Lagos, Nigeria – In a bold step toward shaping the future of democratic engagement in West Africa, Yiaga Africa and its partners—WILAN Global and Civic Hive, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and implemented through GIZ, hosted the Digital Democracy Exhibition in Lagos, Nigeria. The event spotlighted civic technology innovations aimed at countering disinformation, enhancing citizen participation, and strengthening women’s leadership in governance.
Held as part of a broader regional initiative across Nigeria and Ghana, the exhibition brought together a diverse community of civic tech innovators, civil society leaders, media professionals, government representatives, and youth advocates. The event provided a collaborative space to explore how digital solutions can protect democratic values, build resilience against harmful narratives, particularly those targeted at women, and improve the relationship between citizens and public institutions.
Seven outstanding innovators were selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants to present their solutions addressing some of the most pressing challenges at the intersection of democracy and technology. Among them was the
Truth Tech Fellowship by Truly Verify Africa, a project aimed at empowering African youth with critical digital literacy through immersive learning experiences that counter disinformation at its roots.
Tech4Her by Luke Dooyum Ikyaator presented a four-month mentorship program equipping young women in Lagos with essential digital and tech skills while nurturing their leadership potential to close the gender gap in tech and civic participation.
Dare Olatunde showcased PromiseTrackerNG, a civic technology tool developed by the AdvoKC Foundation to monitor and rate political promises made by elected officials in Nigeria. The platform gives citizens accessible, evidence-based updates on governance performance across sectors.
Israel Olatunji Tijani introduced Kumlinda, also known as The 51% AI Bot, an innovative AI tool that educates users on women’s rights instruments to combat technology-facilitated gender-based violence, with an emphasis on African languages including Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Swahili.
Andrew Kintum presented PoliZ NG, a digital platform that demystifies policy and governance information for young people by making it more engaging and relatable through civic tech.
FactsMatterNG by Hannah Ajakaiye is a civic media platform using Pidgin and everyday English to tackle disinformation, promote media literacy, and simplify civic education through short, accessible video content.
And finally, Kehinde Adegboyega of the Human Rights Journalists Network Nigeria presented the Digital Lab, a powerful digital archive that uses open-source investigation methods to document state violence during protests and elections—preserving evidence for journalism, advocacy, and accountability.
Each of these solutions was presented before a panel of experts and stakeholders who provided critical feedback, insights, and recommendations for growth. The exhibition also created new avenues for cross-sectoral partnerships between civic tech developers, civil society groups, policymakers, and gender rights advocates. It served not just as a showcase of innovation but as an important platform to identify opportunities for improving citizen engagement with public officials and enhancing understanding of how digital transformation can shape democratic participation.
As part of its forward-looking strategy, Yiaga Africa will continue to work with the featured innovators through mentorship, ecosystem development, and visibility support. Their progress will be tracked with a focus on real-world impact, particularly in addressing disinformation, fostering civic literacy, and empowering marginalized groups to actively participate in governance.
The next phase of the Digital Democracy Exhibition will be held in Ghana, continuing the momentum to foster a stronger, digitally inclusive civic tech landscape across West Africa.
