What BudgIT Health Activism Award Means for Nonye Soludo’s Healthy Living Campaign

By Daniel Ezeigwe

The 2026 BudgIT Active Citizens Award for Health Activism is more than a trophy. It is one of Nigeria’s most respected civic honours, presented to individuals and organisations whose work has made a measurable and lasting impact on society.

Organised by BudgIT, a leading civic technology organisation known for promoting transparency, accountability and citizen engagement, the awards attract nominations from outstanding changemakers across the country. Winners emerge after a rigorous assessment of innovation, leadership, sustainability, inclusiveness and the real impact of their initiatives.

For the wife of the Anambra State Governor, Dr. Nonye Soludo, to receive the Health Activism Award is a significant national recognition of a vision she has consistently championed for over two decades.

At the heart of that vision is the belief that healthy communities are built not only in hospitals but also in homes, schools, farms and neighbourhoods. Since becoming Anambra’s First Lady, Dr. Nonye Soludo has advanced preventive healthcare through the Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Initiative, transforming what began as a public awareness campaign into one of Nigeria’s most impactful state based health programmes.

Today, the initiative covers maternal and child health, nutrition, environmental sanitation, menstrual hygiene, school health clubs, food security, mental wellness and community fitness, demonstrating a holistic approach to improving public health.

Its impact has been both visible and measurable. Through the Healthy Living Pad Bank, hundreds of schools have received sanitary products and menstrual health education for adolescent girls. More than 25,000 hybrid seed packs have been distributed to households to improve nutrition and strengthen food security. The Nonye’s Healthy Living Pap Initiative has also supported thousands of children through Primary Health Centres in the fight against malnutrition.

In addition, weekly fitness exercises now take place across Anambra’s 21 local government areas, while continuous public enlightenment campaigns encourage healthier lifestyles among residents. Rather than isolated interventions, these programmes complement one another in addressing the root causes of poor health and promoting a culture of prevention.

The significance of the award becomes even more evident within the broader context of public service in Nigeria. While many governors’ wives have launched commendable social programmes, Dr. Nonye Soludo has distinguished herself through a focused, evidence driven and result oriented approach.

Instead of pursuing numerous unrelated projects, she has built a unified movement around healthy living, ensuring that every intervention contributes to a broader vision of healthier families and communities. Her work has relied more on sustained impact than publicity, earning the confidence of communities, attracting development partners and now receiving national recognition from one of the country’s most credible civic organisations.

The BudgIT Health Activism Award is therefore not only a personal honour for Anambra’s First Lady but also a validation of a leadership model that places impact above image and service above publicity.

As the Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo Initiative continues to expand, the award reinforces an important message: meaningful and consistent service will always attract recognition. For Anambra State, it is a moment of pride. For public health advocates across Nigeria, it is further evidence that sustained grassroots interventions can become a national model for improving lives.