Saturday, May 30, 2026
FB X LI YT
Breaking
Kidnappers Kill Pastor Three Days After Abduction, Claim Ransom Was Delayed Think Yoruba First 4th Annual Yoruba Global Conference – June 6, 2026 at UNILAG Youngest Yoruba King, Oba Arujale of Okeluse, Completes Final Defense at Afe Babalola University NUC Bans HND-to-BSc Conversion, Top-Up Programmes in Nigerian Universities with Immediate Effect Amaechi Rejects ADC Presidential Primary Results: “I Will Not Accept This Sham” BREAKING 🇳🇬🚔: Oyo Police Command kills three suspected kidnappers during a gun battle in Otu area, rescues abducted victim alive as security operatives recover weapons and intensify crackdown on criminal gangs. Former US Mayor Arnold Rejects Obi-Kwankwaso Ticket as ‘National Disaster,’ Links Kwankwaso to Sharia, Extremism And Corruption. “Breach to Yoruba Monarchy Tradition, Unacceptable” — Iwo Ruling Houses Drag Oluwo to Court Over Alleged Exhumation of Past Kings’ Remains
NEWS

Yoruba-born Olukemi Ibikunle Wins 2025 United Nations Trailblazer Award for Women Justice and Corrections Officers

October 8, 2025 • 2 min read

October 8, 2025
By Tobi Akinnubi

A proud moment for Nigeria and the Yoruba nation as Olukemi Ibikunle, a distinguished Yoruba corrections officer, has won the 2025 United Nations Trailblazer Award for Women Justice and Corrections Officers in New York.

The United Nations Department of Peace Operations (DPO) announced that Ibikunle, who hails from the Yoruba ethnic group in southwestern Nigeria, received the global honour for her exceptional contribution to prison reform and correctional service within the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

The award, which will be formally presented on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, by the UN Deputy Secretary-General, celebrates women breaking boundaries in peacekeeping, justice, and corrections work around the world.

As the Corrections Unit Engineer at MONUSCO, Ibikunle has distinguished herself in a traditionally male-dominated field, leading transformative prison infrastructure and rehabilitation projects. Her work promotes dignity, safety, and rehabilitation for inmates while strengthening national institutions and aligning prison standards with international best practices.

Driven by her belief that “peace begins behind prison walls,” the Yoruba-born officer has worked tirelessly to humanize correctional systems through innovation and compassion.

Ibikunle first served with MONUSCO between 2020 and 2022, and redeployed to the mission in 2023. Among her key achievements are the development of a high-security prison block in Kabare for high-risk detainees, the creation of a model prison blueprint for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Biogas Initiative at Uvira Prison, which converts waste into clean energy while providing inmates with vocational skills.

Established in 2022, the United Nations Trailblazer Award honours the outstanding contributions of women justice and corrections officers deployed in peace operations, challenging gender barriers and celebrating women who redefine leadership in global security and justice systems.