Luminary project honours 20 unsung heroes in Lagos

As part of efforts aimed at addressing the nation’s most urgent social issues, members of the Luminary Awards 2025 recently honoured 20 unsung heroes in Lagos.

One of the change-makers received a N5m impact fund to scale social development work. With the theme: “The architects of social change,” the event was hosted by The Luminary Project, an initiative committed to providing funding, visibility, and support to change-makers. After a rigorous process involving over 230 nominations, Founder of Youth Sculptured in Palace Style (Y-SIPS) Foundation, Ivory Emeka-Oguagha, emerged winner of the ₦N5m Luminary Impact Fund.

“We’re definitely going to expand what we currently do, which is to provide scholarships,” she said, adding : “We’ll bring more students on board and empower early-stage entrepreneurs through our entrepreneurship programme. I’m grateful to The Luminary Project for this recognition and financial support.”

The Founder, Napa Onwusah, and former executive at Amazon, Google, Visa, Cisco, and Microsoft, said: “Today isn’t just about awards; it’s about honouring selflessness, resilience, and the everyday courage it takes to drive change that lasts. We believe those building in underserved communities deserve to be seen, celebrated, and supported. If you have a heart for change, partner with us to keep this work going.”

Speaking in a similar vein, Programmes Lead at The Luminary Project, Stacy Ketiku, stated, “change happens faster when changemakers aren’t building alone. Through our Impact Xcelerator programme and alumni network, we’re creating a system of support where social development ideas are implemented, leaders feel equipped, and their impact is sustained. We’re excited to walk alongside these bold builders.”

In his keynote address, an international development specialist who has supported over 40 social enterprises across Africa and the Middle East, Chiebuka Ukwunna, insisted, “the work of social change is deeply rooted and often unseen. But when we build solutions to last—not just impress—we create legacies that outlive us.”

He also urged social enterprises to embrace commercialisation and adopt revenue-based models, given the unstable nature of grants.

In her passing-out speech from 2024 Impact fund winner Vera David-Emesiobum, “The Luminary Project didn’t just believe in us, they walked the journey with us. Their year-long support helped us reach over 50 seniors and prepare a farmland where we’ve now planted over 200 plantain trees to support our food programme later this year. That kind of backing is rare.”

The Luminary Project calls on partners, donors, and impact-driven organisations to join in fueling sustainable social transformation—one change-maker at a time.