Joy Tony

Focus Areas

Tony Joy is the founder of Durian Foundation, a rural development organization transforming local resources, indigenous knowledge, agriculture, and technology into sustainable livelihood systems across rural Nigeria and Africa. Through initiatives focused on women’s empowerment, regenerative agriculture, research, youth leadership, and circular economy innovation, the organization is working to build economically liberated and environmentally conscious rural communities while redefining the narrative around rural life.

Tony has spent over a decade working across rural communities in Nigeria, designing systems that support farmers, women-led enterprises, youth leadership, and community innovation. She is an Ashoka Fellow and has led projects and partnerships focused on climate-smart agriculture, rural enterprise development, knowledge transfer, and social innovation while building platforms that connect rural voices to national and global conversations.

“As a visionary leader, I strive to build systems that help rural communities see their value, unlock opportunities around them, and create sustainable futures from within.”