By Providence Ayanfeoluwa

Ashoka Africa, a network of social entrepreneurs worldwide has unveiled the newly elected Ashoka Young Changemakers, AYC for 2025, while celebrating winners of the CTEACH Pitch-a-thon; student-led Changemaker Squads from Lagos State public schools.

The students designed and pitched real solutions to real problems in their schools and communities.

AYC is a group of young people under the age of 21 who have launched initiatives addressing issues ranging from mental health and education equity to climate action, gender equality, and inclusive technology.

They are elected through a peer-led selection process.

Speaking at the AYC Festival 2025, held in Lagos, co-President of Ashoka Africa, Okechukwu Uzechina, said that the festival represented an inspiring convergence of young leaders, educators, and changemaking allies committed to shaping a Nigeria where every young person sees themselves as a problem-solver.

He added that the festival marks a major moment in the growing movement to embed changemaking in schools, communities, and systems; and to spotlight the power of youth to drive meaningful social transformation.

Uzechina said: “Why it is important to start young is that once that young person or child masters the act of changemaking and grows up with it, they have the self-confidence that wherever they find themselves tomorrow and in whatever situation, they can apply the same skills and tackle the problem and find a solution.

“What we have done with the students from secondary schools is that we selected and engaged with their teachers. Secondary school teachers are carefully selected from different districts so as to give them the changemaking skills and the resources that they need to activate as a changemaker teacher.

“When the teacher goes back into the classroom, the teacher will in turn activate the students as changemaker students and that is how they started forming changemaker squads in their schools.

“The Young Changemaker Festival is a celebration of our very best! Our young changemakers represent hope in a time where it seems problems are outrunning solutions. We celebrate innovation, resilience, empathy, collaboration, and the power of love”, said Angelou Ezeilo, Co-President, Ashoka Africa.

The 2025 AYC include: Vanessa Varlyngton (14) – Founder, Egalitarianism for Earth (Children4Climate Initiative); Seyi Ogundipe (18) – Founder, Ad Astra, Emmanuella Sule (19)-Founder, Circles Mends; Favour Oshiokenoya (19)-Founder, Own a Book Today Initiative; Unique Okewoye (20)-Founder, Health Impact for Youth; Precious Omelu (18) – Founder, For My Boys Initiative; Oluwapelumi Oyetade (19) -Founder, Bloom in STEM; Comfort Alabi (17) Founder, Eco City Vision; and Feolami Awe-Joseph (19)-Founder, Educational Guidance Development Initiative (College Guide Africa).

On her part, Sule explained that Circles Mends treat mental health and everything that’s prone to problems causing mental health, ranging from sexual violence to gender-based violence to inequality.

Her organisation create communities that people can fall back on.

However, in the training report released by Ashoka, Abule-Eko Community Junior Grammar school Badagary, Lagos was presented with a cheque of N500, 000 as overall winner, Ijaya Ojokolo Junior High School got N250, 000 as first runner-up; while Apo Junior Secondary School got cash prize of N125, 000 for the third position.