Youth-led movements reshaping Africa’s democracy, says Toyin Falola

Toyin Falola, a renowned professor of history, says youth-led movements are among the most transformative forces shaping Africa’s democracy and development.

Falola, who holds the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker chair in the humanities at the University of Texas, Austin, spoke on Thursday while delivering the maiden lecture of the Hassan Sunmonu Centre for Leadership and Governance at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.

The lecture, titled ‘Democracy and the Dynamics of Development in Africa’, examined the link between democracy, civil society, and youth activism as engines of social change.

“One of the most dynamic forces shaping the trajectory of democracy and development in Africa is the youth political movements,” he said.

“Over the last two decades, African youths have risen from being passive receptors of political change to active agents of transformation.”

Falola said young people have leveraged protests, social media, and cultural expressions to challenge state authority, expose governance failures, and expand democratic participation.

He described the concept of “waithood” — a prolonged period of social and economic stagnation — as central to understanding youth political engagement, noting that exclusion from employment and policy spaces pushes young Africans to find alternative avenues for asserting political agency.

Citing movements such as South Africa’s #FeesMustFall and Nigeria’s #EndSARS protests, Falola said social media has redefined large-scale mobilisation, enabling youths to bypass traditional politics and create a more “people-centred democracy”.

“Youth-led civil society movements serve as counterweights to state power,” he added.

“They drive reforms such as police accountability, budget transparency, and education access — proving that development in Africa is not just about growth, but also about freedom, justice, and equal opportunity.”