Chairman of the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre), Olanrewaju Suraju, has been named the winner of the 2025 Courageous Scientists Award for Environmental and Climate Justice (Africa category), an international honour established by the Vienna-based Forum Eco-Social Transformations.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by HEDA.
According to the statement, Suraju was selected as one of six global winners chosen from 22 nominees across Africa, Asia, Australia/Oceania, Europe, Latin America and North America. The award, created in 2025, recognises individuals who demonstrate exceptional courage and commitment to environmental protection, climate justice and species preservation, often at significant personal risk.
The organisers said Suraju’s selection acknowledges his “outstanding and inspiring work, long-time fight against corruption, and deep commitment to human rights,” especially through his leadership of HEDA Resource Centre.
The award reflects the prize’s guiding motto, “Tell the Truth!”, which celebrates individuals who speak boldly on environmental and justice issues.
The statement listed the other 2025 award recipients as including eight Iranian scientists from the Persian Wildlife Foundation (Asia), Cynthia Houniuhi of Vanuatu who leads the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Club (Australia/Oceania), Dr. Elisa Privitera, an Italian urban and environmental planner at the University of Toronto Scarborough (Europe), Olivia Bisa Tirko, President of the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Chapra Nation in Peru (Latin America), and Dr. Rose Abramoff, an earth scientist at the University of Maine, USA (North America).
The winners were selected by a six-member International Jury made up of experts in environmental economics, climate science, Indigenous rights advocacy, urban planning and ecological research. A five-member Scientific Advisory Board based in Vienna, led by Dr. Ernst Fürlinger, supervised the process.
The award was founded by Austrian architectural historian and climate advocate Dr. Norbert Mayr, who noted that Suraju’s recognition highlights his sustained commitment to environmental justice and accountability.
Reacting to the award, Suraju described it as an encouragement to continue advocating for transparency and climate responsibility. He dedicated the honour to environmental defenders and civil society actors in Africa who work under challenging conditions. He also condemned the inhuman environmental and human rights situation in the Niger Delta, accusing state authorities, international oil companies and their host countries of complicity in creating what he described as the world’s most polluted region through decades of oil exploitation.
According to the statement, the public award ceremony will be held on 15 November 2025 in Vienna, with global participants joining both in-person and online.
