A youth-led creative initiative, “The Gathering 100,” has attracted about 1,000 participants in Lagos, offering a new model for community engagement and collaboration among young Nigerians.
The first edition of the programme was being held in collaboration with telecommunications company, MTN.
Kupoluyi said that the programme which commenced on April 22 to end April 26, was a 100-hour programme of fashion, games, cinema, innovation, pitches, five-a-side football and more.
He said: “The Gathering 100 was put together by some youths and creatives and is designed as a safe and inclusive space for youths to connect, interact and express themselves through shared experiences.
“The platform is conceived in response to limited opportunities for meaningful physical interaction among young people, in spite of increasing digital connectivity.
“We wanted to create a space where young people can meet, collaborate and build relationships beyond social media. This is about fostering a sense of community.”
Kupoluyi explained that the multi-day event, which commenced on Wednesday, featured diverse activities including gaming tournaments, film screenings, five-a-side football, arcade and card games, as well as creative hubs such as podcast stations and a music studio.
He said the design of the event encouraged interaction among participants, enabling strangers to connect, collaborate on creative projects and build lasting relationships.
“At the music studio, for instance, people are already creating songs together with others they just met. That is the kind of collaboration we want to see,” he said.
Kupoluyi said vendors were also provided with platforms to showcase their products and services, while participants could access a range of experiences, many of which are free, subject to registration.
He stressed that the initiative was intentionally structured to reduce financial barriers to participation, especially in view of prevailing economic realities.
“The idea is to make this accessible. We want young people to come in, experience, interact and build without worrying about cost,” he said.
He described “The Gathering 100” as a physical extension of a growing youth community, with plans underway to expand the concept across the country and deepen its digital presence through social media platforms under “Gathering NG.”
Kupoluyi disclosed that the organisers were also exploring creative outputs, including music collaborations, to amplify the voices of participants.
He called for stronger collaborations between government, private sector players and youth groups, stressing the need to better understand the aspirations and evolving mindset of Nigeria’s younger generation.
“Young Nigerians are increasingly independent in their thinking, but we need to rebuild a sense of community so we can grow collectively, not just individually,” he said.
The co-creator noted that the initiative aimed to shift the narrative around youth engagement by promoting unity, collaboration and shared growth.
He added that support from organisations such as MTN reflected growing private sector interest in youth-driven creative ecosystems and their potential contribution to national development.
The highlight of the event will be a total prize pool of N45 million, alongside non-cash benefits from MTN for top performers of the pitch.
The overall winner will receive N15 million and access to MTN enterprise partnership and co-development opportunities.
While the second and third place winners will receive N10 million and N5 million respectively, with additional ecosystem onboarding, mentorship and alumni benefits.
In addition, five sector champions selected from the top 30 finalists will each receive N3 million for outstanding innovations across the listed sectors.
According to the guidelines, there will be eight distinct winners, with no founder eligible to receive more than one cash prize.
The organisers of the innovation programme outlined six eligible sectors for participation, namely Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Financial Technology, Health Technology, Education Technology, Creative Technology and Agricultural Technology.
They noted that Internet of Things, Defence and Security were excluded from this cycle due to no submissions.
