We the People Campaign

08/12/2025

Youth Civic Leadership Campaign, University of Port Harcourt

A significant number of young Nigerians demonstrate a sense of disillusionment with the political system, feeling that their voices are insignificant or that they do not possess the skills required to bring about change. This feeling of being excluded creates a loop of indifference and detachment, which further alienates young people from the decision-making processes that impact their lives.

The current political environment frequently does not provide opportunities for young people to engage. Political parties and institutions often neglect the input of young people, prioritising established leaders with extensive experience instead. This exclusion hinders innovation and continues a governance system that fails to properly represent the interests of the youth.

Engaging youth in governance is essential for fostering a dynamic and inclusive society. Young individuals, particularly students, are frequently regarded as the future leaders and bring distinct viewpoints and creative concepts that can greatly impact decision-making processes. Their participation in governance cultivates a sense of ownership and accountability while guaranteeing that policies align with the needs and aspirations of the younger generation.

Involving young people in governance is crucial for fostering a fair and just society, where every voice is acknowledged and appreciated. In Nigeria, the involvement of young people in governance is especially crucial, given that they constitute a substantial segment of the population. The youth are not merely passive recipients of policies; they are engaged stakeholders capable of driving change and contributing to national development. Empowering youths to participate in governance allows them to tap into their energy and creativity to tackle urgent social challenges, foster democratic values, and create a more sustainable future for everyone.

To disrupt this cycle of exclusion, it is essential to introduce initiatives that foster civic engagement and leadership training for youth, especially students, providing them with the necessary tools to engage actively in governance.

The Students Union of the Rivers State College of Health Science Technology, in collaboration with We the People, is organising a youth leadership rally themed Empowered to Lead: Inspire, Influence and Impact. This activity seeks to boost youth involvement in governance and leadership processes within the country by reigniting their interest in becoming active citizens. The activity seeks to equip young people with the knowledge and skills needed to understand and engage with their surroundings, thereby enabling them to participate actively in decision-making processes. This initiative aims to cultivate civic responsibility in young people, motivating them to stand up for their rights and make positive contributions to their communities.
The activity is expected to encourage the development of a network of young leaders nationwide, enabling collaboration on diverse initiatives and the exchange of best practices for effective governance. Through the connection of young individuals from various backgrounds and regions, our aim is to foster a culture of inclusivity and collaboration that goes beyond geographical and socio-economic divides. Our aim is also to inspire a new generation of leaders dedicated to advancing democratic values, social justice, and sustainable development in Nigeria.

Venue: Faculty of Education Auditorium, University of Port Harcourt
Date: Wednesday, 10th December, 2025
Time: 11am

Admission is free

12/11/2025

12/11/2025

Eyes on

11/11/2025

COP30: Time is Running Out

As the 30th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change opens in the Brazilian city of Belem, it is critical for negotiators and indeed, the entire world to reflect on what 29 years of global conversation has achieved in the fight against climate change. The first Conference of Parties held in Berlin in 1995 following the Earth Summit 3 years earlier. It established the COP space as the key negotiation and decision-making entity of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, mobilizing signatory countries to take deliberate actions to check climate change. Since then, 29 Conferences have held with no significant progress towards addressing the climate crisis. While the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 and the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015 are a few moments of notable commitment to the goal of tackling climate change, real action has been slow, and the results have been near zero.

In 29 sessions of negotiations, the COP process has come under the influence of the fossil fuel industry, represented in each session by a large contingent of lobbyist working to protect and promote the agenda of fossil companies. A recent research found that about 5,350 lobbyists representing the interests of oil, gas and coal companies- the same companies mostly responsible for the breakdown- were given access to the climate talks in the last 4 sessions. With this, the very companies responsible for the climate crisis are able to define the trajectory and outcome of the talks, often at the expense of vulnerable nations facing existential climate threats.

The COP has become prominent for producing ‘false solutions’ to the climate crisis, characterized by their reliance on market-based mechanisms and technological fixes which give the impression of action but actually fail in reducing emissions or addressing the crisis. Not only do these frameworks provide no workable solutions to climate change, they deflect attention from real work and commitments towards actual solutions. In many cases, these false solutions have resulted in the eroding of the rights of indigenous people, forest grabs and widespread abuses.

The known facts about the climate crisis are disturbing. A new study by 160 international researchers shows that the earth has reached its first climate tipping point. Tipping points are defined thresholds recognized by climatologists, which, when exceeded, are anticipated to cause irreversible and perilous effects on the planet's climate, with disastrous consequences for humanity.

The last 10 years have been the warmest years in human history, with 2024 noted as the hottest year in history. That year, global average temperatures reached a scary 1.60C above pre-industrial levels, ‘well’ above the threshold established by the Paris Climate Agreement. These record-breaking warming levels correspond to equally disturbing data on greenhouse gas emissions globally. Atmospheric concentrations of the three key greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, reached their highest levels in 2023. Evidently, emissions have continued to rise even when the climate negotiations pay lip service to cutting emissions.

One of the key focuses of COP30 will be on the latest rounds of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), voluntary emissions reductions commitments by nations, considered critical to achieving global climate goals. The previous two rounds of commitments were grossly inadequate. Several campaigners have already noted that the 3rd NDCs are not radical or ambitious enough to effect any meaningful change.

COP30 is already deeply scared by skepticisms following the shortcomings, weak actions and failed promises of previous Conferences. All this under the backdrop of intensifying climate disasters, climate induced conflicts, inequalities, forced migrations and poverty. For the world to stand the slightest chance of reversing the crisis, it is critical that COP 30 changes the trajectory of the conversation, and makes real progress towards emissions reduction and supporting countries to cope with the effects of climate change.

