Irene Onwuka Wins Women’s Achievers Award in South Africa

By Joseph Iyaji | Akahi News

Queen Irene Onwuka, the founder of the Queen Irene Onwuka Peace Foundation (QIOP), has been recognised at the African Women’s Achievers Awards and Summit (AWAA 2025) in South Africa for her exceptional contributions to women’s empowerment, child education, and support for persons with disabilities.

Honoured Among Africa’s Top 100 Women Change Makers

Akahi News gathered that Queen Irene emerged as one of the 100 African Women Change Makers and African Icon 2025 for Economic Advancement, a prestigious honour celebrating women across 30 African nations who embody the spirit of growth and development on the continent.

In a post shared on her social media page, Queen Irene expressed her gratitude for the recognition, saying:

“I was thrilled and honoured to be recognised as one of the 100 African change makers and African Icon 2025 for Economic Advancement. This is an award I don’t take for granted at all. It is a call for more efforts and contributions in little ways we can for the economic good of Africa.”

Induction into the Women’s Empowerment Achievers Forum

According to reports, all AWAA 2025 awardees were inducted into the Women’s Empowerment Achievers Forum, a platform aimed at consolidating their impact on Africa’s development.

A few select honorees, including Queen Irene, also received honorary doctorate degrees in recognition of their remarkable contributions to creating opportunities and promoting social change across the continent.

A Legacy of Advocacy and Empowerment

Queen Irene’s foundation, QIOP, has consistently championed the rights and welfare of children and persons with disabilities. Recently, QIOP signed a landmark partnership agreement with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities to scale up initiatives for capacity building and empowerment of people living with disabilities in Nigeria.

Notably, she had earlier been named African Iconic Young Humanitarian at the African Iconic Women Recognition Awards (AIWRA), solidifying her reputation as a tireless advocate for social impact.

With this new recognition, Queen Irene joins a select group of African women leading transformational change across multiple sectors on the continent.

Akahi News http://www.akahinews.org