Olukemi Ibikunle Wins 2025 United Nations Trailblazer Award for Women in Justice and Corrections

It’s a arrogant infinitesimal for Nigeria arsenic Chief Superintendent of Corrections (CSC) Olukemi Ibikunle has been recognised connected the planetary signifier with the 2025 United Nations Trailblazer Award for Women Justice and Corrections Officers. The grant celebrates women who are driving betterment and promoting dignity successful justness and correctional systems astir the satellite — and Olukemi’s sanction present stands among them.

Presented by Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, the grant ceremonial took spot astatine the UN Headquarters successful New York. Olukemi was recognised for her exceptional enactment with the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission successful the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), wherever she has been profoundly progressive successful reforming correctional systems and championing quality rights.

Out of 5 nominees selected globally, 2 were from the Nigerian Correctional Service — Olukemi Ibikunle and Sarah Adole. Olukemi emerged arsenic the wide winner, a testament to the increasing planetary assurance successful the professionalism and dedication of Nigerian correctional officers.

Speaking astir her recognition, Amina Mohammed said Olukemi’s enactment “reminds america that erstwhile justness delivers dignity, erstwhile institutions service people, we determination person to the committedness of the 2030 Agenda — a satellite of peace, equality, and accidental for all.” She added that Olukemi’s communicative reflects the mundane courageousness “to carve anticipation wherever others spot none.”

Taking to the signifier to person her award, Olukemi’s gratitude filled the room. “I americium arrogant to basal contiguous arsenic impervious that women person a voice,” she said. “We tin imagination boldly and lend meaningfully to bid and security.”

She spoke movingly astir the children she encounters successful her enactment — those surviving with their mothers successful detention and those caught successful conflicts with the instrumentality — describing them arsenic her regular reminder of wherefore this enactment matters. “I’m not doing this for myself alone, but for different girls and women who volition follow,” she said. “For my daughter, showing them that it tin beryllium done.”

Olukemi besides utilized the infinitesimal to telephone for much women successful justness and corrections roles wrong bid operations. “Representation matters,” she said. “It matters for the effectiveness of our missions, and it besides matters for the connection it sends to communities astir the satellite — that women beryllium astatine the bosom of peace.”

In her enactment successful the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Olukemi collaborates with colleagues from crossed the satellite to betterment situation medication and amended the justness system. “There cannot beryllium lasting bid without a functional justness system,” she noted, “and determination cannot beryllium a functional justness strategy without a robust corrections service.”

The Controller General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, congratulated her connected this achievement, describing it arsenic “a testament to the professionalism, competence, and planetary relevance of Nigerian correctional officers.” He added that her designation “reflects the caller tone of the Nigerian Correctional Service — a Service driven by reform, quality dignity, and affirmative transformation.”