By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja

In a powerful, emotionally charged address delivered at Smile Outreach Africa’s 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi issued an urgent call to Nigerian youth: “Silence is complicity. You are that generation. Use your voice. Use your power.”

Speaking as the newly unveiled 2025 Face of Voices Against Violence, the respected legal scholar and founder of the Safe Haven Foundation described young people as the “heartbeat of every major movement,” urging them to wield their digital influence and moral courage to dismantle the deep-rooted culture of gender-based violence (GBV) across the country.

Standing before an energized audience in Abuja, Waziri-Azi painted a stark picture of the crisis. Citing UN Women and NDHS statistics, she noted that millions of women and girls continue to suffer in silence.

She recalled some of Nigeria’s most haunting GBV tragedies—Vera Omozuwa, murdered while studying in a church; Barakat Bello, attacked near her home; and 13-year-old Ochanya Ogbanje, whose abuse spanned years—arguing that these cases are “not statistics, but evidence” of a society in urgent need of reform.

“Too often,” she said, “the fear of not being believed becomes a prison more powerful than the violence itself.”

The hall fell silent as she shared the story of Abigail, a 21-year-old survivor who found hope after stumbling on a single survivor’s post on Instagram.

“Just one post gave Abigail the strength to seek help,” Waziri-Azi said. “Today, she has a home, a scholarship, and a future… We discovered she is a math genius. Who would have known?”

Her message was clear: advocacy saves lives, sometimes one post at a time.

Prof. Waziri-Azi celebrated the digital fluency and boldness of young Nigerians, calling them “the only force strong enough to disrupt normalized violence.” But she cautioned that passion must be paired with strategy.

“You tweet, you post, you create reels—but power must be matched with responsibility,” she said. “Advocacy must be grounded in empathy, data, and collaboration.”

She called for a cross-generational alliance, urging elders to make room for young advocates and encouraging young people to seek mentorship. “Movements endure when passion meets experience,” she insisted.

Waziri-Azi then introduced a practical framework—described by attendees as “the new youth advocacy blueprint”:

Courage: Call violence what it is. Never sanitize the truth.

Competence: Know the laws, reporting channels, and survivor services.

Community: Build diverse coalitions, including faith leaders, teachers, transport unions, and students.

Creativity: Use art, film, poetry, and digital storytelling to make the invisible visible.

Consistency: Sustained effort, not momentary outrage, creates real change.

Her recommendations were concrete and immediate:

Map survivor services and share verified hotlines via WhatsApp.

Launch peer-to-peer education sessions on consent and digital safety

Create Men & Boys for Change Circles to help unlearn harmful norms.

Waziri-Azi closed with a stirring message that drew a standing ovation:

“History will not remember those who stayed neutral in the face of injustice. It will remember those who stood up, spoke out, and reached back to lift others. You are that generation. Use your voice. Use your power.”

As the crowd erupted, it was clear that her message had struck a nerve—and perhaps ignited a spark that could redefine activism in Nigeria.