Faisal Salisu DambattaEbenezar Wikina, founder of Policy Shapers, has been named a Fellow of the 2026 Next Generation Foresight Practitioners, a recognition that further elevates his global profile for his citizen-driven development initiatives in Rivers State.
According to a statement, the School of International Futures, based in the United Kingdom, selected 25 Fellows from 24 countries out of more than 700 applicants. Wikina—an indigene of Rivers State—was listed as one of only two global Fellows chosen under the Democracy & Sustainable Development Foresight Transformation Mission.
The organisation stated that the programme “recognises emerging foresight leaders who are applying futures thinking to drive meaningful change in their communities,” noting that Wikina’s work spans civic technology, youth development, public policy, journalism, biomimicry, and futures thinking.
Wikina is a public policy analyst and founder of Policy Shapers, a civic-tech organisation that equips young people with knowledge, skills, and tools to engage in policy processes.
His fellowship project, Rivers 2050 Vision, aims to develop a 25-year development blueprint for the state. He described it as “a citizen-led initiative designed to co-create the future of Rivers State over the next 25 years.
Commenting on his selection, Wikina said, “The last time Rivers State had a development plan was in 1975—50 years ago. Considering the state’s recent political and leadership challenges, this project returns power to the citizens to fight for the kind of future they believe they deserve.
He added that the recognition gives him “an opportunity to deepen African perspectives in global futures conversations and collaborate with others shaping long-term development worldwide.
This latest accolade adds to a decade-long list of honours earned by Wikina, including the 2015 Rivers Business and People Award, 2017 Global Investigative Journalism Conference Fellowship, 2020 Mandela Washington Fellowship, 2022 Royal African Youth Leadership Award, and the 2024 Skoll Fellowship, among others.
