28, February 2026 LAGOS, NIGERIA

WHO SHAPES
THE NIGERIAN LIFE?

A youth-led platform bringing together ideas, voices, and solutions shaping Nigeria’s culture, economy, and politics.

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About the event

The Citizen Townhall is Zikoko Citizen’s flagship event, organized in partnership with Luminate and Open Society Foundation. It serves as a platform to bring together stakeholders to discuss the pivotal role of young people in democracy and development.

Through this event, we aim to explore innovative ways to design initiatives for and with young people, using insights from The Citizen Report

This gathering will convene key stakeholders from the development and media sectors, young change-makers, policymakers, thought leaders, and journalists to foster actionable conversations and strategies for inclusive youth participation in governance.

What To Expect

Interactive sessions for actionable strategies

Panels featuring leading voices in media and development

Launch of the citizen report

Networking opportunities

Schedule of Activities

Opening Remarks

9:00 am

Opening Remarks

Welcoming attendees and setting the stage for the event. Speaker: Tomiwa Aladekomo

9:00 am

 Keynote Speech

9:15 am

 Keynote Speech

Speaker: Toyin Akinnyi, VP, Africa of Luminate

9:15 am

Panel 1: The Nigerian Life–Then, Now, and What Changed

9:45 am

Panel 1: The Nigerian Life–Then, Now, and What Changed

Focus: Historical context and accountability. It seeks to look at the following: How Nigeria’s social and economic conditions have shifted. What policy decisions mattered and which didn’t. Why context is essential for informed civic choices. Speakers: Busola Ajibola, and Mahmud Jafaar Moderator: Osaruonamen Ibizugbe

9:45 am

Panel 2: Power, Representation, and Consequence

10:25 am

Panel 2: Power, Representation, and Consequence

Focus: Women and youth in governance. It seeks to look at the following:  What happens when women are visible in power. What youth participation has meant historically. How representation shapes budgets, priorities, and outcomes. Speakers: Samad Uthman, and Ope Adetayo Moderator: Chigozie Victor

10:25 am

The Citizen Exhibition Walkthrough

11:05 am

The Citizen Exhibition Walkthrough

This is the heart of the Townhall. It is an immersive, interactive exhibition built from insights in The Citizen Report and the event’s theme. As participants walk through the space, they should confront the idea that the Nigerian life is shaped by systems, decisions, absences, and pressure points, not abstract politics. 

11:05 am

The Fireside

11:35 am

The Fireside

This is where the theme becomes human. This session should explore how a single life has been shaped, and reshaped, by Nigeria’s systems, and how that individual learned to navigate, challenge, or change them. It should feel intimate, reflective, and honest, offering vulnerability rather than performance.

11:35 am

Panel 3: From Awareness to Pressure

11:50 am

Panel 3: From Awareness to Pressure

Focus: Civic action and accountability. It seeks to look at the following:  Where pressure actually works in Nigeria’s governance system. What citizens can realistically demand and how. The role of media, culture, and collective action. Speakers: Titi Fadare, and Gbemi Adebowale Moderator: Zubaida Baba Ibrahim

11:50 am

Audience Plenary

12:30 pm

Audience Plenary

Open floor for reflections, key takeaways, and audience

12:30 pm

Closing Remarks

1:00 pm

Closing Remarks

1:00 pm

SPEAKERS

ayomide-akinbode

Ayomide Akinbode

Ayomide Akinbode

Founder, HistoryVille

<p><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Ayomide Akinbode is the founder of HistoryVille, Nigeria’s foremost online history magazine, which has grown into a trusted platform for history enthusiasts through engaging articles, discussions, and public history advocacy. Driven by a passion for preserving and sharing the stories of the past, Akinbode has earned recognition as an influential voice in history journalism and historical storytelling in Nigeria.</span></p>

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Ikemesit Effiong

Ikemesit Effiong

Lawyer

<p>Ikemesit Effiong is a lawyer and strategic advisor specialising in the intersection of corporate governance, political risk, and public policy across Sub-Saharan Africa. He has served as an outside consultant to four Nigerian governorship races and advised multinationals—including MTN, Multichoice, British American Tobacco, and Coca-Cola—on regulatory compliance, corporate communications, and CSR strategy. Governments and global brands leverage his network across business, diplomacy, and civil society to navigate Nigeria’s complex operating environment and deepen their developmental footprint.</p>

