Oyakhilome invests over $1.5m in youth leadership as FALF unveils 2025 FALA awards winners

• As foundation unveils 2025 award winners

By the time the global press briefing to unveil the 2025 Future Africa Leaders Award (FALA) recipients came to a close, one message resonated clearly: Africa’s future leadership is not waiting to emerge—it is being intentionally built.

For over 13 years, President of the Future Africa Leaders Foundation (FALF), Rev. Chris Oyakhilome, has sustained a quiet but strategic investment in Africa’s most promising young leaders. In that period, more than $1.5 million has been committed as prize money to winners of the Future Africa Leaders Award—one of the continent’s most consistent platforms for youth-driven development.

The disclosure was made on Monday during a global press conference attended by foundation executives, development partners and the 2025 award recipients.
Beyond applause: funding impact, not symbolism

Speaking at the briefing, Pastor Tuoyo Temisan, a member of the Central Executive Council of Loveworld Incorporated, described FALA as an initiative designed to fund solutions rather than celebrate intentions.

“Over the 13 editions of FALA, the prize money given has exceeded $1.5 million,” he said. “Each year, about $250,000 is committed to ensure these young leaders are equipped to do more.”

According to Temisan, individual Star Prize winners receive grants of up to $35,000, deployed directly into projects already delivering measurable impact across governance, agriculture, technology, health, advocacy, community development and civic engagement.

He noted that several past recipients have gone on to influence national policies, contribute to youth frameworks in countries such as Togo, Malawi, Nigeria and attract global recognition, including engagement with international bodies like the United Nations.

“The award has become a stepping stone,” Temisan said. “Many of these young Africans are now shaping policies, influencing governments and leading major development initiatives.”
Leadership, not aid

For Dr. Olajumoke Ola-Akisanya, Senior Executive Officer of FALF, Africa’s transformation hinges on value-driven leadership, not dependency.

“Africa is richly endowed,” she said. “The problem has never been a lack of resources, but the failure to harness what we already have.”

She described the 2025 awardees as young Africans who chose action over apathy—innovators who turned scarcity into opportunity and built systems that restore dignity and accountability. Beyond the awards, she added, FALF sustains a leadership pipeline through the Leadership Initiative Network Africa, a mentorship platform nurturing ethical, purpose-driven leaders.

The faces of Africa’s future
The 2025 FALA recipients embody this philosophy across diverse sectors and regions.

In Kenya, Ambassador Rejoice Waithera, 23, distinguished herself through bold interventions in food security, sanitation and community health. Responding to concerns over GMO maize, she produced SOCAMI Flour—a nutritious blend of sorghum, cassava and millet—benefiting over 20,000 consumers and influencing agricultural policy discussions. She transformed an abandoned dump site in Kibera into a productive greenhouse, trained over 10,000 youths in organic farming, constructed a borehole supplying clean water to 20,000 families, and created jobs through an award-winning plastic recycling project impacting 50,000 people.

From Uganda, Ambassador Ndagire Grace Marion, 24, has reached over one million people through the Wellness World Foundation. Her four-acre rice farm employs 200 youths, supplies nutritious porridge flour to malnourished infants at Mulago National Referral Hospital, and anchors agricultural training for thousands. Her work also spans borehole construction, solar energy distribution, medical outreaches serving 17,000 patients, menstrual hygiene training for 500 girls, and disaster relief for displaced families.

In Zambia, Ambassador Norman Chrispin Phiri, 22, has mobilized over 25,000 youths across four Southern African countries through the Alpha Global Youth Movement. His agricultural initiatives support 10,000 people in 120 communities, while empowerment programs for widows and vulnerable youths strengthen food security and economic resilience. He is currently contesting Zambia’s 2026 parliamentary elections, seeking to scale grassroots impact through governance.

Ambassador Annette Ewusi, 25, of Cameroon, has emerged as a national voice for youth leadership and identity protection. Through BirthGuard Cameroon, she deployed 100,000 field agents to accelerate birth registration in conflict zones. Her education programs have reached 30,000 learners, while her agricultural, media and youth leadership initiatives continue to advance food security, civic engagement and skills development.

From Nigeria, Ambassador Francis Nyong, 25, is transforming agriculture through technology. Through Agro-Ultra and Agronopia, he has impacted over 550,000 people across multiple continents, trained farmers in organic pesticide production, empowered students through school-based greenhouses, and pioneered innovations linking food security with public health.

In Zimbabwe, Ambassador Yvonne Tsumbirani turned personal adversity into purpose. Through Rail of Hope, she has empowered thousands of adolescent girls with mentorship, financial literacy and psychosocial support. Her work, delivered through trained mentors and educators, has indirectly reached hundreds of thousands of girls across seven African countries, earning her recognition as a Top 5 Global Honoree for JCI TOYP 2025.

Nigeria’s Ambassador Ogbeche Abraham Akor, 24, has delivered over 120 community projects across education, health, agriculture and civic advocacy. His initiatives have reached millions through youth training, medical outreaches, agricultural empowerment, governance accountability groups and radio programs heard by five million listeners.

From Ghana, Ambassador Amanpene Kofi Prince, 24, is strengthening food systems through large-scale rice value chain transformation. Supporting over 1,200 farmers across 4,000 hectares, his work has increased yields, stabilized rural incomes and introduced innovations in irrigation, organic fertilizer production and value-added food processing.

In South Sudan, Ambassador Rose Charles Kuba, 23, transformed a story of displacement into nationwide advocacy. Through food relief, education sponsorships, IT training for incarcerated youth, anti–early marriage campaigns and media advocacy against gender-based violence, she has reached tens of thousands while amplifying hope among vulnerable populations.

From Benin Republic, Ambassador Josué Elisée Elom Senou, 25, addressed nutrition and public health through corn-free flour production, natural food processing, youth leadership conferences, sanitation campaigns and education sponsorships for disadvantaged children.

Rounding out the cohort, Ambassador Ernest B. David, 25, of Liberia, is expanding access to education and digital skills through Impact Liberia and the Impact Institute of Science and Technology. His initiatives have trained thousands in vocational skills, technology, hygiene education and youth leadership, positioning young Liberians for relevance in a digital economy.

A call for collective investment
Also speaking at the briefing, Pastor Arinze Emmanuel, Coordinator of the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International (COFI), urged governments, institutions and corporate organizations to invest deliberately in youth-led initiatives.

“Supporting young leaders is critical to sustainable development,” he said, noting that many beneficiaries continue to receive mentorship and institutional support long after the awards ceremony.

For Rejoice Waithera, the 2025 FALA Star Prize Winner, the foundation represents more than funding. “It is a platform that continues to mentor and empower young Africans long after the applause,” she said, expressing gratitude to Rev. Oyakhilome and the FALF leadership for their hands-on guidance.

Building Africa’s tomorrow, today
As the ceremony concluded, the significance of FALA’s 13-year journey was unmistakable. Through sustained investment, mentorship and values-based leadership, Rev. Chris Oyakhilome and the Future Africa Leaders Foundation are not merely recognizing potential—they are actively shaping Africa’s next generation of leaders.

And across farms, classrooms, clinics, policy rooms and communities, that future is already at work.