Times are changing, yet, political participation in Nigeria seems unaffected by this change, particularly among young people. Largely, the younger generation from the age of 18-25 is seen to have a very vague or disinterested attitude towards anything relating to governance,  community development, and grassroots politics.

Given the growing influence of the creative sector in Nigeria, particularly among the Gen-Z population, and the increasing consumption of snackable content among young people, we launched the Creatives ChangeMakers Fellowship program with the aim of improving young creators’ skills and introducing them to how they can use their talents to increase civic participation and demand for better governance.

The Creative Changemakers Fellowship is an initiative that emerged to bring together young Filmmakers, Podcasters, content creators, ScriptWriters, and Game Developers who are passionate about leveraging their talents to promote civic engagement, and accountability and also make governance known through their creativity. 

Through this fellowship, Civic Hive made creatives understand that their skills, talents, and voices can play a significant role in shaping their participation in governance, accountability, and transparency.

The inducted fellows include; 

1. Daniel Okechukwu nunu
2. Victoria Ogunwemimo
3. Agboola Goodness Feranmi
4. Anointed Sulolaoluwa Falade
5. Anuoluwapo Ogunmoroti
6. Emmanuel Irinyemi
7. Khalid Ibrahim
8. Arafat Aderonke Oseni
9. Anita Onyeacholem 
10. Flourish Joshua
11. Adejoorin Promise
12.  Lawrencia Ogban
13. Bisola Ajayi
14. Ozor Faith Nwachukwu
15. Kizito Ani
16. Ogbonnaya Victor

The Fellowship curriculum combines a comprehensive leadership and skill development track with faculty members and partners that covers a wide range of topics ranging from community development, transparency, and accountability, to skills development for each of the creatives.

The faculty speakers shared their personal journeys of their intersection of creativity and civic life,  what has shaped it, and how it influences the spaces they lead. Learning from individuals like Frank Donga, Steven Ducombe, Shukurat Amosa, Anto Lecky, Tracka and Zikoko team, who have made big contributions to global and Nigeria’s civic life and creativity development inspired the fellows to be deliberate about leadership and using their talents for the good of their communities. 

Project showcase week

Following months of intense training, we began the Project Showcase week with various activities. First, our fellows visited Zikoko’s base of operations, where they engaged in discussions on digital innovation, storytelling, and creativity. The fellows also had brainstorming sessions on the dynamic ways Zikoko uses social media as a tool to shed more light on the things happening around us. They had the privilege of meeting with Zikoko’s multimedia leader, Abisola Alawode, and editor-in-chief, Ruth Zakari.

The Fellows also visited The Creatives Hub, a workspace and training facility for young creative entrepreneurs. They also participated in the Art of Technology Lagos 5.0 hub tour event aimed at nurturing and empowering creative minds to foster a creative economy. After the event, they met and engaged with the Hon Commissioner for Innovation, Science, and Technology, Lagos State, Hon Tubosun Alake. 

Our Creative Fellows also had the opportunity to meet with BudgIT Global Director, Mr Oluseun Onigbinde. He spoke with the fellows about their next steps, the highlight of the fellowship so far, what they’ve learnt, and how the fellowship has impacted them.

The final day of the Project Showcase week was the 25th of November and was held at Civic Hive Hub in Lagos. The showcase started with a master class which consisted of two sessions. Dharmy Adams led a session on Content Creation and TikTok MasterClass, Oscar Micheal led the second session on AI, Metaverse, and Game Development. After which the Civic Hive team lead, Mr. Joseph Amenaghawon gave a welcome address. 

The Civic Hive team lead Mr. Joseph Amenaghawon gave a welcome address and spoke briefly on what we do at Civic Hive. We had a special guest speaker, Cill Soul, a singer/songwriter and activist. She spoke on Energising Creatives For Effective Civic Engagement- The Options to Explore. After the guest speaker, the fellows displayed their capstone projects. 

After the First session of the showcase, we had a Panel Session on the Intersection Between Art and Civic Life, shedding light on how art can change people’s perspectives on societal issues. The fellows were encouraged to use art to make further social change and societal impact.  The panel session was made up of Adebisi Peters, Adekunle Blue, Shukurat Amosa, and Joseph Amenaghawon.

For their capstone projects, each project focused on different social issues from the injustice faced by many Nigerians, to brutality, fake news, migration issues, and struggles. The powerful presentations shed light on pressing issues and sparked meaningful conversations among the audience, urging the audience to confront and take active participation in civic life and advocacy.

At the end of the event, the fellows and attendees had the opportunity to network with like-minded individuals, fostering connections that could potentially lead to collaborative efforts in tackling the highlighted social issues. The event catalysed the building of a community dedicated to driving positive change and creating awareness about the challenges faced by many Nigerians.