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Summary
CivicFestAfrica’24 was an event powered by AdvoKC on October 1, 2024. In attendance were leading African creatives who gave inspiring speeches and performances that emphasised the importance of sustainable citizenship. Also in attendance was Naija Feminists Media, represented by founder Simbiat Bakare, who spoke on the necessity of Nigerians embracing gender equality.
Naija Feminists Media (NFM) Founder Simbiat Bakare has called on Nigerians to embrace and centre gender equality to achieve sustainable citizenship and help the country reach its full potential during CivicFestAfrica ’24.
The creative-centred event, themed “Sustainable citizenship,” was powered by AdvoKc, a non-governmental organisation that promotes advocacy. It was held at the Lagos Theatre on Nigeria’s Independence Day, October 1st.
Nigeria, once held captive under British colonial rule, endured years of exploitation and foreign control over its resources and people. After a long struggle led by the country’s nationalist heroes, Nigeria finally gained independence on October 1st, 1960, reclaiming its right to self-governance and freedom. Since then, the most populous nation in Africa has faced many trials, including rising economic challenges. The World Bank projects that about 40.7 per cent of Nigerian citizens are estimated to live below the international poverty line by the end of 2024. This is a 2% increase in the data provided in 2023, in which 38.7 per cent of Nigerians were estimated to be living below the poverty line.
As such, as the country celebrates its 64th anniversary of freedom from colonial rule, Civic Fest Africa ’24 was centred on using Art to ignite crucial conversations about civic issues affecting Nigerians.
Habib Sheidu, Project Director at AdvoKC Foundation, explained that the decision to theme the event sustainable citizenship reflects the belief that citizens are the most important element of a democracy.
“We live in challenging times, and with October 1st being the day we gained independence, we believe it can be a day to recalibrate and bring hope—that with sustainable citizenship, we can still achieve the Nigeria we want,” Habib told Naija Feminists Media.
Civic Fest Africa ’24 brought together human rights activists, journalists, actors, poets, musicians and other leading African creatives to discuss how the country can build well-rounded citizens. Among them were Nollywood veteran actor Segun Arinze, Human Rights Activist and Feminist Ololade Ajayi, Poet Aina Ayomide, Spoken word artist Rheefah, Storyteller Ruth Mahogany, and Cultural manager Andres Laguna. Also in attendance as a panellist was NFM’s founder, Simbiat Bakare.
The event’s panel session on “The role of creatives in building sustainable citizenship” sparked conversations on how gender equality remains central to achieving long-term sustainability in Nigeria.
During the panel session moderated by Public Relations Executive Jemimah Amonahini, Simbiat highlighted the critical role gender equality plays in the broader vision of sustainable citizenship. She explained that a nation’s development is directly tied to the inclusion of women and girls across all fields. She further stated that all sustainable goals are also dependent on the achievement of gender equality, seeing that women are half of the human population and no development can be achieved if all human resources are not fully optimised.
“For sustainable citizenship to occur in a country, all citizens must live up to their potential, and without gender equality, it’s impossible,” Simbiat said. “That is why it is important that every creative is intentional about centering women and girls in their field.”
Similarly, Ololade Ajayi, feminist and founder of the DOHS Cares for Vulnerable Women and Children Foundation, shared how her organisation has been working on using data to campaign against femicide towards ensuring a sustainable nation.
“We have been using data to make connections among gender-based violence, mental health, and menstrual health, and we have done a lot. These women and children are now using this to teach others in their communities,” she stated.
On her experience during the event, she told Naija Feminists Media that it was refreshing to see the youth engage in the issue of sustainable leadership and express themselves through their art.
“The conversations were very riveting, especially seeing young people tackling the subject of sustainable citizenship through poetry,” she said.
About Naija Feminists Media
At Naija Feminists Media, our continued advocacy for women’s liberation remains a driving force at the heart of our work. We serve as a constant reminder to society that without gender equality, the dream of a working and sustainable Nigeria is not feasible.
