Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr Honored with Lawrence C. Nussdorf Urban Leadership Prize

Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr of Freetown, Sierra Leone, is set to receive the 2021 Lawrence C. Nussdorf Urban Leadership Prize at the University of Pennsylvania on Friday, April 25, 2025. The award ceremony, delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions, will take place during the Penn Institute for Urban Research's 20th Annual Urban Leadership Forum.

The prize recognizes Mayor Aki-Sawyerr's significant contributions to urban sustainability in Freetown, including the construction and operation of the city’s first-ever wastewater treatment plant, the digitalization and expansion of the property rate system, and the planting and monitoring of 1.2 million trees under the #FreetownTheTreeTown initiative.​

The Lawrence C. Nussdorf Urban Leadership Prize honors individuals who have made impactful contributions to urban development and sustainability.