Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative, BBYDI

EXCITING NEWS, KEMI IS LIVE 👏🏾🥰 Yesterday at the Transcorp Hilton, with support from @francediplo, we did something truly remarkable and feel very pumped about it. We gathered policy shapers, global leaders, civil society executives, and activists from various leading organisations around the West and Central Africa for the launch of “Kemi” - a survival-centred, multilingual AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot co-created by survivors of Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (#TFGBV). Earlier this year, we conducted a multicountry online survey across six West and Central African countries to understand the awareness of #TFGBV, lived experiences, and barriers to seeking support. Analysis of the survey revealed that while 92% of the over 1,100 respondents experienced #TFGBV, including online harassment and non-consensual image sharing, only less than half of this number disclosed or reported these incidents. Their reasons? Stigma, fear of blame, and a lack of trust in available reporting or support systems which necessitated @hersafespace25 - the first AI-powered WhatsApp chatbot designed to address identified gaps in reporting and support for survivors of #TFGBV in West and Central Africa The event was also an opportune time to shed greater light on the prevalence of #TFGBV in Africa, as we launched other knowledge products, including the Methodological Report on the #TFGBV Database Development in West and Central Africa which provides broader perspectives on the rise of #TFGBV in Africa and recommends collective actions that can be taken to prevent it. Other knowledge products include; Staying Safe With Tao - a Guide Book on Becoming a Digital Champion; Power and Influence in Addressing #TFGBV in Nigeria; HerSafeSpace - Digital Safety Manual; and #TFGBV in Nigeria - Mapping Harms, Gaps and Pathways to Justice  The highlight of the event was the inauguration of the Male Allyship Programme - a platform for a more coordinated approach where even the boy child is empowered with knowledge and resources to, through dialogue, education, and action, champion a safer digital space by eradicating all forms of Gender-Based Violence through speaking up, showing up, and standing against #TFGBV. This programme matters because research shows that over 60% of online abuse victims are women. The Allyship Programme stands tall to change this narrative - not just to balance the data, but to eradicate all forms of violence against persons. We were thrilled to inaugurate global leaders (in no particular order): @jayegaskia, a public affairs and political analyst; @NoelAlumona, a special education expert and founder of @boyschampionsNG; @rotexonline, the Executive Director of @youthhubafrica; Mac Imoni Amarere, board member at @ActionAid; @Husseini_abdul, the Director of Pan-African and New Power Advocacy Office at @Save_AU_Liaison; Mustapha Sheu, a development expert; @HamzyCode, the CEO of @Connected_dev and co-founder of @4lowthemoney; @Nwankpa_A, the acting Director General of @SMYFoundation and @Funsho_Olajide, the founder of Disability Not a Barrier Initiative into the Allyship. These experts bring years of experience in creating sustainable pathways to development, and we are very proud of the next steps we will take together from here. KEMI is live, share this post and let more people access Kemí. – at Abuja, Nigeria

Happy Birthday to our amazing Communications Intern, Betty Oku! 🎉 Thank you for your creativity, energy, and dedication to the Brain Builders family. Cheers to a new year of growth, wins, and beautiful moments! Help us wish Betty a Happy Birthday in the comments! 🎂❤️ #HappyBirthdayBetty #BrainBuilders #BBYDI #TeamBBYDI

We are live in Lagos! Today, stakeholders are coming together for the Strategic Dialogue Session (Town Hall) with Traditional and Religious Leaders under the project Strengthening Digital Integrity and Inclusive Participation for Nigeria 2027 Election. With the theme “From Silence to Safeguard: Faith, Tradition and Women’s Place in Nigeria’s Democracy,” the dialogue brings attention to the role of traditional and religious leaders in challenging gendered disinformation, addressing online gender-based violence, and creating safer spaces for women’s political participation. As Nigeria looks towards the 2027 elections, protecting women’s voices is a shared responsibility. Through dialogue and collective action, we can strengthen digital integrity and build a more inclusive democracy. #FromSilenceToSafeguard #FaithAndDemocracy #WomenInPolitics #JusticeAndEquality #Nigeria2027

What happens when faith, tradition and public discourse shape who gets heard and who gets silenced in our democracy? Today in Lagos, we bring these important conversations to the table at our Strategic Dialogue Session, exploring how to challenge gendered disinformation, protect women’s participation and build a more inclusive democratic space ahead of the 2027 elections. Join us as we move from silence to safeguards. #DigitalDemocracy #DigitalIntegrity #InclusiveParticipation #Nigeria2027

Join us tomorrow in Lagos for our Strategic Dialogue Session as we bring together female political aspirants, youth representatives and traditional councils to advance digital integrity and inclusive participation ahead of the 2027 elections.

