James Okina

After a horrific experience as an adolescent when his parents separated, James Okina turned to the streets for a sense of belonging. Inspired by an unprecedented turnaround, at age 15, James founded Street Priests Incorporated. This social enterprise is transforming street children’s lives through a youth-led movement.

Street Priests currently operates the only community center in Nigeria that provides all-round developmental support to children on the streets daily. Over 11,000 children and counting have benefited from this program. He currently serves as Strategic Advisor to the SAP/UNICEF partnership to bring digital skills to over 1.5 million students in India, Turkey, and Vietnam and a Young People’s action Team Member for Generation Unlimited. James is also the founder of Erupt Art and holds a B.sc in Social Entrepreneurship as a Watson Scholar.