ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2025
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. This year, 60,000+ young leaders applied to join the Class of 2025 on 7,000+ campuses across 170 nations. 290+ campuses worldwide (less than 5%) were selected to host the 4,500+ Millennium Fellows.
UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT EMERALD BASSEY EKPE, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2025.
University of Uyo | Uyo, Nigeria | Advancing SDG 4, SDG 5 & UNAI 6
" “I believe every child deserves the freedom to dream, not the burden to survive. The Millennium Fellowship gives me the platform, community, and tools to fight child labor and amplify the voices of children who deserve classrooms, not factories.” "
Millennium Fellowship Project: Save the Children
Save the Children is a dream plan for me. It's something I've always wanted to do ever since I was a child – to help less privileged children. Growing up, I realized how privileged I was. The fact that I could go to a good school, eat what I wanted, have good education, grow in a loving environment with good parents – these were all privileges. Unlike the rest of the society, I refused to be blinded by my privileges and turn a blind eye to the suffering of the children around me. The children that hawked tirelessly, under sun and rain. Children who were taken from their villages with a promise of good education and good living only to be subjected to slavery as housemaids. Some of them abused and maltreated in the process. I wanted to change that and I still do. I love by the mantra that says “you can do great things from a small placeâ€. Already, in my own little way, I've been advocating for child rights as a law Undergraduate. I've hosted campaigns and symposiums on Child Rights and advocated against child labor. Children are the future. They deserve all the love and care.
About the Millennium Fellow
Emerald Ekpe is a driven law undergraduate, award-winning public speaker, creative writer, and passionate advocate for children’s and women’s rights. She wields her voice and pen as powerful tools for social impact, inspiring audiences and communities across Africa.
She is the founder and host of the Global Women’s Salon 2025, a pioneering virtual summit that brought together over 300 women from across Africa to engage in honest conversations often left out of mainstream empowerment events — tackling issues such as self-esteem, body image, loyalty in relationships, and authentic confidence.
Emerald’s leadership and eloquence have earned her multiple top honours, including Best Advocate in the Justice Udo Udoma Moot Competition, Best Speaker in the University of Uyo Tax Club Debate, Best Speaker in the Socrates Inter-University Debate, and Best Speaker in the Let’s Speak Women Open Tournament 2025. She has also been a featured speaker at high-profile platforms such as Let’s Speak Africa, where she addressed gender balance and equality.
Beyond the stage, she actively works to promote inclusive opportunities for women and children through advocacy, storytelling, and strategic community engagement. Whether she’s drafting impactful legal documents, delivering transformative speeches, or designing social campaigns, Emerald is committed to making a positive, lasting difference wherever her skills are needed.
