The annual awards, organized by the UN SDG Action Campaign, celebrate individuals and initiatives making tangible progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Smartel: Building climate-smart food systems in Nigeria and beyond

Smartel won the Creativity Award for developing a modular hydroponic system that helps people grow food without soil, using very little water. This innovation is designed to make farming possible in areas where land and resources are scarce.

The system allows vegetables and herbs to be cultivated on rooftops, in schools, and in other small spaces. It provides an alternative for communities affected by drought, flooding, or poor soil quality.

“To every young dreamer, listening to me today, always remember that we are the bridge between the failures of the past and blessings of the future,” Smart Israel, Founder, Smartel Agri-Tech reportedly said at the Award ceremony.

According to the UN SDG Action Campaign, Smartel’s approach creates new income opportunities for women and young people and supports efforts to reduce hunger in Nigeria and other regions. By helping families and small farmers produce food year-round, Smartel contributes to food security and builds resilience to climate change. Its work directly supports SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Julienne Lusenge: Championing women and building peace in the DRC

Julienne Lusenge shared the Changemaker Award (with Jîn Dawod is from Syria) for her long-standing work defending women’s rights and supporting survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Lusenge has worked for years to help women in conflict-affected areas break the silence around violence and take part in peacebuilding. The UN SDG Action Campaign recognized her for “championing women, confronting violence, and building peace,” highlighting the local and national impact of her advocacy.

Her organization provides assistance to survivors, documents violations, and works with local leaders to promote justice and social cohesion. The award acknowledges her contribution to SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

About the 2025 UN SDG Action Awards

The 2025 ceremony in Rome brought together finalists from 190 countries, selected from more than 5,500 applications. Awards were presented in three categories: Creativity, Resilience, and Changemaker.

Judges included representatives from the UN, government, civil society, youth organizations, and the arts, such as Rebeca Grynspan, Volker Türk, Nomzamo Mbatha, and Emma Theofelus.

Other honorees included Central Única das Favelas (CUFA) of Brazil, which received the Resilience Award. Jîn Dawod from Syria, was awarded the 2025 Changemaker Award (joint winner) for her work founding and scaling a mental-health platform called Peace Therapist that provides free therapy in Arabic, Kurdish, Turkish and English to forcibly displaced and vulnerable populations. Finally, the UNHCR #IBelong Campaign, was given an Honourable Mention for its work to end statelessness.