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Tomiwa Aladekomo

Tomiwa Aladekomo

CEO, Big Cabal Media

<p><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Tomiwa Aladekomo is the Chief Executive Officer at Big Cabal Media (BCM), where he oversees the development and business operations of TechCabal and </span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Zikoko – two of the most prominent online platforms for Technology and youth-focused content in Nigeria. At BCM, Tomiwa is instrumental in building the next generation of African media brands and developing compelling original content that captures the essence of African stories.</span></p> <p><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>An experienced business executive, Tomiwa Aladekomo has built a wealth of experience working extensively in the media and marketing industry across Nigeria and North America. He has successfully led BCM through a transformative journey that has positioned it as one of the most exciting new media companies in Africa.</span></p>

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Anita Eboigbe

Anita Eboigbe

COO, Big Cabal Media

<p><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Anita Eboigbe is the Chief Operating Officer of Big Cabal Media, publishers of TechCabal and Zikoko. She is a communications expert, researcher, journalist and media business operator.</span></p> <p><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Anita is actively committed to growing the African media industry through research for business development and guiding execution.</span></p> <p><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Her work focuses on improving the industry by creating workable roadmaps and leading strategic direction.</span></p>

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Ufuoma Nnamdi-Udeh

Ufuoma Nnamdi-Udeh

Executive Director Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria

<table> <tbody> <tr> <td><span style=”font-weight: 400″>Ufuoma Nnamdi-Udeh is the Executive Director of </span><b>Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria</b><span style=”font-weight: 400″>, a leading civic engagement and good-governance organisation. At the helm of EiE from January 2026, she leads national campaigns that amplify citizen voice, strengthen accountability, and deepen democratic participation across Nigeria. Ufuoma has been central to high-impact initiatives like #OfficeOfTheCitizen, #RSVP (Register | Select | Vote | Protect) and the grassroots #myLGA project, mobilising citizens to demand transparency and responsive governance. Under her leadership, EiE continues to shape public discourse on issues such as electoral integrity and public policy. Previously, she rose through EiE’s programmes team and has experience in strategic project design, advocacy, and civic education.</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

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Funmilola Sanya

Funmilola Sanya

Editor at BellaNaija

<p><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Funmilola Sanya is an Editor at BellaNaija, where she tells stories that celebrate people, culture, and the creative voices shaping Africa. Her work spans features, interviews, and cultural coverage: spotlighting creatives, documenting festivals, and exploring the intersections of identity, creativity, and everyday African life.</span></p> <p><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Her work highlights innovation, progress, and the people creating change. A storyteller at heart, Funmilola believes everyone is a walking story waiting to be told. She’s drawn to narratives that reflect the richness and everyday realities of the continent and has a knack for making them feel warm, relatable, and deeply human.</span></p>

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Ganiu Oloruntade

Ganiu Oloruntade

Senior Editor at Techcabal

<table> <tbody> <tr> <td><span style=”font-weight: 400″>Ganiu Oloruntade is a Senior Editor at TechCabal, Africa’s leading technology publication. In his current role, he leads a team of talented reporters covering important stories across five key verticals: Money, Policy and Enterprise, Life and Work, Startups and Emerging Technologies. </span></p> <p><span style=”font-weight: 400″>He joined TechCabal as a Reporter and wrote about startups, policy, and government.</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

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Douglas Kendyson

Douglas Kendyson

Founder & CEO, Selar

<p><span style=”font-weight: 400″>Douglas Kendyson is the Founder & CEO of Selar, Africa’s leading platform for digital </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>entrepreneurs. He worked at Flutterwave and Paystack, two of Africa’s most successful </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>billion-dollar fintech startup. He brings deep experience in fintech and online payments. </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>Since launching Selar in 2016, he has helped over 2 million users monetise digital </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>products, paying out more than $10 million to African creators. Douglas is passionate </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>about empowering entrepreneurs to build sustainable online </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>businesses and is shaping </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>the future of work across the continent through digital commerce.</span></p>

