Civil society leaders, activists and development practitioners have called for a united front to strengthen Nigeria’s social justice movement.
They made the call at an event organised in Abuja by TechHer NG – a civic technology organisation to commemorate 65 years of the Ford Foundation Office for West Africa with the theme: “Justice is not a destination, it’s in our journey.”
They reflected on Ford’s impact, its partners’
collective achievements, and the enduring work toward a just and equitable society.
The stakeholders noted that Nigeria’s civic space was shrinking, creating new pressures on organisations working on justice, rights and accountability.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director, TechHer NG, Chioma Agwuegbo said the gathering was a moment of collective reflection for civil society, noting that the climate has grown increasingly hostile for activists and organisations.
She said that the anniversary provided an opportunity for stakeholders to reconnect and reflect on solidarity amid changing political and funding realities.
Agwuegbo said: “We wanted to interrogate a few questions, like resilience. How are we surviving as civil societies in Nigeria? How are we fighting things like civic suppression, the shrinking civic space, and the shutting down of dissenting voices? We often don’t have a lot of time to come back and reflect. A lot of us are creating silos.
“Today, I hope that attendees and participants will make friends. I hope that they will collaborate after today because we have to find a way to spread and utilise effectively the lean resources we have.”
She said through its Kuram platform – a TIV word meaning ‘keep you safe,’ the organisation has been able to provide a platform for women and girls to report online violence.
Agwuegbo added: “The whole point of this for us is that as more people come online and use the Internet, TechHer has several programmes that invite women and girls to access, understand and use the Internet safely and meaningfully.
“We want to ensure that as they are doing this they are safe. When there are incidents of violence perpetrators are caught swiftly and that women and girls are able to exist safely in public sphere.”
Also speaking at the event, Chichi Aniagolu-Okoye, Ford Foundation’s regional director for West Africa, said civil society “must prepare for longer, more difficult struggles for justice.”
She added: “This is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. We have to carry people along… Sometimes how you communicate is more important than what you are actually saying.”
Aniagolu-Okoye noted that burnout has become common in the sector because organisations often focus solely on “big picture” outcomes while overlooking incremental progress.
“We forget the little wins. Sometimes we don’t even know that we have won,” she said, adding that sustained civic resilience requires intergenerational input and broader participation across society.
Activist and Co-convener of #BringBackOurGirls movement, Aisha Yesufu noted that movements must remain grounded in lived realities and moral responsibility, noting that injustice often persists because “some people just want to play God on earth here.”
She added that many injustices in Nigeria are rooted in how religious teachings are interpreted and weaponised.
She said: “Most of the injustice that we see stems from some people’s interpretation of the religious text.
“Don’t tell me what your religion is. Let me see it in the way that you treat other human beings, with respect, with dignity, with love.”
Yesufu warned that faith should not be used to elevate some citizens above others, adding that a society guided by empathy would reduce many of the tensions activists confront daily.