Among others, COP30 must aim towards ensuring that the resources needed for vulnerable countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change are available to those who need it. The Loss and Damage fund for instance, must be transformed into a functional structure for meeting the needs of impacted people, not as charity or handout, but as a critical step towards ecological justice.

COP30 must be bold enough to call-out polluters who continue to reap record profits on a dying planet while promoting climate denial, false solutions and inhibiting real action. COP30 must also seek to move from the era of promises and voluntarism. For 29 years, these strategies have proved ineffective and the crisis has gotten worse.

Like President Lula of Brazil said, “at every Climate Conference, we hear many promises but see too few real commitments. The era of declarations of good intentions has ended: the time for action plans has arrived. That is why today we begin the COP of Truth”.

31/10/2025

❓What do you do when the community is empowered, actively pursuing their rights but the government/local authorities remain unresponsive? We're exploring how grassroots leaders are deploying community power to create change from the ground up.

👥 Join this upcoming webinar to learn how organizations in Nigeria and DRC are harnessing learning and employing strategies to build community power when officials channels to address injustice are non-responsive.

🗓️ November 4th 12:00 PM EAT
Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/nHT99rq9RsePFbU-NeEdGg


We the People Campaign VIFILED ASBL

27/10/2025

19/10/2025

Five Years After: Remembering, Resisting, and Reclaiming Justice

October 2020 was a decisive moment in Nigeria’s history, as young people across the country rose in a unified call to end police brutality and demand law enforcement accountability under the banner of . The protests were ignited by years of atrocities, abuses, extortion, and extrajudicial killings by the police force generally, but also by the extreme ruthlessness of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). quickly became a national movement for justice, dignity, accountability and respect for the right of its citizens.

The darkest moment in government’s response of the protest was the shooting on October 20, 2020, where peaceful protesters who had gathered at the Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, holding flags and singing the national anthem, were met with live gunfire from security forces. Multiple eyewitnesses, video recordings, and later investigations revealed that unarmed demonstrators were shot at by the Nigerian Army, resulting in deaths and injuries. That incident has since become a powerful symbol of resistance, loss, and the unbroken demand for justice, representing not just those who were killed or wounded that night while on their knees, but an entire country’s struggle against oppression and impunity.

While the government announced the dissolution of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), and went ahead to set up Judicial Panels of Inquiry across states to investigate police abuses and recommend justice and reform, five years later, those promises remain largely unfulfilled. Most panels have failed to publish their findings or implement recommendations. Victims and families of those killed or maimed before, during and after the protests have received no justice. The state has moved on, but the people have no closure.

Instead of law enforcement reforms, Nigerians continue to witness systemic police violence characterized by unlawful arrests, harassment, torture, and extrajudicial killings, especially targeted at young people. The same culture of impunity that fueled persists, and is made worse by the absence of genuine police reform and political will to uphold human rights.

In commemorating the 5th anniversary of the protests, this virtual conference serves as remembrance, reflection, and a call to action. This 90-minute virtual discussion will feature activists, victims, lawyers and civil society organizations. The session will highlight what victories and losses have been recorded five years on, and craft a direction for renewed demand for justice and accountability.

Discussant: Yemi Adamolekun
Date: 20th October, 2025.
Time: 2pm

Register here: http://bit.ly/4opaHL8

19/10/2025

On the 10th of October, we paid tribute to the indefatigable memory of Ken Saro Wiwa. He would have turned 84 years old on October 10, 2025, if the Nigerian state had not brutally murdered him and eight of his compatriots on November 10, 1995.

Ken Saro Wiwa mobilized the Ogoni people under the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), and called the attention of the world to the poverty, neglect and environmental destruction which decades of oil exploitation had bequeathed on the Ogoni people. MOSOP demanded fairer benefits to the Ogoni people from oil wealth, as well as remediation and compensation for the ecological damage caused by the reckless activities of oil companies.

The Nigerian military government responded to the demands and non-violent protests of the people with vicious repression. A military operation was initiated in Ogoniland. The military visited mass killings and widespread carnage on the Ogonis, which remain largely undocumented. Thousands of Ogonis lost their lives, and many others went into forced exile around the world. In May 1994, Ken Saro-Wiwa, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel were arrested. After a few months of predetermined trial by a special military tribunal, a sentence of death was pronounced on Ken Saro-Wiwa and his comrades on October 31, 1995. Ten days later, during the time the accused could appeal the judgement, all nine were executed on November 10, 1995, amid widespread outrage, global condemnation, and eventual international sanctions against Nigeria.

Their Kangaroo trial was characterised by forced witnesses who later recanted their testimonies. Even the lawyers of the accused withdrew because of the predetermined and biased position of the tribunal.

Ken’s sacrifice still inspires activists all over the world!

10/10/2025

Today, Ken Saro-Wiwa would have been 84 years. Unfortunately, he was murdered 30 years ago by the Nigerian state with the complicity of Shell, alongside 8 other leaders of the movement to hold Shell accountable.

We refuse to forget.

08/10/2025

Companies like often hide in plain sight when the atrocities of oil companies like are highlighted. They manage to operate under the radar but wreak the exact same harm on indigenous people and the planet.

Their footprints are as heinous and atrocious as any other.

We the People's Tokuma Appolos presents a compelling story of 's lies

07/10/2025