CIVICUS discusses youth activism and civil society in northern Nigeria with Muhammad Bello Abdulfatah, a youth activist and researcher involved with Kafanchan GreenBuild, a climate action initiative that harnesses local knowledge for sustainable development.

Northern Nigeria’s international coverage is dominated by Boko Haram, banditry and farmer-herder violence. That focus obscures a dense network of community associations, youth organisations and other civil society groups that are working daily on education, health, governance and peacebuilding. Their work brings risks. Activists operate under weaponised cybercrime laws and growing digital surveillance, and face arbitrary arrests and state harassment, while protesters encounter state violence.

What’s northern Nigeria’s civic landscape?

Security challenges in northern Nigeria are real. But the exclusive focus on humanitarian crises and insecurity misses civic creativity, leadership and resilience across the region. During my community engagement activities and household surveys in Abaji, Jos, Kaduna and Kano, I saw that people are not waiting for solutions to come from outside. Communities know their contexts and have clear ideas about what needs to change. They are organising themselves, supporting one another and finding practical ways to improve their communities.

The region has a vibrant civic landscape that includes community associations, faith-based organisations, grassroots initiatives, women-led groups and youth organisations, along with entrepreneurs and researchers, working daily on education, environmental sustainability, health, livelihoods and peacebuilding. Civic action is happening at scale, even when it doesn’t make headlines. The international community needs to see that.

What are youth activists doing on the ground?

Youth activism goes far beyond protest. It includes community volunteering, digital advocacy, education support, environmental work, research, social entrepreneurship and efforts to improve the wellbeing of vulnerable groups, carried out through civil society organisations, community-based initiatives and informal groups.

The young people I meet want to contribute to their communities, even while facing unemployment, limited resources and limited access to opportunities. They are driven by personal experience and believe they can achieve positive change. Kafanchan GreenBuild is one example of young people engaging in climate action and community development when they see the chance.

Digital spaces now allow young people to share ideas, mobilise support and connect with wider networks. But it’s not all digital. Young activists combine online engagement with grassroots community work, because lasting change requires building trust and relationships locally.

What are the biggest obstacles activists face?

Activists face several overlapping challenges. The biggest one is resources. Many grassroots organisations rely on short-term funding and volunteers, which makes it hard to sustain programmes, plan long term and retain skilled people.

Insecurity limits how safely activists can move, engage communities, conduct field research and reach vulnerable populations. Groups also struggle to navigate administrative processes and build partnerships with institutions, and some communities are wary of new ideas or sensitive topics.

Civic space restrictions are another major obstacle, and the digital environment adds its own risks, with disinformation, digital safety concerns and online harassment affecting participation.

The 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests showed how badly young Nigerians, including those in the north, want a say in decisions that affect their lives. The rising cost of living, unemployment and a lack of government accountability and responsiveness drove people onto the streets. The government responded with force and repression against peaceful protesters, a reminder of the risks activists take whenever they organise and protest publicly. But despite all this, they continue to work.

What does meaningful international solidarity look like?

Meaningful international solidarity starts with listening. Genuine partnerships are built on trust. This means recognising local leadership, supporting community-driven initiatives and opening decision-making spaces to grassroots voices.

Short-term, project-based support fails community and youth-led organisations that already have the ideas and the commitment. What they need is long-term support, in the form of capacity development, mentorship, networks, opportunities and resources, and not one-off funding.

Real solidarity means working alongside communities, respecting their knowledge and strengthening their capacity, including by defending the civic space that makes their work possible. Protecting space for peaceful participation is essential for democracy. Without safe channels for expression, the frustrations behind the 2024 protests will only grow. External support should free activists to focus on the solutions they’re already building.

CIVICUS interviews a wide range of civil society activists, experts and leaders to gather diverse perspectives on civil society action and current issues for publication on its CIVICUS Lens platform. The views expressed in interviews are the interviewees’ and do not necessarily reflect those of CIVICUS. Publication does not imply endorsement of interviewees or the organisations they represent.