An Annual Celebration of Unsung Heros

Each year, we award impact funds to empower 20 Nigerian changemakers to scale their initiatives.

From educators battling literacy gaps, to environmentalists safeguarding local ecosystems, and social rights advocates tackling food security, elderly care, and other social development concerns, our annual Luminary Awards sheds light on the invaluable efforts of community heroes.

Nominations for Luminary Awards 2025 Now Open!

Access 5 million Naira in funding support through the Luminary Awards 2025

Luminary Awards Nomination Guidelines

November 15 - February 3
Nominations

Submit your nominations! See the guidelines below for details.

February 3 - March 7
Top 50 Shortlist
We review nominations and shortlist the top 50, who must confirm their acceptance to proceed to the judging phase.
March 10 - 31
Judging Phase
The top 20 nominees are selected based on set criteria below.
April 4 - 20
Public Voting
The public votes for their preferred changemaker through our e-voting platform.
May 1
Award Presentation Event
A celebratory event to recognise the top 20, reveal the winner, and present prizes.

Eligibility Criteria

Nomination Phase

Open to eligible members of the public within the nomination period

Shortlisting the top 50 Changemakers

The Luminary Project team reviews all submissions and shortlists the top 50 based on our nomination criteria.

Top 20 Selection

Applications from the top 50 nominees will be assessed by 4 independent judges based on the judging criteria.

Winner Selection

The top 20 will be put up for public voting on The Luminary Project website. The changemaker with the highest votes will emerge as the recipient of our Impact Fund 1.

Judging Criteria

Consistency and Longevity (25%)

We evaluate how long the initiative has been operating and whether it has demonstrated the ability to grow or sustain its work over time

Alignment with SDGs (25%)

We confirm how well an initiative aligns with the identified UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Impact & Scale (25%)

We assess how many lives have been impacted by an initiative, and to what extent. 

Evidence of Impact (25%)

We evaluate submissions to confirm that their impact is verifiable and supported by data, testimonials, reports, or media coverage.

Luminary Awards 2024