Africa has always been a mother. It’s undisputed.
So much so, that science tells us most non-Africans alive today can trace their ancestry back to the continent.
Our continent.
Africa also has the world’s youngest population, with 70% of sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30.
We have over 2,000 languages – making Africa an incredibly linguistically diverse continent – and the world’s largest hot desert, The Sahara.
By most margins, Africa should be amazing, “The cradle of humanity”, a shining star.
Unfortunately, natural wonders seem to be where our gas runs out.
Our dear mother (Africa) is being held back by her children, us.
Now, isn’t that a sick twist of fate?
You could argue that unproductive agriculture, corruption, and bad leadership are what’s holding us back.
Some would also argue that climate change and market failures are hindering the continent’s growth.
These arguments are all correct – the continent is so big that if we’re being honest, we have many problems.
Now, let’s zero in on our big basket of fragrant onions, Nigeria.
The country, like her mother, Africa, is naturally blessed. Fertile lands, beautiful culture, mineral resources…
But, according to a 2022 World Bank report, “the scale of Nigeria’s poverty-reduction challenge cannot be overstated”, and as if multidimensional poverty and bone-deep corruption are not enough, Nigeria grapples with multiple security challenges, including banditry and kidnappings in the northwest, insurgency in the northeast, and separatist agitations in the southeast.
This is why it’s easy to get lost in the yawning darkness of it all. “Omo, what can we even do sef? God help us.”
Wherever you are as you read this, we want you to take a deep breath in and repeat after us.
“I am not powerless, there are things I can do.”
Now you are probably asking, what can I do?
We’ll get to that.
We know that Nigeria may sometimes make you feel otherwise, but our system is democratic – shocking, we know.
This means that, ideally, power is in your hands.
You can choose (most of) your leaders and have the power to let them know when you’re not happy.
It’s quite literally a constitutional right. (Right to Freedom of Thought, Conscience, and Religion, Right to Freedom of Expression and the Press, Right to Peaceful Assembly and Association, etc.)
So, why aren’t we on the job?
A 2019 paper by Temitope Christopher Fagunwa of the University of Ibadan revealed a startling statistic: less than half (42.76%) of registered voters participated in the 2015 Nigerian elections. This implies that a significant portion of the population thought the electoral process was detached from their everyday lives.
Asper, the politics of the country they live in didn’t matter to them.
Some would argue that this is where Nigeria started to go downhill.
This is “Voter Apathy” – essentially a subset of “Political Apathy”.
Fast forward to the 2023 presidential elections, voter apathy only got worse.
Of the 93.4 million registered voters, 87.2 million people collected their Permanent Voters Card and the total number of actual voters on election day was only 24.9 million.
This means only 26.6% of eligible voters actually voted.
This is the lowest voter turnout in the nation’s history.
Nigerian Elections 2023: Voter turnout (yikes)
Keep in mind that this percentage is only for the people who successfully registered to vote and voted. There’s still the matter of unsuccessful registrations, and everyone else who didn’t register at all, to think about.
This means that only 12.5% of Nigeria’s population got up and made the apex democratic decision for the whole country – if we assume Nigeria’s population to be 200m.
That is embarrassing.
When they were saying “Tyranny of the minority”, it’s like they had Nigeria in mind.
If we had a more involved electorate, maybe we for no dey suffer like today.
We know that politics and civic engagement may be… how do we say this… Boring, to some people.
Which is fine (ish), but let’s be real: 76 million Nigerian adults can’t read or write – that’s a stunning 31% of us. And remember that only about 12% of the population even bothers to vote.
Illiteracy and poverty create fertile ground for manipulation and deceitful practices.
Think about it, the less you know of your capacity as a democratic citizen, the less you do, and the more liberties those in power can take.
Until we become ceramic mugs and pretty china to be used during election campaigns.
Are you not tired?
Contrary to popular belief, voting during elections isn’t the only way to make a difference.
(We raise you brushing up on local news occasionally.)
More seriously though, petitioning is one such way.
