Growing Community in Nigeria Through Idealist Days

For the volunteers behind the Nigeria Idealist Days group, bringing people together is an important part of creating impact. 

Aliyu first heard about Idealist Days after searching idealist.org for a volunteer opportunity. After receiving an email from Idealist’s founder Ami Dar inviting folks from around the world to join, he thought about creating a Lagos, Nigeria chapter.

That spark led to Julie, who had been searching for something meaningful on her own. Idealist’s volunteer coordination team linked Aliyu and Julie so they could launch a local chapter in Lagos on their own. Their first virtual session brought in more people—including Helen and Katherine!—and soon the group saw an opportunity to take Idealist Days offline.

“We just needed that catalyst,” Julie says. “Idealist helped us connect with each other in Nigeria.”

The Nigeria Idealist Days group eventually grew to include 12 volunteers, with members taking on different responsibilities and helping expand the community beyond Lagos. They’ve now expanded to 28 of Nigeria’s 37 states.

Keeping the community engaged between Idealist Days

Aliyu, Julie, Helen, and Katherine soon realized that meeting just once a month wasn’t enough to maintain the momentum they were building.

“We spoke extensively about Idealist activities,” Aliyu says. “It was amazing. Every one of us was anticipating doing more.”

The team introduced a weekly rhythm to keep people connected between larger Idealist Days activities. Their WhatsApp community became a hub for daily engagement where folks shared motivational posts and job opportunities. Saturday “Scale-Up” sessions allowed members to choose how they wanted to take action, utilizing WhatsApp’s poll feature.

After an Idealist Day 6/6 event, for example, the team noticed that many students and early-career professionals had questions about finding a career path and navigating the job search. That led to “From Invisible to Interview Ready,” a weekly series covering everything from career choices and interview prep to CV writing and using LinkedIn.

For Helen, those sessions have created plenty of “aha moments.”

“These sessions are filling knowledge gaps that many students and early-career members didn't even know they had,” she says.

One community member who found a job opportunity through the group’s WhatsApp channel was invited to interview, and even asked Aliyu to serve as a reference.

“For us as Idealist Lagos, if we are able to get one person from no job to a job, that's a huge plus for us,” Helen says.

Hands-on service

The Nigeria Idealist Days group alternates between virtual learning and in-person service projects, giving volunteers different ways to participate while making the most of their time and resources.

One of their most significant in-person projects was a sanitary pad drive for young people who lack access to menstrual hygiene products and education. The project didn’t have a formal grant or outside budget, so the group’s members contributed their own money, skills, and time to make it happen.

“I was thinking, ‘How are we even going to do this? We don't have funding,’” Helen recalls. “But Mr. Aliyu kept saying, ‘Don't worry, let's just go.’ There was this drive. There was this passion.”

Each month on Idealist Days, volunteers have continued to show up despite busy schedules and personal challenges. Julie remembers one outreach at a local school, where volunteers spoke with students and eventually began singing together.

“You see the smiles on people's faces,” she says. “People contributing from their own pockets when it wasn't really easy financially—that passion really amazed me.”

“Lagos is a very busy place that you won't have time to socialize,” Julie adds. “Idealist has actually helped us to connect with ourselves in Nigeria.”

Helen feels similarly: “Being in a community where you see people wanting to do good, people wanting to do stuff for free—it’s not easy to come by.”

The Nigeria Idealist Days group is now discussing plans for a Nigeria Chapter Summit in Lagos or Abuja, bringing together state executive team members from across the country.

“If you can imagine it, you can act it, and bring a level of change for your little corner,” Aliyu says. 

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If you’re wondering how to launch an Idealist Days group in your local community, here are a few steps to get started:

• Sign up to get involved in Idealist Days, and stay in touch by registering for the free Idealists in Action newsletter, sent monthly.
• Start small by gathering friends, co-workers, or family members to talk about how you can make a positive impact in your local community once a month on Idealist Days.
• As you grow, post your event on Idealist’s Global Calendar via Luma to invite others in your area to join you for projects.