Nigerian singer Yemi Eberechi Alade, popularly known as Yemi Alade, has been announced among the distinguished personalities who will name baby gorillas during the Kwita Izina ceremony, scheduled for September 5, 2025, in Kinigi, Musanze District.
She was unveiled on the shortlist of notable figures set to participate in this annual conservation event. Others on the list include Athanasie Mukabizimungu, founder of the Imbereheza Cooperative; Reed Oppenheimer, CEO of the Reed Jules Oppenheimer Foundation; Sang-Hyup Kim, President of the Global Green Growth Institute; and Alliance Umwizerwa, a gorilla research officer with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund.
Yemi Alade, who last visited Rwanda in 2023 during the Trace Awards, where she won an award, will return as a special guest to contribute to Rwanda’s conservation legacy.
This year’s Kwita Izina ceremony, set for Friday, September 5, 2025, will mark the 20th edition of the event. A total of 40 baby gorillas will be named, including 18 born in 2024. The 2024 edition was canceled due to the Marburg outbreak in Rwanda.
Since the ceremony’s inception in 2005, 395 baby gorillas have been named. The mountain gorilla population in the Virunga region has also grown significantly, from 880 in 2012 to over 1,063 today, reflecting the success of community-driven conservation efforts.
Author: Justinmind HARERIMANA
