Nigeria remains a traditional culture, and religion is an inextricable part of society, permeating political, familial and socio-economic life. Young Nigerians are beginning to rebel against traditional roles. Empowered by the anonymity and strength in numbers that a megacity like Lagos provides, a growing feminist movement, led by young women, is seeking greater gender equality across work and family life. A small but vocal LBGTQ+ community is also emerging, particularly in the creative industries, and is using social media to speak out and challenge deeply rooted homophobic assumptions.

The pace of urbanisation across sub-Saharan Africa over the last 60 years is without precedence. In 1950, most African countries were agrarian societies and just over a quarter of the population lived in cities. By 2020, the continent had 74 cities with a population of more than one million people, equivalent to the US and Europe combined. Today almost half of sub-Saharan Africans are urban dwellers and by 2050 that number is projected to reach 60 per cent. That means two- thirds of the continent’s projected population growth over the next three decades – an additional 950 million people – will be absorbed by the region’s humming, thriving, bustling megacities. And, as the OECD notes, ‘this transition is profoundly transforming the social, economic and political geography of the continent.’ Lagos, with a population of more than 20 million and economy bigger than that of Kenya is a vast, energetic and flourishing metropolis, a centre of opportunity that is enabling young Nigerians to be wealthier, more open-minded and more cosmopolitan than any before it.

Africa may be home to the youngest population on earth, but its leaders are among the oldest; many are in their 80s. Most Africans, and especially young Africans, think their governments are doing a bad job at addressing the needs of youth, but young people struggle to gain access to power because ruling elites remain entrenched for decades. Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari seems woefully out of touch with his young electorate: in 2018 he accused young Nigerians of being lazy and uneducated. Young people are responding. In the Nigerian capital, Abuja, a thriving civic society led by young people encompasses everything from promoting good governance and increased transparency to increasing young voter registration and mentoring the leaders of tomorrow. But cultural norms and systemic barriers make it difficult for young people to be elected and monetisation of elections is a further issue: the cost of nomination forms for office is high and vote buying is endemic. The upcoming 2023 elections are likely to be a key moment for young people in Nigeria, when it will become visible if the impetus of recent social movements can be translated into an electoral force.

Lagos has undergone a cultural transformation in the last decade. Driven by its vast youth population, its creative industries, from art and design to music, film and fashion, are booming. Vogue magazine hails the city as West Africa’s cultural capital, and Nigeria’s music and entertainment industries stand to be its greatest export. And for this young generation of creatives, the Global North no longer resonates as the key tastemaker. As citizens of a boundless world they blend heritage with Western influences but remain deeply rooted in their African culture and express a growing confidence and pride in Africa and African identity.

The pace of urbanisation across sub-Saharan Africa over the last 60 years is without precedence. In 1950, most African countries were agrarian societies and just over a quarter of the population lived in cities. By 2020, the continent had 74 cities with a population of more than one million people, equivalent to the US and Europe combined. Today almost half of sub-Saharan Africans are urban dwellers and by 2050 that number is projected to reach 60 per cent. That means two- thirds of the continent’s projected population growth over the next three decades – an additional 950 million people – will be absorbed by the region’s humming, thriving, bustling megacities. And, as the OECD notes, ‘this transition is profoundly transforming the social, economic and political geography of the continent.’ Lagos, with a population of more than 20 million and economy bigger than that of Kenya is a vast, energetic and flourishing metropolis, a centre of opportunity that is enabling young Nigerians to be wealthier, more open-minded and more cosmopolitan than any before it.