According to The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions “a petition is a formal request for action from one or more people to the Parliament to redress rights violations, administrative breaches or infractions committed by public officers.”
Bet you didn’t even know such a committee existed, hm?
Here’s a guide from The Policy and Legal Centre if you want to write one, and another one from the office themselves if you want to submit one.
It’s not complicated stuff.
Another simple, and easily overlooked way to use your voice is to know who is representing you, and not be shy to reach out to them.
Who is your Senator? Who is your Representative in the House of Reps? Who is your State Assembly Member? Who is your Local Government Chairman?
All these people are there to serve you, so why aren’t you pulling them up on that in the ways you can?
We implore you to mosey on down to the National Assembly website and get the contact information of the people you’re paying.
When next there’s no light for days, or your street looks a little worse for wear, give your representative a ring or email them.
The point is, the more people – like you – realise they can do these things, the more leaders will have no choice but to listen. Imagine getting 500 phone calls or email complaints from your constituents about one problem.
At the very least, they will be afraid of what will happen if they don’t try and solve the issue.
Did you know that if some requirements are met, constituents have the power to recall (fancy word for sack) a legislator?
According to INEC guidelines, a legislator can be recalled if at least half of their constituents sign a petition demanding their removal. A referendum must then be conducted within 90 days, and the legislator’s fate is determined by its outcome.
Do you see how much power you have? How much you can do by simply paying attention?
Anyway, we know that sometimes things reach a boiling point, and even long talk might not solve the wahala.
Occasionally, you may have to scream at the top of your lungs for change to happen, and while it may be unpleasant, it may also be vital.
Let’s take some lessons from Mother Africa.
Because we want you to get off your booty and do something, let’s talk about five times in the past fifty years that Africans have had to shout above the din to be heard.
By examining how the Soweto Uprising, the Arab Spring, the Sudanese uprising, the EndSARS protests, and the recent Kenya Finance Bill protests have ignited a spirit of resistance and the changes that followed, you can see for yourself how powerful the youth collective can be in shaping the present and future of Africa.
Gosh, did you feel that tingle?
That’s wisdom being downloaded into you.
Obashata.
The Soweto Uprising of 1976 was a pivotal moment in South Africa’s fight against apartheid.
It was sparked by the imposition of Afrikaans (the language of the white minority) as a medium of instruction in Bantu (Black) schools – yes, it was as awful as it sounds. This was the proverbial last straw that broke the camel’s back, as it ignited a fierce resistance against a system built on racial inequality and oppression.
Black South Africans endured decades of systemic discrimination, including the absurd notion that they needed permits to enter areas designated for whites, this is why the forced imposition of Afrikaans felt like an assault on their identity and culture.
On June 16, 1976, students took to the streets to protest this injustice. Tragically but unsurprisingly, their peaceful demonstration was met with brutal force, and the world watched in horror as young lives were lost. This event galvanised the nation and fueled the anti-apartheid movement, and while the regime tried to suppress the uprising, the protests ultimately weakened its grip on power.
The bravery of the Soweto youth laid the groundwork for the eventual downfall of apartheid in 1994.
Images of the police firing on peacefully demonstrating students sparked an international revulsion towards the South African Apartheid government as its brutality was exposed. This global distaste – even the United Nations chimed in – was one of the things that led to the eventual fall of the apartheid government.
The rise in political consciousness of educated Black South Africans was a key factor in the Soweto uprising, this is why The African National Congress, The Pan Africanist Congress and other liberation movements started to gain momentum as the protests and uprisings brought black and white South Africans together against the Apartheid government. This put political – and economic, as production was slowed by protests – pressure on the government.
The existing Bantu Education Act was replaced by the Education and Training Act of 1979. While this new law still kept schools segregated by race, it introduced several changes: Tuition fees were made equal for all students, the discriminatory Department of Bantu Education was abolished, and children were allowed to learn in their native languages until the fourth grade. The Act also provided for training in technical and trade skills, advanced technical studies, and adult education.
