Six years ago, Her Story Nigeria was founded on the simple but radical idea that African women and girls deserved to be seen, heard, and represented beyond stereotypes. What began as a small circle of young people passionate about storytelling and women’s rights has since grown into one of Nigeria’s most visible youth-led gender justice movements.
Founded and led by Oreoluwa Ojo, Her Story Nigeria has, over the past six years, evolved into a pan-African community of over 2,000 young people across six African countries, working at the intersection of storytelling, advocacy, education, and community action to advance gender equality. As the organisation marks its sixth anniversary in 2025, it reflects not only on growth, but on the women, ideas, and collective labour that have shaped its journey, and on what lies ahead.
Six Years of Impact, by the Numbers
In six years, Her Story Nigeria has translated vision into measurable change:
- 30,000+ people reached through community dialogues, workshops, campaigns, and digital storytelling
- 2,000+ youth volunteers and members across six African countries
- 110+ stories published on the Her Story Blog
- Impact across 15 Nigerian states and 6 African countries
- Millions of naira raised for menstrual hygiene initiatives
- 600+ girls supported through the Pad100Girls Project
- 3,000+ participants engaged in leadership forums and community dialogues
Behind these numbers are classrooms where girls stayed in school, communities where difficult conversations were finally held, and young people who discovered the power of collective action.
From Storytelling to Systems Change
While storytelling remains central to Her Story Nigeria’s identity, the organisation’s work has expanded steadily from online advocacy to on-the-ground interventions. Community dialogues held across Nigeria have created safe, inclusive spaces for conversations on gender-based violence, leadership, and youth participation, engaging young women and men alike in re-imagining social norms.
In response to the growing intersections between gender and climate vulnerability, Her Story Nigeria expanded its programming in 2023 and 2024 to include climate education. In-school workshops introduced students to sustainability and environmental justice, while a Climate Adaptation Workshop in Ogun State equipped 50 rural women farmers with water storage drums, improving access to clean water and strengthening climate resilience.
The Pad100Girls Project, one of the organisation’s longest-running initiatives, continues to restore dignity to schoolgirls through menstrual hygiene education and pad distribution. Since 2019, the project has reached over 600 girls, many of whom report improved confidence and school attendance.
The Team Powering the Change
Her Story Nigeria’s achievements are powered by a passionate team of young African volunteers who contribute their time, creativity, and expertise to the mission.
At the heart of the organisation is its Founder and Executive Director, Oreoluwa Ojo, whose leadership has guided the organisation through six years of expansion, reflection, and impact. In 2025, Oreoluwa commenced a fully funded Master of Philosophy in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge, further strengthening the organisation’s intellectual and policy grounding.
Ibukun Busari, Partnerships Director, has led several large-scale initiatives, including the 2025 Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Walk in Lagos, which reached over 1,000 residents with awareness campaigns on rights and safety. She also coordinates youth engagement programmes that connect advocacy with lived community experiences.
Afolake Odubote, serves as a Product Designer and Owner, leads the team with her outcome focused product design strategy. Under her creative direction, Her Story’s digital reach has grown significantly, from its founding 22 members to over 30,000 people across six African countries. She pioneered a design-led storytelling framework that strengthened audience engagement and produced over 1100 data-driven stories highlighting African women’s experiences. Her product design expertise has amplified her digital communication leadership, which has also supported campaigns with measurable community impact, including the 2025 GBV Walk, the Pad100Girls Project. Afolake’s design communication frameworks have been integral to Her Story’s recognition by Vital Voices, Estée Lauder Emerging Leaders Fund, and Apolitical Foundation, demonstrating how strategic design can drive quantifiable social change at continental scale.
Together with a committed leadership team and over 60 active volunteers, Her Story Nigeria continues to bridge research, advocacy, and lived community experience in its work.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As it enters its seventh year, Her Story Nigeria is turning its focus to deepening impact through targeted, community-led initiatives in 2026. Central to this vision is the Cambridge Community Dialogue, which will convene young people, researchers, and practitioners to examine gender-based violence through a global–local lens in the United Kingdom.
The organisation also plans to launch Nigeria’s first youth-led Gender-Based Violence Register, a documentation and advocacy tool designed to track reported cases, highlight patterns of abuse, and strengthen evidence-based advocacy and referral pathways across communities.
Alongside these flagship initiatives, the organisation will continue its work on menstrual health education, youth leadership development, and community dialogues, while building strategic partnerships that allow programmes to remain sustainable, locally grounded, and responsive to emerging needs.
Six years on, Her Story Nigeria stands as proof of what young Africans can build when vision meets consistency.