Nigerian conservationist Rachel Ikemeh has been named a 2026 Rolex Awards Laureate in recognition of her community-led efforts to protect the Niger Delta’s rich biodiversity, conserve threatened species, and improve local livelihoods.
When Nigerian conservationist Rachel Ikemeh first visited the Niger Delta in 2013, she encountered forests heavily polluted by crude oil. Determined to protect the region, she launched the community-led South-West/Niger Delta Forest Project (SWNDFP), working alongside local communities to restore forests and conserve endangered wildlife.
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One of the project’s biggest successes has been the recovery of the critically endangered Niger Delta red colobus monkey. With only about 200 individuals remaining by 2021, Ikemeh helped establish a 1,000-hectare community-protected conservation area, where the monkey population has since doubled. Today, the SWNDFP manages four conservation areas, protecting at least 13 threatened species, improving more than 2,500 livelihoods, and reaching over 18,000 people through conservation education.
With support from Rolex, Ikemeh is expanding her impact by creating four additional community conservation areas, launching a conservation training hub, and introducing a mobile education programme. She is also leading the establishment of the Niger Delta’s first locally managed marine protected area, while inspiring a new generation of conservationists to safeguard Nigeria’s natural heritage.
