Africa

Adamu Usman Garko is a Nigerian development practitioner, youth leader, and Executive Director of the Open Knowledge Development Initiative (OKDI). He has engaged with regional and international youth and development processes, including YOUNGO, UNCCD, CIVICUS, UNESCO, UNICEF Generation Unlimited, and the UN IOM Youth and Climate Mobility Initiative. His work has involved building partnerships and delivering initiatives supported by international partners. He also served as a youth grant reviewer/panelist for the €10 million EU Youth Empowerment Fund. Adamu brings experience in partnership development, stakeholder engagement, youth mobilisation, advocacy, and connecting locally rooted youth initiatives with regional and global opportunities. He currently serves as the Partnership and Outreach Lead of the Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP (CYMG) Africa Task Force, where he supports strategic partnerships, regional stakeholder engagement, and connections with youth organisations across Africa.

Alimasi Gaston is a researcher, applied economist, and civil society advocate dedicated to social justice, environmental governance, and economic sovereignty in the Congo Basin.

He serves as Research Manager and Climate Policy Lead at the DRC Climate Change Network (RCCRDC), Program Director at PEPA Organization, and Administration Lead for the Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP (CYMG Africa Taskforce).

Gaston combines quantitative rigor with field action, actively advocating for structural fiscal reforms, including a 1% civic tax on strategic minerals to fund ecological restoration and community resilience. He designs innovative Civic Tech solutions, notably Kongo-Moja Digital—awarded at the EAC 4th Regional STI Conference in Kigali—and the Sauti Yetu voice AI project.

A regular speaker at regional and international forums (GLF Nairobi, IAFFE, EAC Youth Fellowship, ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority), Gaston bridges economic modeling, public policy development, and the daily realities of frontline extraction communities.

Christabel Kisang is a communications leader, climate advocate, and youth mobilizer with experience in strategic communications, digital advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and campaign coordination. Her work spans climate action, water conservation, environmental governance, health, and youth empowerment, with a focus on amplifying youth voices and strengthening meaningful participation in decision making spaces. Christabel has supported and led communications for regional, national and international initiatives. She has participated in and contributed to platforms including Climate Summit, COP, UN Environment engagements, and UN Women initiatives, bringing together communications, advocacy, technology, and youth leadership.

Thandeka Chiramba is a Zimbabwean lawyer, climate justice advocate, youth diplomat, and sustainability practitioner working at the intersection of law, environmental governance, climate action, and youth participation. She holds an LLB from the University of Zimbabwe, with a particular interest in mining law, environmental rights, and climate justice. Thandeka is a co-founder of Young Persons for Climate Justice Africa (YPCJA), where she contributes to youth-led climate action, environmental advocacy, and community-based sustainability initiatives. Her work has included climate education, waste-to-value initiatives, public speaking, youth diplomacy, and engagement on environmental and natural-resource governance. She is passionate about translating law, policy, and youth-led innovation into practical solutions that strengthen resilient, inclusive, and sustainable communities.

Nada is an Egyptian climate justice activist with over four years of experience in climate education and European climate policy analysis, with a focus on CBAM, CSDDD and EUDR. Currently, she is a global issues and innovation trainee at the EU Delegation to the United States. Prior to that, she upheld several roles including working as a political science teaching assistant, an environmental project manager, and a public policy researcher where she specialized in monitoring climate and energy policies and analyzing their impact on businesses.

She is part of multiple local, regional and international organizations including: Banlastic Egypt, EU Jeel Connect and the Children and Youth Major Group to UNEP. She facilitated 70+ environmental workshops on climate change, holds an M.A in European Interdisciplinary Studies from the College of Europe, is fluent in English and Arabic; and proficient in French and Spanish.