Women’s participation in democracy should never come at the cost of their safety, dignity, or reputation. As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 elections, gendered disinformation, online abuse, and political intimidation continue to threaten women’s voices and participation in public life. Tomorrow, Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI) and FactCheckAfrica, with support from CIVICUS under the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI), will convene traditional and religious leaders, female political aspirants, youth representatives, and other key stakeholders for a strategic dialogue on protecting women’s voices and strengthening digital integrity. Venue: Lagos, Nigeria Date: October 29, 2026 Theme: From Silence to Safeguard: Faith, Tradition and Women’s Place in Nigeria’s Democracy. Together, we can work towards a democracy where women can participate freely, safely, and meaningfully. #FromSilenceToSafeguard #FaithAndDemocracy #WomenInPolitics #DigitalIntegrity #Nigeria2027

Who says Tuesdays have to be all about meetings, deadlines and deliverables? 💪🏽 At BBYDI, we’re making time to move, sweat, laugh and connect as a team! Every Tuesday, our staff come together for a wellness session that gives everyone a chance to step away from their desks, stay active and recharge. We believe that caring for the people doing the work is just as important as the work itself. These sessions are one of the ways we're building a healthier, happier and more supportive workplace. A big thank you to the Southern African Trust for supporting this initiative and helping us prioritise staff well-being. Here are a few moments from our Tuesday wellness sessions! 💚 #StaffWellbeing #WorkplaceWellness #TeamBBYDI

A young person can hold a political title, attend policy meetings and still have no authority over what gets decided. At the West Africa Youth Democracy Conference in Dakar, a youth parliamentarian described living with that contradiction. His experience frames a new article by our Communications Director, @sannialausaissa. “A Movement Is More Than a Moment” examines what must happen after young people gain access to political spaces. Drawing from the conference, the Not Too Young To Run campaign and a lab on technology and civic participation, the article explores how young people can turn their numbers, relationships and public reach into political influence. For BBYDI, this question connects directly to our work in civic education, youth engagement and digital inclusion. Informing young people is only part of the task. They also need practical routes to shape policies, budgets and public decisions. We appreciate the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund for supporting Sanni’s participation and giving BBYDI the opportunity to contribute to this regional conversation. Read the full article on Medium: medium.com/@brainbuildersint… #YouthParticipation #PoliticalEducation #Democracy #NYFF #BBYDI

Today, we celebrate our Global Director, Abideen Olasupo. This is an opportunity to celebrate not just another year of your life, but also the leadership, commitment and vision you bring to Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative. Thank you for leading the team, pushing us to do better and staying committed to the work we do and the impact we hope to make. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow under your leadership. As you begin another year, we wish you good health, greater accomplishments, renewed strength and many more reasons to celebrate. Happy birthday, Sir! 🥳 With warm wishes from all of us at BBYDI. ❤️

More than 1,000 women applied for just 20 places in BBYDI’s Space for Her fellowship in 2022. That response showed how many women wanted an opportunity to prepare for political leadership. The fellows have since taken on roles across politics, public service and student leadership. Rukayat Shittu won a seat in the Kwara State House of Assembly, becoming its youngest member. Other fellows pursued a federal legislative candidacy, joined Kwara’s electoral commission, became a student union vice-president at the University of Ilorin, secured a YALI grant and participated in Yiaga Africa’s organising institute. Now, with support from the Colmena Fund, we’re bringing Space for Her 2.0 to Osun. The three-month intensive fellowship will support women political leaders and aspirants with training in civic leadership, digital safety and public communication, followed by year-round alumni mentorship. It is non-partisan and open to women across political parties, including those without a party affiliation. This support will also help us expand and retrain KEMI, our WhatsApp-based HerSafeSpace chatbot, to provide timely information and referrals for women facing violence before, during and after elections. Alongside this, we’ll strengthen our work to counter gendered disinformation used to discredit women in public life. Women need access to leadership opportunities and support to navigate the abuse that can come with stepping forward. We’ll share more soon, including eligibility requirements and how to apply. This work was made possible through the support of the Colmena Fund, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. #SpaceForHer #WomenInPolitics #BBYDI #Osun #ColmenaFund

