalism with the traditional craft of his hometown to explore themes of memory, identity, and displacement.From April to June 2025, he co-headlined a two-person exhibition at Rele Gallery, Los Angeles, alongside artist Terrick Gutierrez. The show facilitated a transcontinental dialogue on how architecture and environment shape personal history across the African Diaspora.In November, Ogungbe participated in the inaugural Black Muse Art Festival organized by Victor Ehikhamenor’s Angels and Muse. He was featured in the centerpiece exhibition, "Today, Tomorrow, the Moon Will Still Be," which explored the evolution of African sculpture and material experimentation.His 2025 works, such as "For The Love of God" and "Let the Boy Live," have gained significant traction in the international art market, with major pieces listed and sold through premier platforms like Artsy and Rele Gallery.
EMMANUEL ITEM
Art & Photography
EMMANUEL ITEM
Art & Photography
Emmanuel Uchenna Item is a 30-year-old Austrian-Nigerian visual and tattoo artist who is gaining international acclaim for bridging African heritage with contemporary body art. His work is a sophisticated reimagining of West African iconography, specifically the ancient Nsibidi script and Uli art, transforming these traditional symbols into modern, permanent narratives on the skin.He has successfully pioneered a "modern context" for traditional scripts. Rather than just replicating ancient practices, his 2025 portfolio focuses on creating new creative expressions that respect the intentions of his forefathers while appealing to a global, contemporary audience.Following his move back to his hometown from Berlin in late 2024, 2025 was the year he "unpacked" his international skills, establishing a high-frequency exchange of insights, quality standards, and skills between the African continent and the European art scene.
Fiyin Koko
Art & Photography
Fiyin Koko
Art & Photography
Fiyinfolowa Tunde-Onadele AKA Fiyin Koko is a Lagos-based multidisciplinary artist whose work serves as a whimsical yet profound celebration of Black womanhood. A self-taught creator inspired by her mother, she works across painting, sculpture, digital illustration, and photography.In celebration of International Women’s Month, Koko was the first artist-in-residence at AMAH Studio, and the residency culminated in her solo exhibition, "For Us and Of Us," which featured her most ambitious project to date: a nearly 40-foot-long canvas titled "Somewhere in Between."In September, Koko achieved a major career milestone by participating in the FNB Art Joburg fair in South Africa. Her work was featured in the group presentation "Echoes of the In-Between," curated by Fresco Gallery, marking her successful entry into the southern African art market.2025 saw Koko deepen her engagement with "artivism" through ceramics. Influenced by the ancient Benin pottery traditions, she began incorporating traditional firing techniques from her ancestral village into her modern sculptural works, bridging the gap between ancient craft and contemporary surrealism.
Idris Olabode
Art & Photography
Idris Olabode
Art & Photography
Idris Olabode is a Lagos-based ceramic artist and instructor who has become a leading figure in the contemporary revival of Nigerian pottery. Often working under his studio brand, Clay of Lagos, Olabode is known for a deeply philosophical and introspective approach to ceramics. He views his work not merely as the creation of physical vessels, but as a "scientific exploration" and a medium for storytelling, emotional awareness, and healing.Throughout 2025, Olabode has been celebrated for his ability to merge Yoruba cultural motifs with a minimalist, modern aesthetic. His studio practice has been recognized for bridging the gap between ancient tradition and contemporary wellness.Having honed his skills through a mix of hands-on failure and high-level mentorship from figures like Professor Michael Olugbile, Olabode expanded his role as an instructor in 2025. He has been vocal about using pottery to teach virtues like Sabr (patience) to a new generation of Nigerian creatives.
Josh egesi
Art & Photography
Josh egesi
Art & Photography
Josh Egesi is a Lagos-based interdisciplinary designer and "culture conservator" from Abia State who has become one of the most exciting voices in modern African industrial design. Trained in Fine Art (Painting) at the University of Benin and Industrial Design at Auchi Polytechnic, Egesi merges high-concept art with functional engineering.He is the founder of the design studio Ike of Lagos, where he reimagines traditional African objects, from board games to musical instruments, through a futuristic, minimalist lens. This year, Egesi completed a prestigious residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. He was the first designer invited to the institution in its 60-year history, a landmark achievement that allowed him to bridge the gap between Nigerian material culture and the European design scene.Egesi scaled his initiative, Designers Directory Africa, a digital resource mapping Nigerian fabrication resources. This project aims to solve the "production gap" for African designers by connecting them with local artisans and manufacturers.
