Mark your calendars now because 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.
According to Chigozie Victor, the Senior Editor of Zikoko Citizen, Nigerians have not been asking the right questions during elections and our current reality is the unfortunate proof of that poor judgement.
“It’s time we moved away from focusing on things like the politicians whose tactics are the strongest, to more crucial things such as how well or badly the political elite have managed the institutions under their care, how their performance has shaped the Nigerian experience, and what we can do to course-correct,” she said.
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.
A defining civic experience
We’re not being “pick me’s” when we say this, but we really aren’t like other policy conferences. The 2026 Citizen Townhall is an experience-driven forum blending data and storytelling to simplify the mechanics of governance.
Chigozie Victor agrees there is no shortage of policy events in the civic space, but wants you to know the Townhall has something special to offer. Attendees will leave the event, not just aware of the solutions to identified issues, but empowered to solve them. She said the event will help participants “learn, unlearn, and act.”
But what exactly can you expect to get up to at the Townhall? Well, relax and we’ll tell you about it.
The Citizen Exhibition Walkthrough
This will be 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
The Townhall will feature three distinct panel sessions that will unpack accountability, representation, and civic action. These sessions feature youth policy leaders, media heads, and development professionals from partner organisations.
Intimate Fireside Chat
It wouldn’t be Zikoko if we didn’t put the human side first. So our fireside chat will be a human-centred session exploring how a single life is reshaped by Nigerian systems, and offering a vulnerable look at navigating and challenging the status quo.
Launch of The Citizen Report
We’ll be formally unveiling The Citizen Report — the 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
Nigeria’s youth is the country’s biggest social capital. Around 70% of Nigeria’s population is under the age of 35. But if you take a look at the country’s political space you wouldn’t know it.
Zikoko Citizen Senior Editor, Chigozie Victor, believes that now, more than ever, young Nigerians need to be at the forefront of the conversations shaping their future. According to Victor, the misconception that young people cannot lead goes against what she and her team have seen in the course of their work.
She said, “Young Nigerians have great ideas and the future of our country depends on them; they want to be heard, and they will be heard.”
The Townhall is strategically scheduled to get ahead of all the coming election noise. It will provide a shared civic reality for young Nigerians to get behind and the right vocabulary to be used in our communities and digital spaces going forward.
Victor said, “We’re currently experiencing the calm before the storm, so there is no better time to equip an important demographic with all that they need going into this very important democratic process.”
Here’s the bottom line: our lives as Nigerians are being shaped every day by political decisions. The question is by whom? The Citizen Townhall is our chance to answer that question, and more importantly, influence what happens next.
Register now to be in the Room.
Visit citizen.zikoko.com to register. And we’ll see you there on February 28th, 2026.