We are calling on the Federal Government to work with states to prevent child marriage and remove the barriers keeping girls out of school. Our International Day of the Girl statement asks for stronger child protection, clear school re-entry guidance for pregnant girls and young mothers, and dedicated funding to help girls complete their education. Prevention must come first, alongside support for girls whose schooling has already been interrupted. These demands draw on our engagements in Kaduna through the Faith and Tradition for Girls’ Education Project, which we implement with support from the Malala Fund. Read our full statement on the action we are asking federal and state authorities to take. #InternationalDayOfTheGirl #EndChildMarriage #FaithAndTraditionForGirlsEducation #BBYDI

A girl’s education should not end because marriage has been arranged for her. This year’s International Day of the Girl calls on us to end child marriage and invest in girls’ rights. As part of our work in Kaduna, this message must reach the homes and community spaces where decisions about girls’ lives are made. Parents can choose to keep their daughters in school. Traditional and religious leaders can challenge child marriage through council meetings, mosques, churches and community gatherings. Government institutions must also provide the laws, policies and funding girls need to complete their education. Girls who are married, pregnant or raising children still have the right to learn. Through the Faith and Tradition for Girls’ Education Project, BBYDI is engaging traditional and religious leaders, advocating for stronger legal protection and a clear return-to-school circular, and developing a process to identify girls and connect them with suitable learning opportunities. Prevent child marriage. Keep girls in school. Support their return when education has been interrupted. The project is implemented by Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative with support from the Malala Fund. #InternationalDayOfTheGirl #EndChildMarriage #FaithAndTraditionForGirlsEducation #BBYDI

A big thank-you to Luminate and the Southern Africa Trust. Most grants fund programmes. Fewer fund the things that keep an organisation able to run them well, the equipment staff work on every day, the room they work in. Those costs are the hardest kind to raise money for. So we're grateful Luminate and the Trust chose to back ours. This one goes to the team behind the work. Thank you, Luminate and Southern Africa Trust. #BBYDI #Luminate #SouthernAfricaTrust

When a girl’s education is interrupted by marriage, pregnancy or motherhood, the support she receives at home can determine if she returns to school. Traditional and religious leaders can influence that response because families already seek their guidance on important community matters. Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative visited traditional leaders in Makarfi, Kubau and Soba as part of our early relationship-building for the Faith and Tradition for Girls’ Education Project. In Makarfi, we met Hakimi Adamu Abdullahi, Suliki Zazzau. He welcomed the project and spoke about how engaging community leaders could encourage more parents to educate their daughters. Our discussions focused on the influence traditional rulers have within families and communities. We explored how their monthly council meetings with district and ward heads can create space for conversations about keeping girls in school and supporting those who want to return after an interruption. These visits begin a longer process. BBYDI is building a Community of Practice on girl-child education that will bring traditional rulers and religious leaders together as advocates. We will test this model in Kaduna State, learn from its implementation and adapt it for other parts of Nigeria. The traditional rulers will also form part of the Kaduna Faith and Traditional Leaders Coalition for Girl-Child Education. Through the coalition, members will use their monthly council meetings to advocate for the re-enactment of the Child Rights Law and other measures that protect girls’ right to education. Coalition members will also co-create a Public Charter and Terms of Reference. These documents will set out their shared commitments, responsibilities and approach to advocating for girls’ education across Kaduna State. The goal is to turn trusted leadership into organised and sustained action for every girl who wants to begin, continue or return to education. The Faith and Tradition for Girls’ Education Project is implemented by Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative with support from the @MalalaFund #FaithAndTraditionForGirlsEducation #HerRightToReturn #GirlsEducation #KadunaState #BBYDI

More than 700 women applied for just 15 spots in our first Digital Safety Advocates Fellowship. That level of interest says a lot about the demand for practical digital-safety knowledge and support around technology-facilitated gender-based violence. And that was only one part of September at BBYDI. We also hosted our first Adolescent Girls Hangout in Kwara, deepened our girls’ education work in Kaduna, continued mentoring SheBuilds AI fellows, and took part in regional conversations on democracy and youth participation. Our September edition of The BBYDI Brief shares what happened, what we learned, and what comes next. Read the newsletter here: linkedin.com/pulse/700-women…