Nigeria’s attention economy appears to have overshadowed the intellectual prowess of Gen Z, downplaying a capable generation to stereotypes of arrogance, unseriousness, and rebellion. We have forgotten that these young Nigerians are navigating a society where institutions are weak, money is worshipped, and genuine excellence is rarely rewarded, leaving many confused about whether to trust what elders say or what they actually do. Their resistance is not mindless defiance but a response to systems that fail to honour merit, protect the vulnerable, in the least, celebrate those who try to build.
Instead of blaming young people, society must confront the contradictions they witness daily: neglected schools and public services, underfunded innovation ecosystems, and a culture that often celebrates sudden wealth over patient effort. In such an environment, rebellion becomes a language of frustration, especially when the graves of heroes are forgotten, and parents who sacrificed everything for education receive little dignity in return. Until these structural issues are addressed, labelling Gen Z as “problematic” will remain a convenient excuse for adults who have refused to fix the systems they created.
This is why platforms like AFRETEC Network, the University of Lagos, and the Zenith Bank Zecathon are so important. These organisations create pockets of hope where talents are discovered, funded, and mentored.
At the recently concluded 2025 Zecathon, masterminded by Zenith Bank, three innovators from the University of Lagos secured 30 million naira for a startup that not only won prize money but also earned a place in a broader ecosystem of incubation and support. As a member of the AFRETEC Doctoral Academy cohort, witnessing the AFRETEC Open Day made it clear that when young people are given structure, coaching, and visibility, their so-called “rebellion” transforms into creativity and problem-solving.
Sitting next to the Programme Secretary of Tech Skills Marketplace at Unilag, an innovator and founder of Equilibrium Perspectives and its Paradox, revealed another side of this story. Young Nigerians are not waiting for perfect conditions; they are building despite the challenges. Drawing on his work on the “Equilibrium Perspectives Paradox Framework for Sustainable Development Goals”, he described how uncertainty can be turned into opportunity when students are supported with communities, labs, and access to real industry problems. The leadership at the Tech Skills Marketplace Programme sees the youth as partners in progress, which has transformed isolated projects into sustainable pipelines of innovation.
The success of TrustLoop at this year’s Zecathon 2025 illustrates this shift in mindset: the startup clinched first place for a solution that delivers seamless digital KYC (Know your Customer) and liveness verification, tackling one of the most significant barriers to secure digital finance in Africa.
The founders are not foreign experts; they are young Nigerian undergraduates from the University of Lagos, proving that global-standard infrastructure can emerge from local campuses.
At the same time, Cubbes Technologies Limited is reimagining academic support with an AI-powered EdTech platform that provides digitised notes, AI study assistants, and mentorship, serving tens of thousands of students and improving both learning and career readiness.
These teams, along with the AFRETEC and Tech Skills Marketplace networks that support them, demonstrate that when young minds are shielded from environmental threats and given access to funding and guidance, they do not become lost; they become leaders.
Nigeria’s emergence as a tech hub is not an abstract dream, but a reality being built, line by line of code and pitch by pitch, by people like Mr Adeshola Kukoyi and the University of Lagos AFRETEC Network, who insist that the youth deserve more than applause; they deserve opportunities
For anyone who calls themselves a leader, lecturer, parent, policymaker, or executive, the task is straightforward: mentor a young person, open a door, fund an idea, and protect the knowledge ecosystem.
Halima Abdulazeez is a poet and a writer of the poetry collection “Soul:ants” A Journey from Within. She is the treasurer of PEN International’s Nigerian Centre and the Committee Chair for the Young Writers Committee of PEN Nigeria, residing in Lagos.
Contact: +234-8034816865 (mailto:umuhfaisal@gmail.com)
