Country of Residence

Nigeria

Age

20

Project title

Youth and civic responsibility

Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence

Project Summary:This study examines the role of Nigerian youth in promoting civic responsibility. It assesses youth participation in governance, voting, and community development, identifies challenges like apathy and unemployment, and recommends civic education and inclusion to strengthen democracy and nation-building.

Website URL(s) or social media handles.

Project Category

My project is a brand new / emerging idea

Project Stage

Idea (We’re hoping to get started in the future)

Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?

--- *Founding Story:* The spark came from frustration, not from a boardroom. I grew up in Kwara watching the same cycle: people complain about bad roads, no water, and low voter turnout. But when CDA meetings or elections came, the room was filled with the same few elders. Young people were either absent, uninformed, or told "this is not your business." *The "Aha!" moment* happened during a community clean-up I joined with friends. We showed up, cleared a blocked drainage, and for the first time a CDA member stopped to ask us questions. He said, "If you people can do this, why don’t you also come to our meetings and tell us what you need?" That question hit me. The problem wasn’t that youth didn’t care. The problem was 3 things: 1. *No information* - We didn’t know when meetings were, what was being decided, or how to participate. 2. *No structure* - There was no way for youth to plug in except "wait to be invited." 3. *No proof* - Leaders didn’t see youth as contributors, only as protesters or voters. I realized if we could solve those 3 gaps, youth would show up. If we informed people through WhatsApp and handbills, organized them through monthly actions, and represented them in CDAs, we could turn complaints into contributions. That’s how *Youth and Civic Responsibility* started, not as a big NGO idea but as a test:We're here and we're working...

The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?

*Background of the Problem:* I’m 20 years old and I grew up in a community in Lagos where young people complain daily about bad roads, poor drainage, insecurity, and lack of opportunities. Our WhatsApp groups are always filled with frustration and "the government should fix this." But when the Community Development Association, CDA, calls meetings to decide how we can solve these problems ourselves, the hall is mostly filled with elders. Very few youths attend. The problem I identified is not that Nigerian youth don’t care. The problem is that we are uninformed, disconnected, and rarely invited to participate. Most of us don’t understand how civic responsibility works. We don’t know how local government decisions are made, how to engage leaders, or how our vote and voice can change things in our own street. So we stay silent online and absent offline. This matters to me because I see the direct impact every day. The same youths who complain about unemployment are not showing up to skills programs. The same people who suffer from flooding are not part of the drainage clean-up planning. When youth are absent, decisions are made without us, and the problems affecting us keep getting worse. *Why Solving It Matters:* Solving this matters because youth are over 60% of Nigeria’s population. We are the most energetic, creative, and tech-savvy group in the country.

Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.

*Impact:* This project is currently at an early stage, and the impact I envision is focused on turning youth complaints into community action. So far, through small mobilization efforts with friends in my community in Lagos, I’ve seen what is possible. When we organized a community clean-up and used handbills and WhatsApp to invite youths, over 80 young people showed up to clear drainage, paint the bus stop, and talk to residents. Residents told us they were surprised that youths would lead this. That one activity proved to me that young people will show up when they are informed and invited. With this project, impact will look like: 1. *Awareness*: 500+ youths trained on civic duties, how local government works, and how to engage CDA meetings. 2. *Action*: Monthly community projects led by youth teams — clean-ups, voter education, and accountability tracking. 3. *Representation*: More young people attending community meetings and contributing ideas, not just elders. 4. *Mindset shift*: Moving youth from "government is not doing anything" to "what can we do together." In the long term, I see safer, cleaner communities and a generation of young people who understand their power. If we can activate youth in one community, we can replicate the model across others in kwara and beyond. This project is at an early stage. In my Lagos community, a small clean-up we organized mobilized 80+ youths through WhatsApp and handbills. It showed me that young people will act when informed. Planned impact: Train 500+ youths on civic duties, lead monthly community projects, and increase youth presence in CDA meetings. The goal is a mindset shift from complaining to action, creating safer, cleaner communities led by young people. We can make a better Nigeria

Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?

*Impact:* This project is at an early stage, but I have already seen proof that it can make a difference in my community in Kwara. So far, with no funding, just myself and a few friends, we organized a community clean-up. We printed handbills, used WhatsApp groups, and went street to street to mobilize youths. On that Saturday, over 80 young people showed up. Together we cleared drainage, painted the bus stop, and sensitized residents on waste disposal. Many residents were shocked. One mama said, "We thought you youths only know how to press phone." That day proved to me that the issue is not that youth don’t care. The issue is that we are rarely informed or invited. When we are, we show up. The impact I want to create with this project is to scale that one-day action into a system. *Short-term impact:* Train and equip 500+ young people in my community on civic duties, how local government works, and how to engage the Community Development Association, CDA. We will create WhatsApp and offline platforms where youth get information about community meetings, budgets, and problems. *Medium-term impact:* Launch monthly youth-led community projects — drainage clearing, voter education, school outreach, and basic accountability tracking. We will also push for at least 30% youth representation in CDA meetings so decisions are not made only by elders. But youths too.

Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?

Your Innovation: What makes this project different is that it builds a complete system around youth in Kwara, not just one-off trainings or election campaigns. Moves youth from complaints to community leadership Most civic programs here target elders, politicians, or only show up every 4 years. They do a seminar, hand out flyers, and leave. Young people are left uninformed, unorganized, and without a seat at the table. This project is youth-led, community-based, and runs all year. The innovation is in how we combine 3 things: *Inform, Organize, and Represent.* *1. Inform in a way youth actually access* We don’t share long government documents. We break civic information into WhatsApp messages, handbills, and school/community outreach in English, pidgin, and local language. We share what matters: CDA meeting dates, how local government budgets work, who is responsible for drainage or streetlights, and how to vote. This removes the "nobody told us" barrier. *2. Organize with action, not just talk* Knowledge without action dies. Every month we pair civic training with a community project — clean-ups, drainage clearing, voter education in markets, school sensitization, and basic tracking of community projects. Youth learn on Saturday and practice on Sunday. This builds skills and shows residents that youth are part of the solution, not the problem. *3. Create real representation* The biggest gap is voice. We will advocate for at least 30% youth representation in CDA meetings and other community decision spaces. We will also train "Community Civic Champions" — young people who attend meetings, take notes, and report back to the WhatsApp group. That way information flows both ways and youth are not just present, they are contributing.

How many people are on your team?

3

Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?

We have a *core team of 3* and a growing network of community volunteers. *Roles:* 1. *Project Lead/Coordinator*: Oversees overall planning, community partnerships, and reporting. 2. *Civic Education & Outreach Lead*: Designs simple civic content, runs school and community sensitization, manages WhatsApp and handbills. 3. *Programs & Documentation Lead*: Organizes monthly action projects like clean-ups and voter education, tracks results with photos and reports. Necessary docs.

What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.

Over the next 12 months, we will pilot, test, and strengthen the project in 1 community in Kwara, then prepare to scale. *First 3 months: Launch & Pilot* 1. *Recruit and train 20 youth* as "Community Civic Champions" in our pilot community. 2. *Set up communication*: Launch a WhatsApp group for weekly civic updates and design handbills in English, pidgin, and local language. 3. *Run 3 action cycles*: Each month we’ll pair civic training with a community project — clean-up, voter education, and tracking one local government project. 4. *Engage CDA leaders*: Meet with 2 CDA executives to introduce the project and advocate for at least 30% youth representation. *Months 4-9: Strengthen & Expand* 1. *Replicate in 2 more communities* using lessons and tools from the pilot. 2. *Build partnerships* with schools, CDAs, and local government to increase reach and support. 3. *Document the process* with photos, attendance, and simple monthly reports so other communities can copy it. 4. *Train 10 more youth facilitators* so leadership and activity planning are shared beyond the core team. Months 10-12: Evaluate & Plan Scale 1. *Measure impact*: Track # of youth informed, # of actions completed, and # of youth attending or speaking in CDA meetings... 2. *Host a community feedback forum* to get input from residents and leaders, then refine the model.

How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.

1. Make the problem real and relatable* Most youth don’t engage because civic issues feel distant. We break it down with WhatsApp messages, short handbills, and community talks in English, pidgin, and local language. We share everyday examples: who fixes drainage, how CDA budgets work, when meetings happen, and how to register to vote. This removes the "nobody told us" barrier and makes people see why it matters to them. 2. Invite through action, not just talk* We use monthly action projects as our main recruitment tool. Clean-ups, drainage clearing, school and market voter education. People join because they see impact first. After each activity we invite participants to the WhatsApp group and to the next training. We also partner with schools, youth groups, and CDAs to announce activities and reach more people. 3. Create clear, low-barrier roles* Not everyone wants to be a leader. So we offer different entry points: *Volunteer*: Join one action day *Community Civic Champion*: Attend training and report back from CDA meetings *Content sharer*: Help forward WhatsApp updates in their area This way people can start small and grow their involvement. *4. Show proof and celebrate* We document with photos and simple reports. We share results in the group: "# of youth trained, # of streets cleaned, # of youth in meetings.#youths coming together as one.