Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Nigeria

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Nigeria FES began to work in Nigeria in 1976.

Throughout its presence in Nigeria, FES has collaborated with human rights and pro-democracy groups, the labour movement, researchers and many civil society organisations.

A stronger democracy begins with informed, engaged, and empowered young citizens who actively participate in shaping gov...
03/07/2026

A stronger democracy begins with informed, engaged, and empowered young citizens who actively participate in shaping governance.

The OMYV training for the last week of June, equipped participants with a deeper understanding of democratic governance, exploring its core principles, institutions, and the vital role of active citizenship. Through interactive sessions, participants examined the separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, Nigeria's democratic journey, and the importance of credible elections in sustaining democracy.

Using debates, group exercises, and practical discussions, the training created space for participants to critically engage with the challenges and opportunities facing youth and women in democratic processes. Discussions also explored the influence of social media on civic engagement and identified practical strategies for strengthening meaningful youth participation in governance.

One message resonated throughout the training: people support what they help build. Participants reaffirmed that free and fair elections, accountability, inclusive governance, and respect for the rule of law remain fundamental to building a resilient democracy.

Above all, the training reinforced a powerful truth: young people are not merely the leaders of tomorrow, they are partners in shaping today's democracy. Their continued participation, advocacy, and leadership are essential to building a more inclusive, accountable, and democratic Nigeria.

Cooperatives can be a pathway from vulnerability to resilience for millions of informal workers.Strengthening Social and...
29/06/2026

Cooperatives can be a pathway from vulnerability to resilience for millions of informal workers.

Strengthening Social and Solidarity Economy approaches, particularly through cooperatives, provides informal workers with practical tools to achieve financial inclusion, resilience, and improved social protection.

This was the core message as members of the Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria (FIWON) from Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Kwara, and Osun gathered in Ilorin for a two-day workshop on **Strengthening Social and Solidarity Economy towards Social Protection for Informal Workers in Nigeria**.

The workshop highlighted the transformative role of cooperatives in helping informal workers move from survival to stability. Through collective action, cooperatives enable workers to save, access credit, purchase inputs, obtain insurance, negotiate better prices, and improve their working conditions.

For many informal workers who remain excluded from formal banking services, pensions, and social protection systems, cooperatives offer a practical route to greater security. By building solidarity-based savings schemes and collective support systems, cooperatives promote financial inclusion, improve access to healthcare and insurance, and create opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.

The FIWON Lagos Cooperative Society model was shared during the workshop, equipping participants with knowledge on establishing functional, transparent, and accountable cooperatives that can support informal workers across different states.

Stronger cooperatives mean stronger communities — where informal workers have the collective power to build better livelihoods and access the protection they deserve.

Democracy thrives when citizens participate beyond election day.Recognising the growing challenge of voter apathy, espec...
15/06/2026

Democracy thrives when citizens participate beyond election day.

Recognising the growing challenge of voter apathy, especially among young people, the FES Open Minds–Young Voices (OMYV) Project Team took civic awareness directly to communities across the Federal Capital Territory — Kurudu, Karonmajigi, and Kuje.

Through the Community Awareness Drive, the team engaged young people and community members in conversations on active citizenship, democratic participation, voting, and the importance of engaging government beyond election day.

The interactive sessions provided participants with a platform to reflect on past elections, share their experiences with political engagement, and explore practical ways to strengthen accountability and citizen participation.

By taking these conversations to the grassroots, the OMYV Project Team contributed to efforts to address voter apathy and promote a more informed, active, and participatory citizenry ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Addressing emerging violent conflicts requires dismantling the incentives that make violence profitable, strengthening a...
15/06/2026

Addressing emerging violent conflicts requires dismantling the incentives that make violence profitable, strengthening accountability, restoring state legitimacy, and building inclusive governance structures that deliver security and opportunities for citizens.

At the Policy Roundtable on Understanding the Political Economy of Emerging Violent Conflicts in Nigeria, organised by and the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, a central question echoed: Why, despite years of interventions and extensive efforts, do violent conflicts persist in Nigeria? If significant resources, research, and policy initiatives have been invested, why are the outcomes not changing substantially?

