Citizens Common International is an Abuja based non-profit organization that empowers everyday people to take action to solve small and big societal challenges using people power, collaboration, innovation and technology. Our community (Impact) Spaces provides spaces for changemakers and everyday citizens to meet other change-makers, collaborate and develop their ideas, access technology and other tools that help fine-tune their advocacy and intervention projects. It also serves as an event space, co-working spaces, meeting spaces, and impact lounge and change-makers hub.

SOZO Networks is a non-profit organization known for promoting the participation of young people in civic leadership and social entrepreneurship in Nigeria. Through unconventional methods of education, we help young people to develop competence for active community engagements and leadership. Our leadership development practice develops young leaders and strengthens youth-led initiatives through the provision of experiential training, volunteering opportunities, networks, hands-on experiences, and idea incubation programs. Our alumni network has evolved into a strong ecosystem of young social change leaders, collectively and individually providing solutions to some of Nigeria’s most critical problems through civic leadership and entrepreneurship.

McAnderson is a technology development and education organisation committed to resourcing Africa with technology skills for the future. The company has worked with organisations like the Africa Development Bank, UNESCO, Microsoft to design and implement mass digital skills training in local communities and campuses across Nigeria.

All the three partners share the same strategic vision of resourcing a new generation of change leaders for the common good activating a new Nigeria through mass mobilisation of localactions and capacity development of everyday Nigerians. More so, all the three organisation are youth-led, youth-focused and this commitment to young people remains at the core of our activities and strategic envisioning at individual organisational levels.

Each of the three partnering organizations brings special capabilities that shape the conception and delivery of this project. Citizen Commons and SOZO will leverage their reach to local youth groups across Nigeria, as well as experience working with social entrepreneurs and community outreaches to deliver the Community Change Fellowship and the Community Conversations. Our expertise will also be readily deployed in project management, reporting, evaluation and backstopping as well as content development and creation for the knowledge exchange Hub for the YouthAction.ng. McAnderson will lead as the technical partner designing and implement the knowledge Hub for the Social Good for New Nigeria. Their experience and extensive capabilities will be readily deployed for this project, providing quick turnaround and deployment across. They believe this is a time-sensitive endeavor.

‘From Protest to Action: Activating our New Nigeria” is an initiative of Citizens Common Advocacy International, SOZO Empowerment and Mentorship Initiative and McAnderson Institute of Technology. The project seeks to answer key questions such as how do we keep the energy from the streets and sustain the interest of young Nigerians in demanding accountability? How do we ensure adequate protection and safety for youth leaders speaking amid government crackdown? How do we ensure the rights of protesters, youths, women, vulnerable groups are protected?.

CCAI plans to expand the recently launched YANN Campaign – www.youthaction.ng As a digital knowledge exchange hub. This collective action platform is designed to mobilize, empower and resource young Nigerians in their renewed interest to demand accountability. It will mobilise, identify, train, curate, share resources and tools for community action and activism for anyone interested in locally-led social change.

Second, through the Community Change Champion Programme; CCAI will identify and engage 30 high potential youth leaders who emerged from the protest and other networks, create a community of action and resources as well as training that empowers them with key skills, access mentorship and networks of leaders, institutions and resources that can strengthen their work as change champions.

Third, CCAI will organize the first-ever Citizen Conversations for New Nigeria: a series of national debates and community town halls sessions designed to create awareness and highlight policy issues of importance from communities to campuses. And lastly, through the Legal Commons partnership, CCAI seeks to engage in strategic litigation challenging some of the policies and initiatives that stiffen the civic space, reduces government accountability and tramples the constitutional rights of Nigerians especially the vulnerable populations.