Davies Okeowo, 30, is an entrepreneur and the winner of Next Titan, Nigeria’s version of The Apprentice

The world’s people are getting old. According to the United Nations Population Fund, in 2018, for the first time in history, people aged 65 or above outnumbered children under five. Europe has the greatest percentage of people over 60 (25 per cent) but rapid ageing is occurring everywhere: by 2050 most regions of the globe will have a quarter or more of their populations older than 60. But there is one area that is bucking this trend: all of the world’s 20 youngest countries by population are situated in Africa. By 2050, Africa will be home to one billion young people and by 2100 almost half of the world’s youth are expected to be from Africa. The UN’s World Population Prospects says: ‘In all plausible scenarios of future trends, Africa will play a central role in shaping the size and distribution of the world’s population over the next few decades.’ Only by listening to their voices, documenting the lives and dreams of the people who will lead, inspire, solve the problems and build our mutual future, can we begin to understand what it means to be young in an otherwise ageing world.

Africa may be home to the youngest population on earth, but its leaders are among the oldest; many are in their 80s. Most Africans, and especially young Africans, think their governments are doing a bad job at addressing the needs of youth, but young people struggle to gain access to power because ruling elites remain entrenched for decades. Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari seems woefully out of touch with his young electorate: in 2018 he accused young Nigerians of being lazy and uneducated. Young people are responding. In the Nigerian capital, Abuja, a thriving civic society led by young people encompasses everything from promoting good governance and increased transparency to increasing young voter registration and mentoring the leaders of tomorrow. But cultural norms and systemic barriers make it difficult for young people to be elected and monetisation of elections is a further issue: the cost of nomination forms for office is high and vote buying is endemic. The upcoming 2023 elections are likely to be a key moment for young people in Nigeria, when it will become visible if the impetus of recent social movements can be translated into an electoral force.

Japá is a Yoruba word that translates as ‘run away’. The word has become part of young Nigerian’s lexicon, defining the desire that many have to experience a new life abroad. Perceptions are that much of the country is looking to leave but the number of African immigrants is vastly overestimated. The share of Africans living abroad has barely increased since the 1960s. In 2017 of the 258 million international migrants worldwide, around 14 per cent of the total were African, equal to just under 3 per cent of the continent’s population. In the same year, 61 million international migrants were European, constituting almost 12 per cent of the population. In the main it is talented Nigerians that are leaving the country. Nigeria sends the largest number of African students abroad – some 95,000 – and ranks fifth in the world in terms of overall number of students in foreign study. Those that do leave continue to have a significant impact on their home nation, not least financially. For four consecutive years, official remittances from diaspora Nigerians have exceeded the country’s oil revenues. And many young African migrants are now seeking to return home and be part of the continent’s renaissance.

Lagos has undergone a cultural transformation in the last decade. Driven by its vast youth population, its creative industries, from art and design to music, film and fashion, are booming. Vogue magazine hails the city as West Africa’s cultural capital, and Nigeria’s music and entertainment industries stand to be its greatest export. And for this young generation of creatives, the Global North no longer resonates as the key tastemaker. As citizens of a boundless world they blend heritage with Western influences but remain deeply rooted in their African culture and express a growing confidence and pride in Africa and African identity.

Priscilla Eke, 30, is a PhD researcher on Nigeria’s gender gap in leadership

Nigeria ranks first in the world in youthful entrepreneurship, with 40 per cent of young Nigerians engaged in early-stage entrepreneurial activity. With jobs scarce and often badly paid, a business on the side helps make ends meet. But it’s also a cultural attitude: entrepreneurial nous flows through this generation’s veins. New businesses tend to be focused on local and pan-African consumers and entrepreneurship is fuelled by social media. Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook are used as tools to sell physical products and services. Social enterprises are growing, too, as acting with humanity becomes an important consideration for many young entrepreneurs across the continent. The typical Soro Soke generation entrepreneur is a creative disruptor, using their business to deliver solutions to the larger problems the continent faces. But being an entrepreneur on the continent still poses significant challenges. Nigeria has the highest volume of start-ups on the African continent, over 750, but misses out on all the top 10 rankings for categories that are critical to helping a business thrive.

Rinu Oduala, 23, activist and organiser of the #endSARS movement