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Oswald Osaretin Guobadia

Oswald Osaretin Guobadia

Senior Policy Adviser and Digital Strategy Leader

<p><span style=”font-weight: 400″>Oswald Osaretin Guobadia is a senior policy adviser and digital strategy leader with over 25 </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>years building infrastructure and shaping transformative policy across Africa. In his career on </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>the continent and now as Managing Partner at DigitA, Oswald has guided projects and policy </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>innovations that have created impact in countries across Africa, helping to set the pace for </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>inclusive digital development and entrepreneurial growth. He has led the rollout of innovative </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>platforms, such as the UNDP Africa timbuktoo Policy approach and national innovation and </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>entrepreneurship strategies. </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>Oswald’s advisory reach includes serving presidential offices, leading government agencies, </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>collaborating with multilateral partners, and forging public–private partnerships to help build </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>resilient infrastructure and regulatory frameworks. As Senior Special Assistant on Digital </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>Transformation to the President of Nigeria, he steered Nigeria’s largest startup policy rollout, </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>including the acclaimed Nigeria Startup Act—widely recognized as a benchmark for digital </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>economies. </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>He has shared his insights at TEDx, the United Nations General Assembly, BBC Africa, CNBC </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>Africa, and the Wharton Africa Business Forum, and has graced numerous influential panels </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>and stages globally. Oswald is also an entrepreneur, board member, published author, and </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>tireless champion for African innovation. He believes, “the next startup to impact the world will </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>start in an African village.”</span></p>

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Gbenga Sesan

Gbenga Sesan

Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative

<p><span style=”font-weight: 400″>Gbenga Sesan is the Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative, a pan-African social enterprise working on digital inclusion and digital rights, with offices in Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia and Zimbabwe. A 2008 Ashoka Fellow, he served on Nigeria’s Presidential Committees for Harmonization of the Information Technology, Telecommunications and Broadcasting Sectors (2006) and the Roadmap for the Achievement of Accelerated Universal Broadband Infrastructure and Services Provision (2013). He served as Vice Chair of the African Technical Advisory Committee for the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, was appointed to the inaugural High-Level Leadership Panel of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) by UN Secretary-</span></p> <p><span style=”font-weight: 400″>General António Guterres in August 2022, is a member of the International Panel on the Information Environment’s Scientific Panel on Global Standards for AI Auditing, and serves on the Standard Organisation of Nigeria’s National Technical Committee on Digitally Delivered Services.</span></p>

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Ibijoke Faborode

Ibijoke Faborode

Founder & CEO, ElectHER

<p><span style=”font-weight: 400″>Ibijoke Faborode is a social entrepreneur and governance strategist advancing inclusive </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>institutions and economic systems across Africa. She is the Founder & CEO of </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>ElectHER, a pan-African organisation strengthening gender-responsive governance, </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>and Founder of the Africa Female Founders Collective (AFFC), a platform expanding </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>capital access and data visibility for women-led ventures.</span></p> <p><span style=”font-weight: 400″>As Strategic Lead of the ElectHER Policy & Research Center, she drives policy design, </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>data innovation, and institutional reform initiatives. Under her leadership, ElectHER has </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>produced 40+ research publications, launched Hernalytics- a gender-responsive </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>election data platform, and supported legislative reforms, including co-drafting Nigeria’s </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>Independent Candidacy Bill in the 10th assembly. </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>Recognised as a BBC 100 Women Honoree, Ibijoke speaks globally on governance </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>innovation, data systems design, and building resilient institutions that unlock inclusive </span><span style=”font-weight: 400″>growth across emerging markets.</span></p>

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Joachim MacEbong

Joachim MacEbong

Political Risk Analyst

<p><span style=”font-weight: 400″>Joachim is a political risk analyst and data science professional with 15 years of experience analysing governance, policy, and economic issues across West Africa. He has a proven ability to translate data-driven insights into actionable recommendations for governments, international organisations, and private sector clients. He has also completed an MSc in Data Science with a focus on applying Data Science to solve Africa’s complex development challenges. He is frequently featured in local and international media, providing expert commentary on Nigerian politics and policy.</span></p>

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