The discussion suggested that the challenge goes beyond operational deficiencies but dwell in deeper structural conditions rooted in power relations, competition over resources, institutional weaknesses, and elite interests that make violence a rational and recurring instrument of political and economic behaviour for certain actors.

Participants stressed that policymakers and researchers must now confront an uncomfortable but unavoidable reality: in many parts of Nigeria, violence is not merely a breakdown of order; it has itself become a form of order.

Key recommendations from the roundtable called on stakeholders to disrupt incentive structures, strengthen governance, follow financial networks, reclaim ungoverned spaces, be actually accountable, & rebuild public trust.

10/06/2026

Riding for Survival: The Realities of Nigerian Bolt, Uber & Logistics Riders | VOW Podcast

Out now!

🚗📦 What does it really take to complete that ride or deliver that package? A quick tap on Uber, Bolt, InDrive?

Behind every trip request and delivery notification is a worker navigating fuel costs, traffic, long hours, safety concerns, and unpredictable earnings.

In our latest podcast episode, app-based drivers and dispatch riders share their experiences working in Nigeria's growing gig economy.

🎙️ Real stories. Real challenges. Real conversations.

Listen now and join the discussion on YouTube

https://youtu.be/gH6Pakp3PCM?si=v7OcOM_oA9Xk8M4F

Advancing social justice in Nigeria requires a clear understanding of its political economy, the historical roots of ine...
05/06/2026

Advancing social justice in Nigeria requires a clear understanding of its political economy, the historical roots of inequality, and the changing nature of work in a rapidly evolving world.

The Module 3 training on “Political Economy of the Nigerian Crisis and the Quest for Social Justice” equipped young workers with critical insights into the structures shaping Nigeria’s socio-economic realities and the implications for decent work and inclusive development.

Facilitated by Comrade Gbenga Komolafe, participants engaged with key political economy thinkers, including Karl Marx, Adam Smith, David Ricardo, and John Maynard Keynes, examining how their ideas continue to inform debates on labour, governance, economic systems, and wealth creation.

The module also traced Nigeria’s political economy from the colonial period to the Fourth Republic, highlighting how historical patterns of power, inequality, and resource distribution continue to shape present-day outcomes.

A strong emphasis was placed on social justice—equity, inclusion, access, and fairness—as well as the role of the trade union movement in defending workers’ rights and advancing democratic and economic reforms.

Sessions on Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work, facilitated by Comrade Soneye Lekan, explored both opportunities and risks, including productivity gains and concerns around automation and job displacement, underscoring the urgency of a just transition for workers.

The module concluded with youth-generated evidence, led by Joshua Alade -Executive Director of NGYouthSDGs, on labour conditions, strengthening participants’ capacity for evidence-based advocacy and collective action toward a more inclusive and equitable society.

Reviving Nigeria's textile and garment industry requires deliberate government action, stronger industrial policies, and...
05/06/2026

Reviving Nigeria's textile and garment industry requires deliberate government action, stronger industrial policies, and investment in local production. By enforcing local procurement policies, improving power supply, curbing smuggling, expanding access to finance, and leveraging regional and international trade opportunities, Nigeria can rebuild its textile sector, create decent jobs, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and drive inclusive economic growth.

At a one-day strategic engagement organized by the National Union of Textile, Garment, and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria with the support of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Nigeria, trade union leaders, industry stakeholders, policymakers, media practitioners, business owners, and representatives of employers' organizations came together to examine the challenges confronting Nigeria's textile and garment sector and identify practical pathways for its revival.

Participants discussed policy measures and action steps to rebuild local manufacturing, protect jobs, strengthen value chains, and promote fair and sustainable labor practices.

The union outlined important goals, such as fully enforcing Executive Order 003, which requires government agencies to buy locally made fabrics and uniforms; providing reliable power sources for textile manufacturing areas; improving border controls to stop the smuggling of cheap foreign textiles; increasing access to affordable loans for small and medium-sized businesses; and effectively using trade agreements like the African Continental Free Trade Area and the African Growth and Opportunity Act to reach regional and international markets.

