2026 JCI TOYP Awards: Tolulope Makinwa Recognised Among Top 30 Nominees

Muazu Africa is proud to announce that its Executive Director, Tolulope Makinwa, has been selected as one of the Top 30 Nominees for the 2026 edition of the JCI Nigeria Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) Awards.

The recognition celebrates young Nigerians whose work and leadership are creating meaningful impact across sectors and communities nationwide.

Speaking on the nomination, Makinwa described the recognition as deeply humbling, noting that much of Muazu Africa’s work has been rooted in communities and markets that are often underserved, underrepresented, and structurally vulnerable.

“The work we do through Muazu Africa has never been easy work. Much of it happens quietly across rural communities, women-led enterprises, underserved markets, and fragile local economies where resilience is often stronger than visibility.”

Over the past year, Muazu Africa has continued developing practical frameworks, research systems, and policy intelligence focused on rural enterprise development, rural security risk intelligence, women-led value chains, offline technologies for underserved communities, and inclusive economic participation across Africa.

The organization’s recent work has contributed to broader conversations around strengthening local economies, improving value retention in rural markets, supporting women-led enterprises, and building resilient systems for communities facing economic and security pressures.

Makinwa also expressed gratitude to partners, collaborators, researchers, institutions, and supporters who have contributed to the organization’s growth and impact journey.

“To everyone who has supported, encouraged, partnered, collaborated, shared our research, or simply believed in the vision, thank you deeply. You are part of this journey.”

As part of the final selection process, public voting is currently ongoing.

Supporters, partners, and members of the public are encouraged to cast their votes through the official voting platform below:

Vote Here: https://toyp.jci.ng/vote/

Muazu Africa remains committed to advancing inclusive rural development, enterprise resilience, and community-centered innovation across Africa.