The Arab Spring, a series of uprisings that swept across North Africa and the Middle East in 2010-2011, was ignited by decades of authoritarian rule, economic hardship, and social inequality.
Now, doesn’t that sound familiar…
Anyway, Tunisia was the epicentre: A young street vendor’s self-immolation sparked mass protests, leading to the ouster of President Ben Ali. Inspired by this victory, nations like Egypt followed suit, with citizens demanding democratic reforms.
These uprisings were a remarkable display of civic engagement (no one was sitting at home not caring about their country) Young people, and the power of social media – the Arab Spring was popularly called the “Facebook Revolution” because of how media from the protests spread like wildfire on the platform and across the globe.
One Egyptian couple even named their baby after the social media app.
While outcomes varied, the Arab Spring marked a significant challenge to entrenched regimes and a step towards greater political participation.
Tunisia is often hailed as the lone success story of the Arab Spring. While it’s true that it underwent significant political transformation, it’s essential to note that the path to Tunisian democracy hasn’t been the smoothest.
Many of the uprisings were led by young people fed up with government corruption and lack of jobs, but the region hasn’t gotten much better. It has the highest youth unemployment rate in the world, and it’s gotten worse in many places, sparking new protests.
The internet and social media helped people organise the Arab Spring protests and show the world what was happening. But, many countries have since cracked down on online speech, limiting internet access and jailing people for criticising the government (ahem, Egypt, ahem). Tunisia is the only exception protecting free expression and the press under its 2014 constitution.
The Sudanese uprising in December 2018 followed decades of authoritarian rule under President Omar al-Bashir that had led to economic stagnation, corruption, and widespread discontent.
The protests, mainly mobilised by young people, and initially sparked by rising bread prices, quickly transformed into a mass movement demanding change.
But it’s been a hard-fought revolution.
During one of the first large protests, held on December 19, 2018, the local headquarters for Bashir’s National Congress Party was set on fire by demonstrators. Protests bloomed across the country, and in January 2019, as protests continued, a rally was held in support of Bashir, who vowed that he would stay in power until he was voted out of office in an election.
He was determined to prove his stronghead. But so were his people, even when he declared a state of emergency in February 2019.
Protests in Sudan ended in a military coup ousting Bashir in April 2019. But, the fight for civilian rule has been challenging and sadly violent. Sudan’s journey to democracy and economic recovery reminds us that sometimes post-revolutionary periods can be almost as challenging as the revolutions themselves.
After Bashir’s ousting, Sudan was governed by a ‘transitional’ military regime led by coup leader General Abdel-Fattah Burhan. Originally intended to last two years, this government aimed to stabilise the country. However, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo (aka Hemedti), collaborated with the army to maintain military control. Despite promises of a shift to civilian rule and elections by the end of 2023, both Burhan and Dagalo remain unwilling to relinquish power, resulting in a violent struggle on April 15, 2023. As of the time of writing this, Sudanese citizens are caught in a violent war between two men who don’t want to let go of power.
According to the United Nations, almost 1.9 million people were internally displaced at the end of 2018, and another 2.3 million were seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. Even the bordering country Chad closed their borders to Sudan as a result of the conflict.
Now, we’re on home turf.
The EndSARS movement, which gained traction in Nigeria in 2020, came as a response to police brutality, profiling of youth, and systemic injustice perpetrated by law enforcement officers. The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit of the Nigerian Police Force, had a pretty well-known reputation for extortion, kidnapping, and extrajudicial killings.
The hashtag #EndSARS became a motto for young Nigerians demanding an end to police brutality and for police reform.
The protests had a relatively high degree of organisation and even international engagement, so, kudos to Nigerian youth. Armed with smartphones and social media, they played a pretty big role in documenting police abuses and mobilising support all over the world. The movement also sparked a broader conversation about governance, corruption, and inequality in Nigeria.
While the EndSARS protests led to the disbandment of SARS (yay!), the underlying issues of police brutality and systemic injustice unfortunately persist (not so yay). The good thing, however, is that it served as a reminder that with organisation and a real desire for change, young people can do quite a bit.
