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 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.

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 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.