Soro Soke

For the first time in human history, people aged over 65 now outnumber children under five. Yet one region in the world is bucking this trend: the world’s top 20 youngest countries by population are all located in sub-Saharan Africa, and Africa’s population under 35 now equals almost a billion people. While there has been much research and reportage in the West around the lives of Western millennials and Gen Z, little has been written on the dreams and aspirations, the fears and hopes, the needs and desires of young Africans. The Yoruba expression Soro Soke, meaning ‘Speak Up’, has become a clarion call for young Nigerians seeking to make their voices heard, and the phrase is resonating across the African continent and around the world via social media. Trish Lorenz speaks to the bright new entrepreneurs, artists and activists of Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria, to understand what it means to be young in an otherwise ageing world. This book is also available Open Access.

Trish Lorenz has been a journalist for more than 15 years. She is a regular contributor to titles including The Guardian, the Financial Times and The Telegraph, among others. Formerly a design columnist at The Independent and the Lisbon correspondent for Monocle magazine, she covers subjects ranging from design, art and culture to travel, politics and human interest pieces from around the world. In 2021, Trish was announced as the winner of the Nine Dots Prize.