In a historic victory for African environmental innovation, 17-year-old Nigerian-American climate activist Amara C. Nwuneli has been crowned Africa’s winner of The Earth Prize 2025, the world’s premier environmental competition for youth. Her visionary GREEN Initiative secured the $12,500 regional prize to convert neglected urban spaces in Lagos into sustainability parks and climate education hubs.
Nwuneli’s winning proposal tackles Lagos’ critical 3% green cover – among the lowest of global megacities – by transforming derelict urban areas into biodiversity parks with native plants, creating interactive climate education centers featuring storytelling exhibits, installing sustainable infrastructure (solar-powered lighting, rainwater harvesting), and establishing youth training programs in urban ecology and green entrepreneurship
“These parks will be living classrooms where communities learn to coexist sustainably with nature,” said Nwuneli, founder of Preserve Our Roots, a youth-led climate NGO.
The project which directly addresses Lagos’ environmental crises such as annual flooding worsened by deforestation and poor drainage, air pollution levels 5x above WHO limits , and urban heat islands with temperatures 7°C higher than rural areas was praised by the judges for its dual impact: ecological restoration paired with grassroots climate literacy in a city where 68% of residents lack awareness of climate change effects.
The Harvard-bound activist merges her passions as an award-winning novelist (her debut book explores climate migration) and STEM innovator. Her blueprint draws inspiration from: Singapore’s Garden City urban planning model, Bogotá’s community-led park systems, and Lagos’ own Eko Atlantic green infrastructure.
With funding secured, Phase 1 will be launched in Surulere and Mushin featuring: pilot parks opening Q1 2026, digital climate storytelling installations, and vocational programs training 500 youth annually
Now in its fourth year, the competition expanded to seven regional winners across the continent. Nwuneli joins peers from Oceania, Asia, and Europe in receiving the prestigious 2025 prize.
