Hon. Joseph Konboye Waribugo

Joseph — widely known as Joe — has continued to expand his impact in gender advocacy and community development since the LMI Fellowship. Under his leadership, ProjectASHA.org launched its most ambitious programme yet: a digital skills academy for young women in the Niger Delta, providing six-month training in web development, data analysis, and digital marketing.

The academy’s first cohort of 50 graduates achieved a 78% employment rate within three months, drawing the attention of the Bayelsa State Ministry of Women Affairs, which is now exploring a state-wide partnership.

Building on his Carrington Youth Fellowship experience, Joe was invited to serve as a youth advisor on the United States Embassy’s Community Grants Review Board, where he evaluates proposals from Nigerian civil society organisations.

He also collaborated with the Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Association to establish two new community reading hubs in underserved areas of Yenagoa, continuing the literacy work he began before LMI.

“LMI connected me with a network of changemakers across Nigeria. That network turns individual efforts into collective impact.” — Joseph Waribugo