- Enough is Enough Nigeria celebrated its 15th anniversary with the theme “Footprints and Frontlines,”conveninginfluential leaders to reflect on Nigeria’s democratic progress and emphasize citizen participation as the foundation of accountability.
- The event featured a short film and updated book documenting civic resistance movements from 1993 to #EndSARS, highlighting EiE’s role in voter education, election monitoring, and digital advocacy that have shaped Nigeria’s governance discourse.
- EiE announced a leadership transition to 26-year-old Ufuoma Nnamdi-Udeh, signaling a commitment to youth-driven engagement and digital mobilization as Nigeria faces persistent institutional weaknesses and growing demands for accountability.
On December 10, Lagos became the setting for more than a celebration as Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria marked 15 years of sustained civic engagement and accountability advocacy.
The milestone convened influential leaders from across civil society, business, faith, policy, and the creative economy to reflect on Nigeria’s democratic trajectory and confront a defining question: what becomes of a nation when citizens stay silent, and what is possible when they refuse to?
At the anniversary event, EiE did not merely look backwards.
It offered a forward-facing assessment of Nigeria’s democratic state of play, one shaped by rising citizen awareness, persistent institutional weakness, and a growing recognition that participation, not patience, is the currency of accountability.
The event, themed “Footprints and Frontlines,” was hosted by media personalities Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and Ayo Mairo-Ese. Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; His Highness Khalifa Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi; co-founder of GTCO Group and chair of FATE Foundation, Fola Adeola; Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah; Nigeria’s first Minister of Communication Technology, Omobola Johnson; and rapper and entrepreneur MI Abaga all took the stage, speaking candidly and without filters on the issues shaping Nigeria’s presently and the future it must still fight for.
From Footprints to Frontlines: EiE’s Civic Legacy
As part of the anniversary, EiE premiered “One Voice, Many Echoes”, a short film tracing three defining eras of Nigerian civic resistance: the Concerned Professionals’ response to the annulled 1993 election; the 2010 Enough Is Enough marches; and the #EndSARS movement of 2020.
The organisation also launched an updated edition of the book, Footprints: Past. Present. Future, documenting Nigeria’s evolving civic landscape and introducing new chapters on local governance and youth-led protest movements.
Together, the film and book reinforce a recurring pattern in Nigeria’s democratic history, that citizen action has often stepped in where institutions have faltered. This remains a pressing reality. According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, Nigeria scores just 26 out of 100, ranking among the lower third globally, a reflection of weak accountability structures despite democratic continuity since 1999.
A Nation of Young People, A Need for Voice
Nigeria operates on a demographic power grid unlike almost any other. More than 70% of its estimated 220 million citizens are under the age of 30, positioning the country as one of the youngest nations in the world. This youth bulge represents enormous potential and significant risk if excluded from meaningful participation.
For decades, this demographic energy remained largely disconnected from the levers of power. The numbers existed; the influence did not. Despite widespread belief in democratic ideals, Afrobarometer data show that about 64% of Nigerians consider democracy preferable to any other form of government. Voter turnout in the 2023 general elections fell below 30%, underscoring the gap between belief and action.
In her keynote, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the WTO, framed this not as a challenge, but as an undeniable equation. Reminding guests of her keynote speech at the Future Awards 2010, which, in a way, inspired the EiE Nigeria movement. “I pointed out that 70% of our population was under 30,” she stated, grounding the discourse in irrefutable data. “With that kind of demographic heft, if young people spoke up, the rest of us would have to listen.” Her message was clear: demographic strength only becomes political power when it is organised, informed, and sustained.
Turning Anger into Action
EiE Nigeria itself was born out of frustration with a broken system. But its defining contribution has been the translation of outrage into structure. Over 15 years, the organisation has developed practical civic tools designed to bridge the gap between citizens and the state.
This work has included voter education reaching millions, tackling apathy at its roots; the deployment of thousands of election observers to safeguard electoral integrity; digital advocacy campaigns that have shaped national policy conversations; and accountability initiatives that track government promises and public spending, making governance measurable rather than abstract.
This intervention is particularly significant in a context where Afrobarometer surveys reveal that nearly 80% of Nigerians believe corruption has increased in recent years, and where local government integrity assessments indicate that more than 80% of councils face high or critical corruption risks. Against this backdrop, citizen-led monitoring is now essential.
The anniversary film visually traced this evolution through three seismic waves of civic awakening in 1993, 2010, and 2020, illustrating how each generation has inherited and refined the tools of dissent, organisation, and accountability.
Democracy Is Not Just About Elections
Outgoing Executive Director Opeyemi Adamolekun, who led EiE for 15 years, reinforced a core message that ran through the anniversary conversations: democracy is a daily practice, not a seasonal event.
“Citizens need to understand their rights and their responsibilities because they are the ones who put people in office and give them a job,” she said. “They are called public servants for a reason.”
Adamolekun emphasised that accountability fundamentally alters power dynamics. “When citizens know that they have the power to hold people in office accountable, the dynamics of engagement change. Citizens can make demands and push those in office to serve.”
Her remarks fall within a context where public trust in institutions remains fragile, and where weak oversight has been linked to inefficiencies in public spending, security governance, and service delivery. Civic literacy, she argued, is not a soft concept but a structural necessity.
“Democracy is not just about elections. It’s about citizens’ voices and representation and accountability for how that representation is exercised.”
The Work Continues
EiE’s announcement of 26-year-old Ufuoma Nnamdi-Udeh as incoming Executive Director, effective January 2026, signals a leadership transition aligned with Nigeria’s largest and youngest voting bloc. Guests described the move as a strategic step toward sustaining relevance in an era shaped by digital mobilisation, economic pressure, and heightened citizen expectations.
At 15, EiE’s journey offers a clear lesson for Nigeria’s democracy and its economy. When citizens organise, institutions respond. When accountability improves, stability follows. In a country where demographic strength is no longer in question, the challenge ahead is participation, persistence, and purpose.
Supporting that work is an investment in Nigeria’s democratic future. To contribute to EiE Nigeria’s ongoing civic engagement and accountability efforts, visit: https://eie.ng/donate.