In response to the protests, the Federal Government took (some) action. They disbanded the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and created a new unit called the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit to replace it (which Nigerians also revolted against). They also promised to improve the police force. At the same time, most states in Nigeria formed special panels led by retired judges. These panels were tasked with looking into complaints about police brutality and suggesting ways to fix the problem.
However, after three years, things have only returned to their ugly normal, and apart from some monetary compensation to victims, no police officers have been prosecuted for brutality.
The government blocked activist groups like the Feminist Coalition from using normal bank accounts. This forced them to start using cryptocurrency to raise money for the protests. At one point, the government even banned Twitter (now X) and cryptocurrency nationwide.
The Kenyan Finance Bill protests of 2024 were something serious for the country. The government proposed a new law to take more money from people to cover its spending and debts, and this plan included making people pay more taxes on essential items, which upset many because times were already tough economically.
Youth were at the forefront of the protests, naturally using social media platforms to organise and gain public support. The demonstrations, initially peaceful, escalated into violent clashes with security forces in some areas. The government’s response to the protests, including the use of force, further enraged the people.
The protests highlighted the growing economic pressures ordinary Kenyans face and the government’s not-so-great approach to balancing financial responsibility with social welfare. While the government eventually withdrew the the bill, the protests have gone one step further to demand that the president step down.
Sometime after protests broke out, President Willian Ruto ceded to the demands of his people and announced that he would not be signing the Finance Bill, which saved Kenyans added taxes on basic commodities such as bread, vegetable oil, sugar and financial transactions.
Ruto also outlined additional austerity measures, including further cuts to the presidential budget. These reductions will target operational expenses like travel, vehicle purchases, and building renovations. Additionally, the government will decrease the number of advisers and eliminate budgets for the offices of the First Lady, Second Lady, and the Spouse of the Prime Cabinet Secretary.
Business owners can also breathe a sigh of relief since they won’t face the additional tax burden that would have been imposed had the bill been enacted. The withdrawal offers them some respite from potential financial strain, but, Kenya’s substantial debt – Sh 10 trillion or $77.5 billion, which is above 75% of the country’s GDP – may come back to bite them if the government doesn’t come up with a sustainable plan after the protests.
So.
Can you see that a recurring theme throughout these movements is the pivotal role played by the youth? And how could they play this role without being aware of the situation?
Start. Caring. About. Your. Country.
Young idealism, energy and technological savvy have been very key in mobilising these movements and demanding accountability from those in power.
These movements are not just stories of the past; they are inspiration for the future.
(See how we ate that line? Yeah.)
Anyway, these movements also buttress the fact that civic engagement is vital for change.
How can you change what you don’t touch?
Petitioning, knowing and talking to your representatives, voting (not just presidential) knowing your democratic rights, online and physical protesting, even just watching/reading the news sometimes, and checking out proposed bills, just so you know what’s going on and nothing gets pulled over your eyes.
Nigeria is somehow, but that doesn’t mean you should follow suit.
Do something.
And this is why we bring you The Do Something Index!
Write & submit petitions
The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions (write and submit a petition)
The Policy and Legal Centre (how to write a petition)
Keep up with news
Sahara Reporters
Channels TV
The Daily Post
Nigeria Politics Weekly Podcast
The PUNCH
News Central
Arise News
The Cable
Untold Stories with Adesuwa Giwa
Mic On Podcast
Know your legislators
National Assembly website
ALGON
Vote!
Continuous Voter Registration Portal
Stears Elections
Independent National Electoral Commission
Stay legally informed
Lawpadi
The Nigerian Constitution
The Nigerian Lawyer
OrderPaper
Look at you.
All armed and ready to take on your civic duties. We couldn’t be prouder.
Before you go off to blast your Senate Representative, tell us, on a scale of 1-10, how politically aware are you? (don’t lie), and are there any other ways you’re fighting for a better Nigeria apart from the ones we’ve listed here?
Change begins with dialogue, so let us know in the comments!
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