1 December 2025 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — On the margins of the IGAD Media Awards 2025, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Ahmed Absie, Founder and Director of the Green Media Initiative （GMI）, was honored with the Influencer of the Year 2025 award. The ceremony took place at the Skylight Hotel as part of a two-day regional event (29–30 November 2025） dedicated to climate action storytelling across the Horn of Africa.
The IGAD Media Awards 2025 were organized under the theme “Storytelling for Climate Action: For a Secure, Resilient, and Stable Region,” highlighting the essential role of media in shaping climate awareness, public engagement, and policy accountability in a region increasingly affected by droughts, floods, desertification, and food insecurity.
Speaking to Pulse of Africa following the award ceremony, Ahmed Absie expressed his appreciation for the recognition, saying:
“Receiving the Influencer of the Year 2025 award is a great honor, and I am truly delighted. It reflects that my impact and advocacy have been recognized and appreciated at the regional level. I thank IGAD for acknowledging the importance of such awards for journalists who focus on critical issues like climate change—an issue our countries face with high vulnerability across our communities.”.
Rising Impact in 2025
Throughout 2025, Ahmed Absie’s impact continued to grow through a strong focus on climate and environmental reporting, public awareness, and advocacy. He led the production of documentaries and in-depth stories highlighting the wide-ranging impacts of climate change in Somalia, including drought, flooding, land degradation, and food insecurity, bringing community experiences and environmental realities to the forefront of public discussion.
Alongside this work, Ahmed actively worked to draw greater attention within Somali media to climate and environmental issues by supporting journalism training, climate education, and media capacity-building initiatives. Through these efforts, journalists and young media professionals were better equipped to report accurately on climate science, environmental crises, and sustainability challenges.
In parallel, GMI introduced Somalia’s first structured environmental accountability and fact-checking initiatives in media, examining environmental policies, climate commitments, and public claims related to sustainability. Together, these efforts contributed to increased public engagement and a growing recognition of climate and environmental journalism as a critical area within Somalia’s media landscape.
Regional Recognition and Significance for GMI
The Influencer of the Year award was among the most competitive, with nearly 400 journalists, filmmakers, digital content creators and media innovators from across the IGAD region participating in various categories. In total, twenty winners were recognized across television, radio, print, and digital media. The 2025, edition marked the third cycle of the awards, following earlier editions in Djibouti and Nairobi.
For the Green Media Initiative, this recognition represents a defining milestone. In less than two years—and without external institutional support—GMI has positioned itself as a leading platform for climate education, investigative environmental journalism, and community engagement in Somalia. Through documentaries, digital campaigns, training programs, and accountability reporting, GMI has reached millions and trained more than 250 journalists and youth.
This regional honor not only celebrates individual achievement but also reinforces GMI’s broader mission: to elevate climate and environmental storytelling, strengthen accountability, and contribute to a more informed, resilient, and climate-aware Somalia and the wider IGAD region.