Scroll through any TikTok or Twitter feed and you will find energy, opinions, in abundance. What you would not easily find is that energy pointed at the things that can determine how young Nigerians live, who makes decisions about their future, whether their vote counts.

Nigeria Doesn’t Have an Engagement Problem. It Has a Direction Problem.

It is not that young Nigerians don’t care. It is that traditional civic engagement feels distant. Nigeria has one of the youngest populations in the world, with 63% of its citizens under the age of 25. These young people are online, engaged, and vocal about everything from fashion trends to football. Yet the 2023 general elections saw a voter turnout of just 27%, a record low in Nigeria’s democratic history. Among young people, the numbers were even more disheartening.

Nigeria leads the world with users spending almost 4 hours per day on social media alone.  When you add all internet activity across devices, that number climbs to 6 hours and 38 minutes daily, more time than most Nigerians spend at work. Nigeria also holds the world’s highest rate for brand discovery on social media at 66.9%, making Nigerians the most influence-responsive audience on the planet. 

All of that time. All of that trust. And it is overwhelmingly pointed at noise.

The question is: by what, and toward where?

That is the gap the Civic Influencer Fellowship Nigeria 2026 exists to close. And these 12 young Nigerians are leading the charge.

What Is a Civic Influencer, and Why Does It Matter?

Nigerian social media is short of direction.

Every day, millions of Nigerians log on to platforms dominated by noise and controversy that goes nowhere. The influencers with the largest audiences, the ones with trust and reach, are often pulled into that current whether they intend to be or not.

But every follower is a person who has decided to listen. Every share is a signal of trust. That is exactly the kind of social capital that has historically moved nations.

A civic influencer chooses to point that trust toward something that matters. Not abandoning their niche, but expanding what their platform stands for, making civic issues feel relevant and urgent to audiences that would never read a government press release.

The 12 fellows already have the platform. They already have the audience. What HBBA is giving them is direction. So that the voices Nigerians are already listening to, a community that trusts them, will start talking about the things that will actually shape their lives. They turn followers into voters, likes into advocacy, and online noise into change.

What if the same platforms that teach young Nigerians the latest dance challenge could also teach them how a bill becomes law? What if the voices they trust to recommend skincare products could also inspire them to register to vote, attend town halls, or advocate for policy change?

That is the power of a civic influencer. And it is the power Hope Behind Bars Africa is now putting to work.

It starts with 12 extraordinary young Nigerians.

Meet the 12 Civic Influencer Fellows

After a rigorous selection process, these are the people HBBA chose. Lawyers and musicians, climate scientists and community organisers, content creators and public health advocates, 12 young Nigerians from across North Central Nigeria who are already in rooms, on stages, and in communities doing the work.

Hauwa Abubakar Founder of PlanetCred, a climate-tech initiative. With over 60,000 followers, she has hosted UNICEF Nigeria’s #YesGirl podcast, spoken at the UN 80th Anniversary, and represented Nigeria at WYFFEST in Russia.

Maryam Gidado A lawyer and Founder of M4U, a youth leadership and gender equity platform. She serves as Impact Officer at the Abuja Global Shapers Community and Co-Chair of the IOM Youth Advisory Board on Migration.

Chidera Nwokike A lawyer and advocate for youth and women’s inclusion. Vice-Chair of Safe Voices Africa Initiative and contributor to the Legislative Mentorship Initiative.

Godwin Lasisi A public health professional whose initiatives have reached over 70,000 young Nigerians. Youth Champion with UNODC and Youth Advisor to UNICEF Generation Unlimited Nigeria.

Kemisola Ipele A content writer and community manager who brings storytelling discipline and an audience-first mindset to civic work.

Amuda Abbas Oluwadamilola Works at the intersection of education, civic engagement, and policy communication. Founder of Baseline Educonsults.

Alih Zainab Inikpi A peace ambassador and children’s rights advocate. She has worked with ActionAid Nigeria on violent extremism prevention and with YIAGA Africa on governance accountability.

Joseph Agama Leads Naija and Young Network, mobilising Gen Z Nigerians on national development. Five years across civic and social justice spaces leading advocacy campaigns that move beyond conversation into action.

Adole Joseph (Xtra) A musical artist and producer who uses music as a tool for advocacy. He brings what civic movements have always known: culture moves people first.

Aanuoluwapo Emmanuel A lawyer, Founder of Lilac Global Development Center, author, podcaster, and alumna of Leap Africa. She advances sustainable development through climate education.

Adeiza Jeffrey Umoru A civic advocate with five years in public health programming and community engagement. He has worked with AHF Nigeria and the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research on HIV awareness and youth leadership.

Akinfe Temitayo David A communication strategist and grassroots organiser who uses storytelling to simplify complex social issues and move young people from awareness to action.

This fellowship is built on three convictions.

The future of civic engagement is digital. You cannot mobilise a generation that lives online with tactics designed for town squares. The platforms are already there. The audiences are already there. What has been missing is intentional, trusted civic voices within those spaces.

Trust matters more than reach. Young people do not trust politicians or traditional institutions the way previous generations did. But they trust the influencers they follow, the ones who feel relatable and relevant to their lives.

Culture shapes politics. If civic participation feels like a chore, it will not happen. But if it is embedded in the culture, if it trends, if it is part of everyday conversation, everything changes.

By training 12 influencers to become civic leaders across North Central Nigeria, HBBA is not just creating 12 change agents. We are reaching their combined audiences. We are planting seeds of civic consciousness in digital spaces. We are showing that influence, when used intentionally, can close the gap between citizens and the systems that govern them.

Follow the Journey

Over the next six months, these 12 fellows will be building civic projects in communities, learning and showing what happens when influence meets support and direction. 

This is a bet on a generation. And the work has already begun.

You can be part of it.

Follow the journey across Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube using #HBBACivicInfluencer.