Maryam Hassan Bukar
Art & Photography
Maryam Hassan Bukar
Art & Photography
Maryam Hassan Bukar, popularly known by her stage name Alhanislam, is an internationally acclaimed Nigerian performance poet, storyteller, and social entrepreneur. A native of Borno State, she has become a leading voice for the "marginalized and the silenced," using her art to tackle systemic issues such as gender-based violence, maternal health, and regional conflict.In July, Maryam made history as the first person ever appointed as a United Nations Global Advocate for Peace. And on September 22, 2025, she performed her powerful poem "Peace is a Verb" before world leaders during the opening ceremony of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.Expanding her cultural reach, Alhanislam was the featured artist on the intro track of global music star Davido’s 2025 album, 5ive, where she rendered a poignant poem that set the thematic tone for the record.
Niyi Fagbemi
Art & Photography
Niyi Fagbemi
Art & Photography
Niyi Fagbemi, is a travel and documentary filmmaker and photographer who has become a leading figure in reshaping the global narratives of the African continent. He is renowned for his cinematic use of drones and his ability to capture the grand scale of Nigerian heritage, most notably his 2023 documentary coverage of the Ojude Oba Festival, which amassed over 100 million views and transformed the event into a global sensation.In September 2025, Fagbemi debuted his first solo exhibition in Lagos. Themed "Showcasing the Nigerian Heritage," the two-day immersive event featured a curated collection of motion pictures and photographs that captured Nigeria's landscapes, from the brown roofs of Ibadan to the Juju Rock in Niger State.His 2025 work emphasized "natural colors," avoiding digital manipulation to preserve the authentic essence of Nigerian festivals like the Durbar in Kano and the Ojude Oba in Ijebuland.Fagbemi expanded his portfolio of high-level partnerships in 2025, working with organizations such as the UNDP, National Geographic, and UN Women to amplify African perspectives through visual advocacy.
RACHEL SEIDU ADJ
Art & Photography
RACHEL SEIDU ADJ
Art & Photography
Rachel Seidu is a Lagos-based conceptual and documentary photographer who has become a leading visual voice for the African LGBTQ+ community. Identifying as a "gender-bender" and a masculine-presenting woman, she uses her lens to challenge the "white gaze" and dismantle rigid stereotypes surrounding African gender and sexuality.Early in the year, the Institut pour la Photographie in Lille, France, invited Seidu for a major artist residency. She spent weeks documenting the local queer community—including drag artists, DJs, and activists—creating a transcontinental dialogue between the realities of queer life in Lagos and northern France. The resulting solo exhibition, Peas in a Pod, debuted in September 2025.Her work is celebrated for its rare tenderness, and this year has marked Seidu's definitive transition from a rising star in the Lagos art scene to a globally recognized institution-backed artist.
Uzo Njoku
Art & Photography
Uzo Njoku
Art & Photography
Uzo Njoku is a Nigerian-American visual artist. Her art is reminiscent of African heritage, particularly Nigerian culture. Her versatile skillset majorly presides on the creation of functional art. She has worked with brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Apple Music and YSL, has made album covers for artistes Wizkid and Olamide, and has exhibited in New York and Washington DC.Njoku staged her first major African solo exhibition in Lagos. Titled An Owambe Exhibition, the show reimagined the traditional Nigerian party culture as a space for high art. Despite significant social media discourse regarding its title and cultural themes, the exhibition was a commercial and critical success, drawing hundreds of visitors to its interactive sessions in Ikoyi and Victoria Island.Her works featured in transcontinental dialogues, including exhibitions in New York and London, where she continued to showcase her nine-painting "visual diary" covering themes of spiritual resilience and contemporary identity.
Activism & Advocacy
Aramide Kayode
Activism & Advocacy
Aramide Kayode
Activism & Advocacy
Aramide Kayode is a Nigerian educational activist and social entrepreneur dedicated to ending the cycle of poverty through high-quality, long-term education. As the founder of Talent Mine Academy, she has pioneered a "fully-funded 12-year model," providing tuition-free education to children in underserved communities like Sango-Ota, Ogun State.2025 was the target year for her ambitious goal to reach 3,500 children with access to quality education. By late 2025, Talent Mine Academy reported a significant scaling of its impact, having reached over 300 full-time students and impacting more than 5,000 residents through its community-led social change projects.She refined the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) curriculum at Talent Mine. A notable success this year involved her primary students building working windmills and school gardens, applying classroom science to address local energy and food security issues.
