A Nigerian youth group that works with boys to stop violence before it starts has just won one of the world’s newest peace awards.
Boys Champions, founded by Noel Ifeanyi Alumona, was named runner-up and won $30,000 in the Pankaj Award to End Conflict. One Young World and Regent Global present the award, and Boys Champions is among the first recipients in its history. The news came at the One Young World Summit in Cape Town. More than 2,000 young leaders from over 190 countries have gathered there.
The Pankaj Award is brand new. Regent Global, the education company founded by Professor Selva Pankaj and Dr Tharshiny Pankaj, launched it with One Young World and committed $250,000. The couple came to the UK as refugees from the Sri Lankan civil war. The award honours young leaders who work to prevent and end conflict. Ten finalists were chosen from applications that closed in June. The winner gets $100,000, and every finalist gets a place at the Cape Town summit and lifetime membership in the One Young World network.
Boys Champions is a youth-led non-profit that Alumona founded in 2018 in Enugu State, Nigeria. Its idea is simple. Boys must be part of the conversation if communities are to become safer and more equal. The group runs school and community programmes, mentorship, sports, mental health support and technology projects. Boys also learn to question harmful ideas about masculinity and find healthier ways to treat others.
In March 2023, for example, the group trained 120 boys from different schools in Enugu State. The session was called “Guys vs Girls: Building Healthy Relationship.” It aimed to end gender-based violence. Its team said the focus on boys is deliberate. If boys change their attitudes, violence against girls and women can fall.
| Boys Champions | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded. | 2018, by Noel Ifeanyi Alumona. |
| Base. | Enugu State, Nigeria. |
| Focus. | Preventing violence, building gender-equal communities. |
| Methods. | Mentorship, sports, schools, mental health, technology. |
| Latest win. | $30,000 Pankaj Award runner-up. |
The prize follows another win. On 6 October 2026, Boys Champions received the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 2026.ORG Impact Award from Public Interest Registry. The contest drew more than 4,200 entries from 145 countries. Alumona, who is also a doctoral student at the University of Miami, studies boys’ reading and learning in Nigeria.
Alumona said the honour belongs to the whole community behind the work. “This recognition belongs to everyone who makes our work possible,” he said. He named the team, the partners, and the young people and communities who trust the group. With the prize and more support from Regent Global and One Young World, he said, the group will keep growing and reach more young people.
Why it matters: Most peace money goes to stopping conflict after it starts. Boys Champions works earlier, with the young people who will shape tomorrow’s homes, schools and streets. A $30,000 prize is modest. For a youth-led group in Nigeria, it can still fund many mentors, sessions and school visits. It also puts a Nigerian prevention model in front of funders from around the world. For African founders building mission-driven organisations, the lesson is clear. A focused idea, steady proof of work and a strong story can win global backing.
What to watch next: how Boys Champions spends the $30,000 and where it expands. Also watch whether it publishes how many boys it reaches and what changes in their attitudes, since results will matter for future funding. Another point to follow is whether the Pankaj Award returns for a second year, and whether more African youth-led groups win.
Sources: Boys Champions announcement of its Pankaj Award runner-up prize; One Young World on the Pankaj Award to End Conflict; Eastern Eye on the launch of the Pankaj Award; University of Miami on Noel Ifeanyi Alumona and Boys Champions; News Agency of Nigeria on the 120-boys training in Enugu.
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