Two Nigerians, Smart Israel and Oghenekevwe William Emadago, have emerged among the winners of the 2026 Global Citizen Waislitz Awards for their innovative solutions to challenges linked to extreme poverty.
Israel, Founder and CEO of Smartel Agri Tech, won the 2026 Global Citizen Waislitz Grand Prize Award, while Emadago, Founder and COO of Girlified Ltd, received the Global Citizen Waislitz People’s Choice Award.
The awards were announced on August 18, 2026, by Global Citizen and the Waislitz Foundation in New York City and Melbourne, Australia.
Each of the three winners will receive $100,000, bringing the total prize money for the 2026 awards to $300,000.
The third winner, Diana Yousef, Founder and CEO of change Labs in the United States, received the Global Citizen Waislitz Disruptor Award.
Smart Israel wins Grand Prize
Israel was recognised for his work developing climate-smart agricultural technology through Smartel Agri Tech.
Growing up in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, Israel witnessed how conflict, displacement and climate change contributed to hunger and malnutrition in vulnerable communities.
He subsequently founded Smartel, a climate-tech company that uses artificial intelligence, solar power and hydroponic technology to enable communities to grow food without soil.
According to Global Citizen, Smartel has deployed more than 3,000 systems, helping thousands of farmers and families gain access to sustainable food production.
The $100,000 award will support the company’s plan to reach 5,000 additional households and expand its community hydroponic hub model.
Emadago wins People’s Choice Award
Emadago was recognised for his work addressing period poverty and plastic pollution through Girlified.
The Nigerian entrepreneur and PhD researcher co-founded Girlified after witnessing girls miss school because they could not afford or access sanitary pads.
The organisation converts agricultural waste into affordable sanitary pads, providing an alternative that also seeks to reduce plastic pollution.
Since 2021, Girlified has produced more than 2.8 million sanitary pads and reached over 70,000 women and girls.
The People’s Choice Award will help the organisation scale its work, with a target of reaching 10 million women and girls annually by 2030.
Diana Yousef wins Disruptor Award
Yousef, Founder and CEO of change Labs, received the Disruptor Award for developing a waterless and sewerless toilet.
Her company developed the iThrone, which rapidly reduces waste by evaporating its water content, providing sanitation without conventional water and sewer infrastructure.
The technology has already been used to improve access to safe toilets for more than 20,000 people in Uganda, Panama and the United States.
The award will support efforts to expand the distribution of the technology to millions more people.
$2.65m awarded to changemakers
Now in its 12th year, the Global Citizen Waislitz Awards recognise individuals developing innovative solutions to extreme poverty and other challenges in their communities.
The organisers said winners are assessed based on five criteria: global citizenship, proof of concept, disruption, scalability and adaptability.
Since the awards began in 2014, 35 changemakers from 15 countries have been recognised, while the Waislitz Foundation has provided more than $2.65 million to support grassroots initiatives.
Alex Waislitz, Chairman and Founder of the Waislitz Foundation, said the awards highlight solutions developed by entrepreneurs and community leaders who understand the challenges facing their communities.
Global Citizen Co-Founder and COO Simon Moss said the partnership with the Waislitz Foundation had helped identify and support leaders working in areas including food security, sustainable sanitation, and women’s and girls’ health.
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