Arua Kevin Chinedu
Activism & Advocacy
Arua Kevin Chinedu
Activism & Advocacy
Arua Kevin Chinedu (widely known by his stage name Kevinblak) is a prominent Nigerian creative, comedian, and social advocate who has redefined the role of a digital creator in 2025. While he is celebrated as a comedian and scriptwriter, he has used his big platform to become a voice for youth empowerment and creative industry reform in Nigeria.His popular character Governor Amukeke is a composite of the stereotypical African politician: flamboyant, hypocritical, and obsessed with optics over outcomes. The running sketch provides a safer, yet potent, avenue for civic engagement. By laughing at the "Amuneke in all of us," Nigerians are able to criticize the government without the immediate risk of the censorship faced by traditional activists.Kevin has also been a vocal critic of the arbitrary harassment of young creatives by security agencies. In 2025, he partnered with legal advocacy groups to host "Know Your Rights" webinars, specifically tailored for content creators who are often profiled due to their possession of high-end gadgets and laptops.
Auwal Musa Rafsanjani
Activism & Advocacy
Auwal Musa Rafsanjani
Activism & Advocacy
A political scientist from Kano, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani has become one of Nigeria’s most influential civil‑society architects. As Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and newly appointed Chairman of the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) Advisory Board, he has steered a fierce campaign against reckless solid‑minerals extraction, warning that Nigeria risks swapping an oil curse for a lithium curse.His advocacy at the IMF/World Bank meetings pushed for debt relief and transparent fiscal governance, earning him a spot on the UNCAC Civil Society Coalition. Rafsanjani is leading CAPPA’s public‑health push to secure a N3 billion fund to improve maternal health in mining‑affected communities. His blend of anti‑corruption rigor and grassroots mobilisation makes him a pivotal watchdog in the Nigerian advocacy arena.Rafsanjani’s activism operates on many fronts, demanding anti-corruption reforms and stronger whistleblower protections on the national level. In a fragile democracy, Rafsanjani demonstrates that the truest form of patriotism is often relentless scrutiny.
Emem Okon
Activism & Advocacy
Emem Okon
Activism & Advocacy
Emem Okon, Executive Director of the Kebetkatche Women’s Development Center, spent 2025 championing eco‑feminist climate justice in the Niger Delta. Her organisation, which represents over 30 indigenous groups, has launched a series of community‑led clean‑water initiatives that have restored access to safe drinking water for more than 15,000 residents.Okon’s decolonised approach to development emphasizes traditional ecological knowledge, resulting in a successful pilot that uses indigenous plant species to remediate oil‑contaminated soils. She has also been a vocal participant at the African Climate Summit, urging policymakers to embed gender justice in all climate‑adaptation strategies. By foregrounding the voices of indigenous women, Okon is reshaping Nigeria’s environmental advocacy narrative.
Inibehe Effiong
Activism & Advocacy
Inibehe Effiong
Activism & Advocacy
Inibehe Effiong is a prominent Nigerian human rights lawyer, activist, and public interest litigator. He has built a reputation for fearlessly challenging state power, defending the vulnerable, and advocating for the rule of law.Effiong has been a key member of the newly established NBA Citizens’ Liberties Committee. In this role, he has spearheaded national efforts to monitor detention facilities, working to secure the release of thousands of Nigerians held unlawfully in police stations and correctional centers.Effiong has remained the lead counsel for Chioma Okoli, a woman facing intense legal scrutiny after posting a review of a tomato puree product on social media. In 2025, he turned this case into a national debate on consumer rights and the abuse of the Cybercrime Act to silence legitimate feedback.Effiong has been at the forefront of the 2025 movement to amend the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act. He has provided expert testimony and led public awareness campaigns arguing that Section 24 of the act is being weaponized by powerful individuals to arrest journalists and activists.
