Democracy

Explore this project by hbs and partners highlighting Nigerian laws, policies, practices, and actions and inactions by policy makers which have resulted in keeping women and other vulnerable members of the Nigerian society from accessing opportunities and leadership positions, led to infringements on their human rights and shrinking their civic space.

Explore this HBS-supported project fusing spoken word and dance, addressing the issues experienced by women aspiring to positions of leadership. It visually captures and challenges the societal norms and threats these women continue to face.

This is the 2023 cohort of the Nigeria Green Academy, an annual programme designed for emerging civil society activists, journalists, artists, and social entrepreneurs. This programme is a significant opportunity to enrich participants' knowledge, toolbox, as well as cultivate networks, all of which are essential for addressing some of the most critical governance and development challenges facing Nigeria.

Following the return of Benin bronzes from Germany to Nigeria, hbs supported an event of discussion and art called 'Decolonising Restitution'. The aim was to move the restitution debate beyond the narrow focus on just returning looted artefacts and explore the future of Africa-Europe relations, emphasizing broader considerations and reconciliation.

This year we launched the Nigeria Green Academy, an annual programme that offers young and aspiring civil society activists, journalists, academic scholars, artists, and social entrepreneurs the opportunity to enrich their knowledge, ‘tool-box’ and networks to tackle some of Nigeria’s most pressing governance and development challenges.

The Heinrich Böll Foundation Abuja Office hosted a discussion forum on Feminist Leadership in Nigeria that featured prominent women in leadership positions to articulate and create an understanding of what feminist leadership in Nigeria is about and should entail.

In celebration of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung’s 20th anniversary in Nigeria, we launched the Nigeria Green Academy, an annual programme that offers young and aspiring civil society activists, journalists, academic scholars, artists, and social entrepreneurs the opportunity to enrich their knowledge, ‘tool-box’ and networks to tackle some of Nigeria’s most pressing governance and development challenges. This year, we have selected 20 individuals from across Nigeria to participate in the debut programme of the academy.

Nigeria is approaching its seventh consecutive election since the return to democracy in 1999, marking 24 years of uninterrupted democratic rule. This is the longest such period in the country’s history and reason to celebrate. However, times are turbulent. As social and economic challenges mount, many young Nigerians are determined to have their say in the country’s future.

One year after the unprecedented and massive #EndSARS protests in Nigeria, civil society leaders and thinkers reflect on its legacy, lessons learned and the way forward towards advancing change in the country.