June 2025 | By the YSDN Team
We are proud to share that Damilola Hamid Balogun, Co-Founder and CEO of the Youth Sustainable Development Network (YSDN), has been named to the Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 Class of 2025.
As one of just three Nigerians on this year’s list, this milestone is a reflection of the vision and work that began in a borrowed classroom in 2019 and has now grown into a movement empowering thousands of youth across Africa and beyond.
“This recognition is not just about me. It’s about showing what’s possible when youth are given the space to lead, to innovate, and to build. The classroom we started in might have been small — but the vision never was.”— Damilola Hamid Balogun
This recognition affirms what YSDN stands for: that youth-led, action-driven leadership is not just the future — it’s already reshaping the present. As we prepare for YSDC Nairobi 2025, we’re more inspired than ever to continue building solutions that create jobs, drive innovation, and power communities sustainably.
