‘An Incredible Honour’: Filmmaker and Activist Zuriel Oduwole Hopes for Greater Impact After Nobel Nomination

‘I honestly didn’t know people were paying that much attention to the work I was doing,” says Zuriel Oduwole, the 22-year-old filmmaker and advocate nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

‘Wouldn’t you want all the girls in Mozambique to do what I’m doing or even greater things?’ was Oduwole’s question to Mozambique’s president that helped spark a 2019 law banning child marriage.

Nigerian-American filmmaker and education advocate Zuriel Oduwole has already left a mark on the world.

At just 22, she’s making history as the youngest Nigerian ever nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize — and the first to be considered in the Peace category.

Since starting her filmmaking journey at the age of nine, Oduwole has steadily built a reputation as a formidable voice for change in media and advocacy, including advocating against child marriage before world leaders.

Born in Los Angeles, Oduwole’s journey has taken her across the world, with a particular focus on Africa.

For Oduwole, the recognition is not just personal. It’s a validation of years spent using media to amplify unheard voices, advocate for girls’ education, and drive tangible policy change.

‘Such an honour’

The moment she learned of her nomination, shock was her first reaction.

“How did I feel about the Nobel Peace Prize nomination? I think it was shock, complete shock,” Oduwole says, recalling the moment. “It was such an unexpected thing to hear about. My whole family — they’ll tell you they’re also still in shock.”

Despite her extensive work in peace mediation and global advocacy, she never imagined her efforts were getting this level of recognition.

“I’m incredibly thankful to those who nominated me. To be completely honest, just between us, I honestly didn’t know people were paying that much attention to the work that I was doing to even be considered for a nomination,” she admits.

What makes the honor even more surreal is joining a legacy of laureates she has long admired.

“when you consider past recipients of the award — President Jimmy Carter, President Nelson Mandela, even Kofi Annan — who is a UN secretary general, just being nominated is such an honor.”

Yet, rather than seeing the nomination as a peak, she views it as motivation to keep going.

“The nomination in itself is enough. But such an honor. Such an honor. And it’s just a reminder to just continue doing the work that I’m doing.”

A camera, a history project, and a mission

Oduwole’s path to global advocacy began with a school assignment. At nine, she entered a US national competition where students were encouraged to document historical revolutions. Unlike her peers, who chose well-known Western events, she looked to Africa.

“Doing the research, I found out that the Ghana Revolution was actually one of the most successful held on the African continent. So I thought, perfect, this is going to be my topic,” she says.

Determined to tell the story with authenticity, she taught herself filmmaking through YouTube, traveled to Ghana, and produced her first documentary. That experience changed everything.

“And that’s when I first saw and truly understood the power of media.”

From that moment, storytelling became her tool — not just to inform, but to inspire action.

“So since the age of nine to now, I’m 22 years old now, I’ve been creating films for three reasons,” she explains.

First, to highlight positivity.

“I feel like in the world we live in today, there’s just so many negative stories out there that it is sometimes nice to remind ourselves of the positive things that are out there.”

Second, to shine a light on overlooked stories.

“There’s a lot of stories out there, amazing stories that just don’t see the light of day.”

And third, to raise awareness about critical global issues.

“For me, as a global education advocate, a lot of my filmmaking that sheds light on issues revolves around that.”

Changing the law in Mozambique

One of her most powerful moments of advocacy came in 2018, when she was just 16. Oduwole flew to Maputo, Mozambique, to meet with President Felipe Nyusi. Her mission: to urge him to act against child marriage.

“When it came to the issue of child marriage in Mozambique, I knew that I had to tell a compelling story that would impel action,” she says.

Rather than presenting statistics or policy arguments, she posed a simple but striking question.

“I asked him a really simple question. I asked him, wouldn’t you want all the girls in Mozambique to do what I’m doing or to do even greater things? And he was quiet. Because how do you say no to a serious question like that?”

Her words sparked months of conversations and persistent advocacy. Then, in July 2019 — 15 months after their meeting — Mozambique formally outlawed child marriage, changing the lives of more than 1.1 million girls overnight.

That moment reinforced what she had long believed: storytelling is not just about raising awareness — it’s about driving real, measurable change.

Teaching the next generation

For Oduwole, empowering others is just as important as telling her own stories. Through her foundation, the DUSUSU Foundation — named after her early advocacy project, Dream Up, Speak Up, Stand Up — she has been teaching young people the art of filmmaking.

“I truly believed that if others had the same opportunity, then they too could also become filmmakers,” she says.

Her workshops, which she began running at just 13 in Namibia, have since expanded to eight countries, including Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Rwanda, Mexico, and Seychelles.

“A few days ago, I was in the beautiful island of Seychelles just teaching the youth things like editing, lighting, dialogue creation, storyboarding and things like that. And we had an amazing time.”

To date, she has taught nearly 600 students, many of whom now use media to tell their own stories.

“When you ask about the future, it’s hoping to continue to grow this program to more countries and reach as many, as many youth as possible.”

Looking ahead

Balancing a life of advocacy, filmmaking, and personal commitments isn’t easy. But for Oduwole, the meaning behind her work makes every challenge worth it.

“I’m not saying that it’s completely easy, but it’s the kind of thing where when I understand the work that I’m doing and I understand why I’m doing it, like that in itself is rewarding and worth trying to figure out how to balance those other things.”

Despite her many achievements, she remains grounded, viewing herself as a regular young woman who just happens to be driven by a mission.

“I tell everyone I do the exact same things that every other back then 14-year-old, 16-year-old, now 22-year-old does. I just do all these other things on the side.”

Credit: https://www.aa.com.tr/

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