Lightning Talk: Stories That Surprised Me

Lightning Talkat the Solutions Journalism Africa Summit in Abuja

Reflections from the SoJo Africa Summit 2025

By Simbiat Amzat

The SoJo Africa Summit 2025, which happened in Abuja on November 14 and 15, brought together storytellers, journalists, innovators, and changemakers from across the continent to explore how solutions journalism can reshape narratives about Africa. The summit spanned two days and provided a rich blend of conversations and learning opportunities. On Day One, a session in particular stood out for me: the Lightning Talk titled “Solutions That Surprised You.” I found it very refreshing and deeply insightful as journalists reflected on unexpected ways change emerges within African communities.

The session featured journalists whose stories challenged their assumptions and expanded their understanding of where solutions can come from. As they spoke, a clear theme emerged from their experiences: powerful solutions often arise from institutions or large-scale interventions, but also from the everyday wisdom, traditions, and resilience within our communities.

One of the speakers, freelance solutions journalist Ogar Monday, set the tone with his report, “Forest conservation has an unlikely ally: Faith”. He explored how the cultural reverence for the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove has protected the forest for over 400 years. Communities living around forests often depend on them for survival and do so without necessarily understanding conservation policies. As a result, clashes with government regulations are common. Yet in Osogbo, the grove has survived because the people consider it the home of Osun, the Yoruba goddess of fertility, love, and freshwater. The government cannot implement policies that disrupt it, which makes cultural beliefs a stronger form of protection than legislation. Ogar’s story reminded us to consider how long-term sustainability is often tied to heritage.

Where Ogar found solutions in tradition, Aisha Gambo of the News Agency of Nigeria found hers in community collaboration. Her report, “A Network of Traditional Leaders Is Helping Kaduna Communities Find Missing Children,” revealed a grassroots system in Kaduna where traditional leaders, community members, and the police work together to recover missing children. A simple WhatsApp group, used to share photos and information, played a central role in reuniting families. Aisha admitted she had not expected traditional rulers to be so involved, nor had she anticipated that trauma could form the heart of a solutions story. Her experience highlighted not only the strength of community-driven systems but also the sensitivity needed when reporting on vulnerable individuals.

The conversation then shifted from protection to transformation through the work of Abiodun Jamiu, a journalist with DW. His story, “The all-female garage shifting attitudes in northern Nigeria,” focused on a surprising development in Sokoto, where women are training as mechanics in a region where cultural norms strongly define gender roles. Fifty women have taken on a skill traditionally reserved for men, and the impact has extended beyond the garage. Older women returned to school, families reevaluated expectations, and community narratives began to shift. Abiodun’s report showed how courageous individuals can spark broader social change.

Finally, Emiene Erameh, Managing Editor of All Women Media, highlighted a largely invisible workforce in her story, “Waste to Wealth: The Women at the Heart of Bottle Recycling in the FCT.” She uncovered the realities of women who collect plastic waste across Abuja. Many were hesitant to speak because they are often underpaid, exploited, or mistrustful of outsiders. Through persistence, Emiene earned their trust and traced their labour through the recycling value chain to companies like Chanja Datti. Her work showed how solutions are sometimes hiding in plain sight, waiting for journalists to listen deeply and follow the trail.

Across all four stories, one message was clear: African communities innovate constantly, creatively, and often without recognition. Preserving a forest, a WhatsApp group helping families find missing children, women mechanics challenging gender norms, and plastic collectors keeping a city clean all demonstrate that powerful solutions often come from within the community itself.

Key Takeaways:

• ​Solutions often emerge from the local, not the formal. Communities, traditions, and grassroots networks can provide solutions that last longer than policies.

• Long-term impact is more important than quick fixes. Sustainable solutions, such as protecting the Osun Osogbo grove, require time and cultural grounding.

• Trust and patience matter in reporting. Ethical storytelling requires sensitivity, especially when working with vulnerable individuals.

• Breaking assumptions leads to discovery. Each journalist uncovered solutions in unexpected places.

• Visibility amplifies impact. Telling the stories of quiet innovators can shift narratives and inspire change across communities.

For us at Shades of Us, this session reaffirmed the importance of our storytelling approach. It reminded us to listen closely to communities, honor traditions, centre local voices, and recognise both the power and the limits of each solution. These journalists showed that our work is advocacy through narrative. It is a celebration of resilience. It is a recognition of cultural wisdom. It is an amplification of everyday people who are shaping a better Africa. Most importantly, it calls us to keep seeking the solutions hidden in corners across the continent. These solutions surprise us, endure over time, and deserve to be seen.