Mary Vicoir Zira
Activism & Advocacy
Mary Vicoir Zira
Activism & Advocacy
Mary Victor Zira is a 12-year-old Nigerian chess prodigy and youth ambassador whose journey from an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp to the global stage has become a powerful symbol. Born in Adamawa State, her early life was defined by the trauma of displacement caused by Boko Haram, but she is transforming that narrative into one of international advocacy and sporting excellence.In March, she won a silver medal at a chess tournament in the US. Following her tournament success, Mary was invited to New York City to visit the United Nations. There, she delivered a heartfelt speech on the potential of displaced children, earning a standing ovation from global diplomats, including the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN.Later this year, Mary played a pivotal role in the distribution of 750 chess boards donated by the US-based organization The Gift of Chess. She has become the "face" of the movement to introduce chess into 500 schools across Northern Nigeria, specifically targeting displaced and vulnerable youth.
Nnamdi Emeh
Activism & Advocacy
Nnamdi Emeh
Activism & Advocacy
Nnamdi Daniel Emeh is a 27-year-old Nigerian IT consultant and whistleblower who has become a focal point for human rights advocacy and police reform in 2025. A former National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Emeh gained international attention after exposing a "criminal cell" within the Anambra State Police Command allegedly involved in extrajudicial killings, organ harvesting, and extortion. Arrested in March 2023, he remains in custody at Awka Correctional centerA coalition of over 20 global NGOs including Blueprint for Free Speech and the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF) launched a massive digital advocacy campaign #FreeNnamdiEmeh. The movement successfully pressured the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to register a formal complaint and begin a preliminary investigation into his safety.Throughout 2025, Emeh’s case has been cited by the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) as the definitive test for Nigeria's commitment to whistleblower protection. His continued detention, despite meeting bail conditions and a 2024 release order, has turned him into a symbol of the struggle between judicial independence and executive impunity.
Obioma Chukwuike
Activism & Advocacy
Obioma Chukwuike
Activism & Advocacy
Obioma Chukwuike is an intersex and non-binary human rights activist. As the founder of Intersex Nigeria, Chukwuike has undertaken one of the most difficult tasks in civil rights advocacy: making the invisible visible. For years, intersex Nigerians have faced secrecy, stigma, and non-consensual "corrective" surgeries designed to erase their natural variations. Chukwuike aims to put an end to this dynamic.
As executive director of Intersex Nigeria, they led the country’s first participation in the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review, securing a formal acknowledgement of intersex rights. Chukwuike also launched a series of community‑building workshops that have connected over 1,200 intersex individuals across Nigeria, providing peer support and legal guidance.
This year, their advocacy pierced through the noise of traditional discourse. In April 2025, Chukwuike led a groundbreaking campaign challenging the Nigerian medical establishment to ban non-consensual interventions on intersex children, a direct demand for bodily autonomy that has since gained traction in national health policy debates. By taking this fight from the shadows of Lagos clinics to the floor of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Chukwuike is fighting for legal recognition of intersex people in Nigeria.
Osariemen Grace Omoruyi
Activism & Advocacy
Osariemen Grace Omoruyi
Activism & Advocacy
As the founder of Restorative Justice for Africa Initiative (REJA), Omoruyi is not merely advocating for prison reform, she is also digitizing access to it. Using technology to connect indigent detainees with pro-bono legal aid, she has become a lifeline for those forgotten behind bars. Her app, Justice Mobile, has facilitated over 3,000 pro‑bono consultations, cutting wait times for legal aid dramatically. REJA’s work earned commendation from the Nigerian Bar Association, which recognised the initiative with a special award for advancing access to justice.
This year, Omoruyi expanded her crusade to the courts, securing landmark damages for victims of wrongful police detention and hosting sensitization programmes on protecting civic spaces. Omoruyi represents the new vanguard of Nigerian advocacy, one that is tech-savvy, relentless, while promoting restorative justice.
Solomon Ayodele
Activism & Advocacy
Solomon Ayodele
Activism & Advocacy
Solomon Ayodele operates at the rare intersection of corporate innovation and social activism. Professionally, Ayodele leads digital banking innovations that have expanded financial inclusion for millions of Nigerians. While recognized for his role as Head of Innovation at Wema Bank, his most profound work is through his organization, Boys Quarters Africa, and the Project SABI initiative.Ayodele has mobilized thousands of men as allies to address toxic masculinity, speak against gender-based violence and empower the boy child. Through his work, he is re-engineering African values by teaching boys to be advocates, community engagement and promoting healthy masculine norms.