Zuriel Oduwole

Zuriel Oduwole is an American education advocate, policy advisor, and filmmaker. Born to British parents of Mauritanian and Nigerian ancestry in Los Angeles, California, Oduwole was first featured in a Forbes magazine in 2010 at the age of 10. In November 2014, Zuriel became the youngest filmmaker to self-produce and edit a screened work for the movie theater and was featured by CNBC.

For her more than a decade long development work since the age of 10, Miss Oduwole was nominated in January 2025 by 2 US institutions and a Senator, for the Nobel Peace Prize. It was in recognition of her many initiatives and interventions in influencing discussions on education across Africa and the Caribbean, actively engaging in diplomatic efforts and peace mediation in South America, the Sahel region and the Middle East, and her work to create opportunities for youths in marginalized communities via a free film making class.

Oduwole has met with 36 presidents and prime ministers in line with her education advocacy and various global socio-development work. Some of these include the leaders of Jamaica, Croatia, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Liberia, South Sudan, Malta, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Guyana, Sierra Leone and Namibia. She has also appeared in popular television stations including CNBC, Bloomberg TV, BBC and CNN. In 2013, Oduwole was listed in the New African Magazine's list of "100 Most Influential People" and in October 2017, Harvard University graduate school featured her development story.