Indomie Awards puts 18 young heroes in spotlight

Eighteen young Nigerians have reached the final stage of the Indomie Heroes Awards 2026 after judges considered nearly 500 nominations from across the country.

Dufil Prima Foods, the maker of Indomie, opened the search by inviting nominations for young people whose actions showed courage, compassion, resilience and impact. Entries came through the official Indomie website, while commissioned research agencies gathered and verified additional stories.

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We had strong ties. We had a lot of bravery. We had a lot of amazing submissions.

The agencies reviewed supporting material that included photographs, videos, witness testimonials and other documentation. The project team then selected 18 stories across three categories: Physical Bravery, Social Bravery and Intellectual Bravery. A five-member panel reviewed the finalists at the Judges’ Sitting.

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empathetic enough to put the love of self aside and help someone else, no matter what.

Kehinde Adegboyega said the strength of the submissions made the deliberations difficult, particularly in the Social Bravery category. Nyma Zibiri said this year’s entries showed a strong sense of empathy and defined a true hero as someone “empathetic enough to put the love of self aside and help someone else, no matter what.”

The judges also highlighted evidence, impact, resilience, fast thinking and concern for others as qualities they considered in the finalists. Victory Ashaka told the young nominees, “Your story definitely matters,” saying that reaching the final 18 from almost 500 entries was itself an achievement. The awards aim to bring the stories of otherwise unsung young heroes, including vulnerable and less privileged people, into the national spotlight.

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Your story definitely matters.