Nigerian conservationist and environmentalist Rachel Ikemeh has been named a 2026 Rolex Awards Laureate in recognition of her community-driven efforts to protect the rich biodiversity of the Niger Delta, conserve threatened species and improve the livelihoods of local communities.
Ikemeh’s conservation journey in the Niger Delta began in 2013 when she encountered forests severely polluted by crude oil activities. Moved by the environmental degradation, she established the South-West/Niger Delta Forest Project (SWNDFP), a community-led initiative that works closely with local populations to restore degraded forests and protect endangered wildlife.
One of the initiative’s most notable achievements has been the recovery of the critically endangered Niger Delta red colobus. By 2021, only about 200 individuals of the species remained. Through Ikemeh’s efforts, a 1,000-hectare community-protected conservation area was established, resulting in a doubling of the monkey population.
Today, the SWNDFP manages four conservation areas that safeguard at least 13 threatened species, improve the livelihoods of more than 2,500 people and have reached over 18,000 individuals through conservation education and awareness programmes.
With support from the Rolex Awards, Ikemeh is now scaling up her conservation efforts by creating four additional community conservation areas, establishing a conservation training hub and introducing a mobile environmental education programme.
She is also spearheading the creation of the Niger Delta’s first locally managed marine protected area, while mentoring and inspiring a new generation of conservationists committed to preserving Nigeria’s natural heritage for future generations.
