Oluwadamilola Akintewe, a Nigerian lawyer and activist, was honored as the winner of the AFS Award for Young Global Citizens at the 30th AFS Youth Assembly in August 2025 in New York City. The prestigious award, which includes a $10,000 prize, recognizes young leaders who are creating a more just, peaceful, and tolerant world. Akintewe was selected for her impactful work with Project Rebirth, a youth-led initiative focused on empowering women in Nigeria’s underserved communities.
Project Rebirth: From Vision to Impact
Raised in a farming settlement, Akintewe saw firsthand the struggles of women who worked tirelessly but were excluded from resources and opportunities. This experience fueled her passion to found Project Rebirth, which tackles the complex issues of poverty, gender inequality, and conflict. The project works to restore hope and economic power to displaced women and young farmers through skills training, micro-loans, and sustainable agriculture.
Under Akintewe’s leadership, Project Rebirth has helped women establish over 500 businesses and disbursed more than 15 million naira (approximately $18,000) in microfinancing to women farmers. The initiative has grown into a powerful movement of over 1,000 young women, collectively empowering more than 10,000 people across West Africa. Akintewe’s broader work as a feminist lawyer and policy advocate has also earned her global recognition, including the Ban Ki Moon Centre for Global Citizens and the Diana Legacy Award.
A Powerful Affirmation
For Akintewe, winning the AFS Award is more than just a prize—it’s a powerful validation of her work. “Winning the AFS Award for Young Global Citizens is a powerful affirmation that the dreams and struggles of women and girls in marginalized communities are not invisible,” she says. “To me, this award tells every young woman who feels unseen that your voice matters, your work matters, and the world is listening.”
The prize money and platform will allow her to expand Project Rebirth’s mission of empowering women and youth to become economically independent. Akintewe sees the award as a reminder that “even when the path feels impossible, our courage to keep going can create ripples across the world.”
A Global Gathering of Hope
Akintewe’s experience at the AFS Youth Assembly was just as impactful. She describes it as a “gathering of the world’s beating heart,” filled with young leaders who share a common belief that a better world is possible. At the AFS Youth Assembly, an event filled with diversity of languages and backgrounds, she found a deep sense of connection. “Hope sounds exactly the same,” she notes.
She recalled a particularly moving moment after her win, when a young advocate from India approached her. “She felt seen by my story of growing up in a rural community,” Akintewe shares. “We held each other, cried, and later connected on Instagram.” This exchange reinforced her belief that our challenges and solutions are interconnected, regardless of where we come from.
Advice for the Next Generation
Having faced her own share of rejections from organizations and funders, Akintewe’s advice to young people is both practical and profound. She encourages them to “start where you are, with what you have, and with the people around you.” Her own journey with Project Rebirth began not with grand resources, but with a simple vision and the courage to act.
She urges aspiring changemakers not to wait until they feel ready. “Ideas don’t come fully formed,” she advises. The key is to take the first step now and learn along the way. Above all, she emphasizes that making a difference is not about doing everything, but about doing “something with all the heart you have.”
“The world doesn’t just need leaders with just solutions,” she concludes. “It needs leaders with compassion, resilience, and the audacity to hope. We are the ones we have been waiting for.”
Meet the Finalists of the 2025 AFS Award for Young Global Citizens:
- Christiana Miracle Bimba, Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Advocacy (Advancing the Protection Rights of Adolescent Girls) in Liberia, Liberia
- Nana Kofi Afriyie Sarpong, Merdeo Foods, Ghana
- Oluwadamilola Akintewe, Project Rebirth, Nigeria
- Pahola Ixchely Saloj Saloj, MAIA – Connecting Rural Indigenous Talent with 21st Century Opportunities, Guatemala
- Samintang, Climate Catalysts, Indonesia
- Shem Redie, Climate Action Plan Working Group, Tanzania/Nigeria
- Surbhi Sankhla, Jharjhara, India
Past winners of the AFS Award for Young Global Citizens include: