Stanley Anigbogu, Nigerian innovator, wins 2025 Commonwealth Youth Award

Stanley Anigbogu, a Nigerian tech innovator, has been named the 2025 Commonwealth Young Person of the Year.

Anigbogu clinched the prize at the annual Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work, held in London, on Wednesday.

Anigbogu, founder and CEO of LightEd, was recognised for transforming waste into solar innovations that provide clean energy to over 10,000 refugees in Africa.

Anigbogu was initially selected alongside 19 other finalists making significant contributions toward achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and fostering development within their countries and beyond.

“His work draws from his childhood experiences with energy poverty. Determined to create change and promote sustainability as well as climate resilience, he founded LightEd in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic. With a small team of like-minded young people, he has trained 6,000 students and recycled over 20,000 kilograms of waste,” the award organisers said in a statement on Wednesday.

During the ceremony held at Marlborough House, Patricia Scotland, Commonwealth secretary-general, thanked Anigbogu for his creative and impactful solution to multiple challenges.

“Not only are you bringing hope and light to vulnerable communities and refugees who face many hardships and disadvantages, but you are also ridding communities of harmful waste and pollution, leaving environments safer and cleaner for other young people. This is a testament to the creativity of the Commonwealth’s youth,” the secretary-general said.

“Stanley is training other young people and providing skills for employment in a field that will contribute to the energy transition we need to mitigate against climate change. You are a true revolutionary — a visionary — and I am pleased to award you the title of Commonwealth Young Person of the Year.”

Anigbogu, who also won the regional award for Africa, said he looks forward to creating more sustainable solutions to the issues that affect the continent.

“It is an incredible honour to receive this recognition alongside an inspiring group of 20 young change makers, all dedicated to launching innovative solutions that drive transformative change for millions of young people around the world. I cannot wait to continue this journey with the support of the Commonwealth and its remarkable network of partners,” Anigbogu said.

The awards empower young changemakers aged 15–29 by scaling local innovations to global impact, advancing the SDGs through education, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and inclusivity.