JOSHUA OLUWASEYI
NIGERIA, 19
Project: LearnBlue
Basic Human Needs: Education, Environment, Water
In 2018, Joshua discovered he had severe allergies to pollution fumes. He researched the impact of pollutants on Nigerians’ health, and learned that 100,000+ people in his country died from air pollution and related complications each year. Joshua pioneered a campaign to raise awareness on pollution, which reached over 1.3 million people on social media and inspired 100+ cleanups in Nigeria. Joshua took action because pollution personally affected him, and he wanted to create a way for young people to take action against issues that directly impacted their lives. In March 2019, Joshua co-founded LearnBlue – a global nonprofit organization working to build a generation of do-gooders, activists and innovators. LearnBlue aims to inspire Gen Z to create effective solutions to issues such as climate change, sustainable development and quality education. In less than a year, LearnBlue has inspired 2,000+ students globally to take action. Their campaign on the Amazon Fire garnered 150,000+ views on social media and 4,500 signatures on a petition encouraging Brazil’s President to take immediate action. In 2019, Joshua was recognized as one of 100 Most Influential Young Leaders in Nigeria and received the Award of Excellence from the Young Entrepreneurs Summit and Awards. LearnBlue has already expanded beyond Nigeria, with additional chapters in Italy, the United States and the United Arab Emirates. By the end of 2020, Joshua hopes to establish chapters across six continents, empowering each branch to launch their own grassroots campaigns. In the future, Joshua wants to gather thousands of Gen Z activists for a “Think-a-thon,” with the mission to create local solutions that tackle global problems.