By Chinenye Anuforo
The hall was filled with anticipation and youthful energy at a recent Ashoka Africa event, a gathering dedicated to celebrating and empowering the nation’s changemakers. Amidst a chorus of applause and inspiring speeches, the life-altering journey of Efe Johnson, a social impact strategist and founder of Xari Africa, stood as a powerful testament to the transformative power of individual initiative.
Johnson’s profound journey began online, a simple idea born from a deep-seated pain. “My campaign began online. I used a messaging app to connect with others who believed in empowering young women to make informed decisions about their bodies,” Johnson shared, highlighting the humble beginnings of what has become a globally recognized initiative.
Her organization, Xari Africa, champions comprehensive health education for young women, addressing critical topics like birth control, healthy boundaries, and disease prevention through school tours and free educational guides. “We foster a safe community of understanding and resilience where girls can talk normally and break the pattern of silence and shame,” she explained. The recent launch of Xari Africa Academy, an online library, marks a significant leap in their efforts to scale impact, providing private access to vital health information. “I believe that knowledge is power,” Johnson pointed out, a philosophy that underpins her work.
Her keynote address resonated deeply with the young audience. She recounted her seven-year journey of full-time advocacy, often without external support or funding. “What you just watched is a documentary that the United Nations and Samsung made about me. But before that happened was seven years of full-time advocacy without support, without funding,” she revealed, emphasizing the dedication required for her impactful work. Starting at just 18, Johnson’s motivation stemmed from witnessing the profound gender inequality in her hometown of Kaduna. “One day I was in school with my classmates, and the next day, they dropped out because they are pregnant. Or because they were married off as child brides,” she recounted, her voice reflecting the pain that fueled her passion.
Johnson’s message was clear, changemaking is not a future aspiration but an inherent capacity. “Changemaking or a changemaker is not something you become. I am not going to give you 10 steps on how to become a changemaker,” she stated, challenging conventional notions. Instead, she offered a three-pronged approach for activating the inner changemaker: “See it, Solve it, Share it.”
“See it,” Johnson urged, encouraging attendees to keenly observe the problems around them. “There is no changemaking without problems. Changemaking is pretty much problem solving.” She emphasized reframing problems as opportunities, a perspective she embodies. “Nigeria is abundant with problems. And you know what that means? It means it is also abundant with opportunities.”
“Solve it” underscored the importance of taking action, no matter how small. She shared her own initial steps, from a huge disaster of a WhatsApp group to a Facebook page and eventually a published book on period management, which, years later, has been adopted as compulsory material in some schools. “You have just got to start where you are, with what you have,” she advised, reminding everyone that resources like mobile phones, voices, and ideas can be powerful tools for change.
Finally, “Share it” highlighted the necessity of positioning and visibility. “It’s not enough to do good work. Your work has to be seen,” Johnson proclaimed, emphasizing that sharing one’s journey inspires others to embark on their own. She encouraged the young changemakers to align their efforts with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a framework for global problem-solving.
Earlier in the day, Okey Uzoechina, Co-leader of Ashoka Africa, set the tone for the event, affirming Nigeria’s inherent potential for change. “In Nigeria, right, we are all changemakers. And it doesn’t matter the formula that you are using on your changemaking journey. The important thing is that you are creating a better world,” Uzoechina passionately declared. He stressed the ripple effect of individual action, stating, “The best gift you can give to your neighbor, to your sister, to your brother, to your parents, to your child, to everyone around you, is to inspire the same change that you have already created.” Uzoechina also acknowledged Ashoka’s 44-year legacy of identifying and supporting social entrepreneurs globally, learning from them “how we all can inspire more people, millions more people, in our countries, in legal states, in our communities, to also become changemakers.” He called on the audience to activate their divine spark within, asserting, Change making is a way to activate that divine spark in each and every one of us.
Angelou Ezeilo, Co-president for Ashoka Africa, reiterated, celebrating the young changemakers present. “We are celebrating the best of the best. We are celebrating these young changemakers from throughout Nigeria,” she announced with pride. Ezeilo highlighted two key programs culminating at the event: CTEACH, a pilot change-making education program for teachers in Lagos State, and the Entropy of Change Making program for 13 to 20-year-olds. The CTEACH program focuses on introducing teachers to core changemaking skills such as empathy, shared leadership, teamwork, and practicing changemaking, with the goal of integrating these into the curriculum and inspiring youth leadership.
As part of the festival, Ashoka also celebrates the winners of the Changemaker Teacher Activation program (CTEACH) Pitch-a-thon, student-led Changemaker Squads from Lagos State public schools who designed and pitched real solutions to real problems in their schools and communities. These student teams, supported by teachers trained through Ashoka’s CTEACH, are living proof that when educators shift from just instruction to activation, students respond with bold ideas and transformative leadership
The Change Making program, or AYC, nurtures young social entrepreneurs who are tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Elected through a peer-led selection process, these changemakers are already leading teams, influencing mindsets, and building better systems for all.
Ezeilo also stressed the importance of collaboration and community. “When we are all working together, you can scale the impact. So, we want you to deepen relationships and create bonds,” she urged.
Addressing the critical issue of funding, Ezeilo acknowledged the substantial resources required. She thanked current partners for their support. However, with only a year and a half remaining on a three-year pilot program, she issued a call for continued and new partnerships, including government and private sector involvement, to ensure the program’s longevity.
Josephine Nzeremum, Regional Director for Ashoka in North and West Africa and Director of Venture and Talent for Ashoka Africa, reinforced the core message of the event: “Everyone is a changemaker. Start where you are, whoever you are. It doesn’t matter. There is no age barrier.” She underscored the impressive initiatives by young participants, such as the students from Akbar Junior Secondary School who won a Pitch-A-Thon award for their “, Waste to Take” project, addressing bushy environments and creating school bags from recycled headgear.
Nzeremum further elaborated on Ashoka’s profound impact in Nigeria, noting that it extends beyond activating public schools. “It is about changing the mindset of everyone, teachers, pupils, partners, everyone,” she said, citing the involvement of institutions like Fidelity Bank, Ubongo, Lantern Books, and the Ministry of Education.
A significant challenge for Ashoka, according to Nzeremum, remains the societal mindset that often views young people as changemakers tomorrow rather than changemakers now. She stressed the importance of building an ecosystem where young people are accepted and empowered to thrive as they create change.