Mrs Soludo wins 2026 BudgIT active citizens award By Madu Obi

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By Madu Obi

The Wife of the Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Nonye Soludo, has emerged winner of the health activism category at the 2026 BudgIT Active Citizens Awards put together in recognition and celebration of individuals and organizations making remarkable contributions to civic engagement and social development across Nigeria.

The BudgIT Active Citizens Awards, now in its third edition, recognizes changemakers whose work strengthens accountability, democratic values and sustainable development through advocacy, innovation, research, community service and public engagement.

Mrs Soludo was acknowledged as showing outstanding leadership in advancing preventive healthcare, community wellness and public health advocacy through her nongovernmental organization, NGO, the Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Initiative.

At the award ceremony, Mrs Soludo was honoured ahead of Nigerian health and gender rights advocate, Ramatu Ada Ochekliye and Sidney Sampson a Nigerian public health and social impact professional, following a rigorous selection process that assessed nominees on innovation, impact, sustainability, inclusion, leadership and measurable community outcomes.

Receiving the award , Mrs Soludo said it is both a humbling honour and a renewed call to serve with even greater passion and dedication.

"This recognition belongs to every member of the Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Initiative, our valued partners, healthcare workers, volunteers, community leaders and the resilient people of Anambra State who have embraced the vision of wellness and healthy living.

"Like a family driven by one common goal, we have shown that when communities take ownership of their health, lasting transformation becomes very possible.

"I sincerely thank BudgIT, Civic Hive and Ford Foundation for this extraordinary recognition. It inspires us to keep expanding our reach, touching more lives and building a healthier, stronger and more prosperous Anambra", she said.

Senior Special Assistant to the wife of the governor, Mr. Daniel Ezeigwe, in a statement, said the award reflects the growing national recognition of the transformative work being carried out under Mrs Soludo's healthy living crusade, which, according to him, has become a model for promoting healthy lifestyles and preventive healthcare in Anambra State.

According to him, since assuming the role of Anambra First Lady, Dr. Soludo has championed several people-centred interventions, including statewide fitness campaigns, maternal and child health advocacy, nutrition education, environmental sanitation, the Healthy Living Pad Bank for schoolgirls, the distribution of free seed packs to households, as well as the Nonye's Healthy Living Pap Initiative, which addresses childhood malnutrition.

"These programmes have touched thousands of lives while reinforcing the importance of prevention as the foundation of a healthier society", Ezeigwe said..

He added that Mrs Soludo's recognition further underscores the national impact of her unwavering commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of Anambra people and contributing to Nigeria's broader public health landscape.