Who Shapes the Nigerian Life: Zikoko Citizen Townhall Returns For Its Second Edition

Zikoko Citizen is set to host the second edition of its flagship event, The Citizen Townhall. In partnership with Luminate and the Open Society Foundation, the Townhall will be the most defining civic gathering for young Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The event will take place on February 28, 2026, at Four Points By Sheraton, Lagos. This year’s theme, “Who Shapes the Nigerian Life?”, moves the conversation away from typical election noise and toward the systems and institutions that actually affect the life of young Nigerians.

A key highlight of the event will be the official launch of The Citizen Report, a definitive data resource spotlighting youth insights on governance and civic engagement. and collective citizen actions that define lived reality.

A Defining Civic Experience

The 2026 Citizen Townhall is not a conventional policy conference. It is an experience-driven forum blending data, storytelling, and culture to help participants navigate the mechanics of governance.
Key highlights include;

• The Citizen Exhibition Walkthrough: An immersive, interactive heart of the event built from insights in The Citizen Report. Participants will confront how institutions and budgets translate into health, safety, and dignity through data visualisations, sticker walls, and reflection cards.
• Impactful Panel Discussions: Three distinct panels will unpack accountability, representation, and civic action. These sessions feature youth policy leaders, media heads, and development professionals from partner organisations.
• Intimate Fireside Chat: A human-centred session exploring how a single life is reshaped by Nigerian systems, offering a vulnerable look at navigating and challenging the status quo.
• Launch of The Citizen Report: The formal unveiling of authoritative data that amplifies youth perspectives on critical issues like misinformation, which recent data suggests has discouraged over 60% of young Nigerians from political participation.

Why This Matters Now

With 70% of Nigeria’s population under the age of 35, the youth demographic represents the country’s foremost social capital. However, young people remain significantly marginalised from formal political processes. The Townhall is strategically scheduled to intervene before the pre-election noise peaks, providing a shared civic reality for our young audience to get behind and the vocabulary to be used in their communities and digital spaces going forward.

Lives as Nigerians is being shaped every day. The question is by who? This is the chance to influence what happens next.

Register now to be in the Room.
Visit here to register.

BellaNaija is a Media Partner for Zikoko Citizen