Study of Feminist Activism and Social Change in Nigeria: A Focus on Youth-Led Movements in Lagos

Feminist activism in Nigeria has undergone significant transformation in the past decade, with social media-enabled youth movements reshaping the landscape of gender advocacy and public discourse on women's rights. This study examines the strategies, impacts, and challenges of youth-led feminist movements in Lagos State, focusing on organisations and collectives active between 2020 and 2024. A qualitative research design was adopted, with 45 activist leaders and participants completing semi-structured interviews and 120 broader supporters completing online structured questionnaires. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics. Findings reveal that youth-led feminist organisations in Lagos leverage social media effectively to mobilise around issues including sexual violence, workplace harassment, reproductive rights, and political representation. The EndSARS movement of 2020 is identified as a watershed moment that exposed gender dimensions of state violence and expanded feminist coalitions. Challenges include funding instability, organisational sustainability, generational divides in feminist strategy, and state harassment of activists. The study finds that intersectional framing, incorporating class, disability, and sexual orientation alongside gender, is increasingly adopted by younger organisations. Recommendations include protective legal frameworks for civil society activists, funding mechanisms for feminist organisations, and university curricula incorporating social movement theory and feminist practice. Keywords: feminist activism, youth movements, social change, Lagos, Nigeria