A staunch member of the Take It Back Movement (TIB), Omowunmi Ewatee, has called on Nigerians to move beyond expressing opinions and become more actively involved in civic engagement and the country’s democratic process.
Ewatee made the call in a post shared on her Facebook page on Saturday while reflecting on her experience at the West Africa CivicTech 2026 programme.
According to her, one of the major highlights of the event was a “Last Man Standing” game, where participants were asked to remain standing if they had carried out different forms of civic engagement.
She explained that the activities listed included volunteering, voting in a national election, possessing a Permanent Voter Card (PVC), reporting issues to elected officials, participating in online and physical protests, and several other forms of public participation.
Ewatee said the exercise revealed that only about one-tenth of the participants remained standing by the end of the game, showing that only a small number had taken part in most of the civic activities mentioned.
She noted that many of those who were still standing were members of the Take It Back Movement, describing the moment as one that made her proud.
“As I looked around, I realised that many of those still standing were members of the Take It Back Movement, a very proud moment for me,” she wrote.
While expressing concern over the outcome of the exercise, Ewatee said many people have strong opinions about the country’s challenges but are unwilling to take meaningful action.
She stressed that genuine change cannot be achieved by remaining silent or watching events from the sidelines.
“Change does not happen when the majority sit back while a few continue to push. Change does not happen by folding our arms and watching events unfold. Change does not happen by merely pointing out problems without taking action,” she said.
She further urged Nigerians to become more active citizens by participating in civic activities and putting sustained pressure on government officials to ensure accountability and good governance.
According to her, real societal change has always been driven by people who are willing to act rather than remain spectators.
“We need more people willing to put in the work. We need more hands to mount sustained pressure on the government. We need more active citizens and more active participants in our politics.
“Real change has never been the product of silence or spectatorship. It has always been driven by people who chose to act,” she added.
The West Africa CivicTech Conference 2026 was held on July 24, 2026, at the Civic Centre, Lagos, bringing together young leaders, civil society organisations, policymakers, researchers and technology experts from across the West African sub-region. Organised by Civic Hive in partnership with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), the conference focused on the theme, “Youth, Technology and the Future of Governance in West Africa.”
According to the event organisers, the conference attracted participants from 15 countries, with 126 organisations represented. The programme featured 22 paper presentations, 12 speakers and three masterclasses, providing participants with opportunities to discuss how technology, innovation and active citizenship can strengthen democratic governance, improve accountability and encourage greater civic participation across West Africa.
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