Category: ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP & GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT

Description: Emmanuel Agida is a dynamic young Nigerian entrepreneur, author, and humanitarian who serves as the Chairman of the African Centre for Governance, Economy and Development and Executive Director of the International Institute for Governance and Economy. In 2021, at just 17, he served as a Public Relations Strategist in the Osun State Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, becoming Nigeria’s youngest political officeholder and driving reforms that enhanced public engagement in policymaking. He is a member of the World Economic Forum, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and Politics (Ghana), and Amnesty International. Through the Emmanuel Agida Foundation, founded in 2019, he has impacted over 3,000 Africans through programs in education, empowerment, and social development. As CEO of Bezoni and Chairman of EA International, his ventures span media, corporate management, and e-commerce. Emmanuel earned a B.Sc. in Political Science from the University of Benin and received an Honorary Doctoral Fellowship in Youth Development and Humanitarian Services at age 20. A recipient of multiple awards, including the Nelson Mandela Leadership Award, he was recognized by The Guardian Newspaper in 2025 as one of Nigeria’s most promising under-25 emerging leaders.