Mentoring Africa’s Future Changemakers

The boy walking the dusty streets of southwestern Nigeria couldn't shake what he was seeing: School after school, with crumbling walls and broken windows. Children squinting at faded blackboards, while miles away, other students attended modern schools with proper facilities.

This stark inequity activated something unstoppable in Emmanuel. Standing there as a child, he made an audacious promise: “When I grow older, and I become the Minister for Education, I'm going to transform the education sector of this country!”

Two decades later, the 34-year-old has exceeded that childhood vision. Through innovative programs he's designed and led, Emmanuel is creating an army of young climate leaders and green innovators across the African continent.

A relentless drive for transformation runs in his blood. His late father built roads and water systems without waiting for government action, while his mother, a teacher turned headmistress, championed green educational environments. “I studied how they did what they were doing,” Emmanuel reflects. “They influenced me in so many ways.”

During his undergraduate studies in Agricultural Economics and Extension, an extended internship with cocoa farmers proved pivotal, as he worked directly with rural communities to promote good agricultural practices. For Emmanuel, his calling crystallised: “Programme management, project design - it's something I wake up to, and I sleep with.”

This early success led him to Sustainable Development Solutions Network Youth (SDSN Youth), one of the world's largest networks of young leaders working toward the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. As Nigeria's Network Coordinator, he joined a global community of over 3,000 members, bringing authentic African perspectives to sustainability discussions. His work now spans developmental policy to research tackling endemic poverty, inequality, and unemployment across the continent.

In 2022, Emmanuel launched his signature initiative: the SDGs Advocate Programme. The concept was beautifully simple: “We believe that inasmuch as one youth is educated about the Sustainable Development Goals, he or she can also educate their entire community.” Each trained advocate becomes a multiplier, carrying knowledge and passion into their own networks.

Today, youths from across the 36 States participate in this initiative, and over 2000 K-12 schools in Nigeria have benefited.

For Emmanuel, the real measure of success comes in unexpected moments. “When they meet me, there is this connection we have...  and they keep sharing their testimony - scholarships earned, opportunities seized, innovations launched – it reinforces why this work matters,” he reflects.

Running alongside his advocacy work is the Climate Actors Accelerator Programme, now in its fourth year. This intensive initiative takes young Nigerians through a complete development process, from identifying challenges to developing scalable solutions. Participants have created everything from waste management initiatives to renewable energy solutions.

The collaborative success reinforces his core belief: “No matter how clear your vision is to you, it's not meant to be achieved alone.”

Nothing makes Emmanuel prouder than watching mentees flourish independently. One recently surprised him: “I asked her, ‘What's your plan for the year? She said, ‘I'm cooking something.’ She started a climate podcast, and now she's gaining traction. And I said, ‘Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!’” His enthusiasm is infectious.

These initiatives consistently generate real-world solutions. Recently, he launched a new product named SDG Innovation Canva – a toolkit designed to help changemakers map out their innovation cycle and ideas through the lens of sustainable development. It covers the full design thinking process, from identifying a local or global problem, proposing a value-driven solution, developing prototypes, to defining measurable impacts and sustainability models.

Other participants have developed innovations to tackle environmental challenges through programs that require no external funding but demand Emmanuel's complete dedication. “If you give me $1,000,000... it might not really make an impact. If I'm able to run a project which has blessed a million African youths - that statement is clear.”

This focus on transformation over money reflects Emmanuel's distinctive leadership style. He's refreshingly direct about his approach: “I love excellence,” he laughs. “If you're going to do anything, you have to do it well. Excellence is key to achieving a sustainable future.”

This pursuit of excellence reflects his insight into Nigerian resilience: “If there is any country that adapts to things easily, be it good or bad, it's Nigeria. Our critical thinking ability - it's a major strength.” Emmanuel believes that African youth don't need saving; they need empowerment.

Never one to sit on his achievements, Emmanuel dreams of establishing an institute on innovation and sustainable development, but he's clear about his ultimate goal: "I want to be remembered for impacts. I want to be remembered that if not for Emmanuel, we wouldn't have been able to achieve this development."

His ambitious target of impacting 10 million African youths ahead of 2030 drives him forward. From a farming community in southwestern Nigeria to coordinating continental youth networks, he embodies the transformational power of building emerging leaders and changemakers.

His story embodies a principle he often shares: “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” For Emmanuel and the thousands he's empowered, taking action isn't optional - it's essential.