The engagement reinforced the need for coordinated action among government, labor, industry, and development partners to restore Nigeria's textile and garment industry as a driver of industrialization, decent work, and inclusive economic growth.

Effective communication and presentation skills are essential tools for strengthening leadership, teamwork, and civic en...
01/06/2026

Effective communication and presentation skills are essential tools for strengthening leadership, teamwork, and civic engagement, and were the focus of the OMYV training designed to build participants’ confidence, inclusivity, and problem-solving capacity.

The OMYV training on Communication and Presentation Skills was insightful, practical, and highly interactive. Participants engaged with key topics such as effective communication, the Seven C’s of Communication, strategic communication, presentation skills, and active listening.

Through role plays, group discussions, and presentations, participants strengthened their confidence, teamwork, and ability to communicate ideas clearly and persuasively. Discussions also explored how effective communication can contribute to addressing Nigeria’s political and societal challenges, improving governance, and supporting conflict resolution.

A strong emphasis was placed on gender inclusion, equal participation, and respectful communication as foundations for effective leadership and community engagement.

Overall, the training reinforced communication not just as a soft skill, but as a critical tool for collaboration, leadership, and social change.

Global conflicts are no longer distant events -they are shaping jobs, livelihoods, and the future of work.Alongside econ...
01/06/2026

Global conflicts are no longer distant events -they are shaping jobs, livelihoods, and the future of work.

Alongside economic restructuring and technological disruption, global conflicts are making decent work harder to achieve, and only coordinated action by labour, civil society, employers, and governments can protect workers and build a more inclusive future of work.

At a dialogue organized by FES Nigeria in partnership with Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) and the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) on "Rising Global Conflict, Severe Economic Shocks: Impact on the Decent Work Agenda – Labour and Civil Society Responses," participants examined how wars, economic shocks, inflation, and insecurity are affecting workers and families.

Prof. Dafe Otobo, in his lead presentation, noted that globalization has reduced the ability of many developing countries to independently shape economic policies, leaving workers increasingly vulnerable to external crises.

The message from the dialogue was clear: workers should not bear the cost of conflicts they did not create.

We must strengthen social protection, protect jobs, support affected households, and pursue peaceful solutions to conflicts. Decent work, economic justice, and human security must remain at the center of policy responses.

West Africa’s security challenges are becoming increasingly transnational, complex, and interconnected. From the expansi...
21/05/2026

West Africa’s security challenges are becoming increasingly transnational, complex, and interconnected. From the expansion of violent extremist groups across the Sahel into coastal states, to organised crime, porous borders, political instability, and growing external influence, the region faces a rapidly evolving security landscape that no single country can address alone.

At the expert discussion on “Regional Cooperation and External Support in Meeting Security Challenges in West Africa and the Sahel: Perspectives from Abuja,” organised by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Nigeria and the FES Peace and Security Competence Center Africa Department, experts, researchers, civil society actors, and practitioners reflected on the future of regional security cooperation and the role of external partnerships in building a durable peace architecture for West Africa.

Presentations by Prof. Freedom C. Onuoha and Ndubuisi Nwaokolo highlighted a critical reality: insecurity no longer respects borders, and Nigeria’s ability to lead regionally is closely tied to its ability to address its own internal governance, economic, and security challenges.

Discussions also stressed that fragmented national responses are insufficient against cross-border threats, making stronger regional cooperation through ECOWAS, the African Union, and strategic international partnerships more urgent than ever.

A major takeaway from the dialogue was clear: the future of peace and security in West Africa will depend less on the strength of individual states and more on the collective resilience, coordination, and political will of the region. Building sustainable peace will require people-centred security governance, deeper regional trust, stronger institutions, and partnerships that align external support with local priorities and realities.

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12 Marrakesh Street, Off Kumasi Crescent
Wuse Ii

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Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00

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