Ashoka
On October 31st, Ashoka Africa activated the Abuja Metro Area with a conversation themed "Shifting the Youth Narrative in Nigeria from Despair to Hope," bringing together strategic partners and co-leaders. With challenges like economic hardship and high migration rates, many young Nigerians feel disheartened about the state of the country and are willing to make a change. Ashoka envisions an inclusive world where every person is empowered to be a changemaker, and this event marked a critical step in mobilizing Nigeria’s youth toward this goal.
The activation also included the introduction of three newly selected Ashoka Fellows: Gideon Olanrewaju, Founder of AREAi, Funke Adeoye, Founder of Hope Beyond Bars, and Omowunmi Ogunrotimi, Founder of Gender Mobile. These changemakers bring diverse expertise in education access, prison reform, and women’s rights, adding invaluable perspectives to the Ashoka community. Alongside them, Ashoka Young Changemaker Muhammad Usman, founder of the Young Developer Foundation, shared his experiences of empowering underprivileged children, shedding light on the resilience and potential of young Nigerians.
Ashoka’s goal is to reach over 200 million Nigerians, equipping young people with skills to thrive and lead. Achieving this vision requires partnerships across government, media, youth-led organizations, schools, and community-based groups. In the room were strategic partners ready to collaborate in transforming Abuja into a changemaking hub. By building a broad network of allies, Ashoka can create a national shift in mindsets, inspiring hope and agency among Nigerian youth.
The metro strategy is central to this mission, decentralizing changemaking efforts to reach diverse communities nationwide. With four metro areas now established, including Abuja, Ashoka is cultivating local networks of changemakers to lead community-based initiatives. Originally launched in 2022, the Abuja Metro now broadens its circle to engage new partners, accelerating community impact.
Key initiatives include quarterly meetups, changemaker workshops, support for low-cost schools, and skill-building for youth and formerly incarcerated individuals. Through Changemakers Connect, a new community network, these activities will advance the Everyone A Changemaker (EACH) movement. Monthly meetings, quarterly TedX events, and an annual conference will provide changemakers with platforms to learn, share, and expand their impact.
Looking toward 2027, Ashoka aims to engage 1 million young Nigerians in the EACH movement, with 700,000 actively practicing changemaking. With collective action, the Abuja Metro is paving the way for a future where young Nigerians feel empowered to create change—transforming the nation by spreading the Everyone a Changemaker mindset.