The African Futures and Disruption Studies Lab conducts collaborative, solutions-driven research focused on understanding societal disruptions across Africa and translating evidence into practical insights for policy and practice.
Our research combines analytical rigor with participatory methods and real-world experimentation, allowing us to study change as it unfolds and to co-develop responses grounded in lived realities.
Digital platforms have become central to contemporary political engagement across Africa, particularly among young people in urban contexts. From social media–driven protest mobilization to new forms of civic participation and political expression, digital technologies are reshaping how political action is organized, communicated, and sustained.
This research project examines the role of digital platforms in shaping youth political mobilization across selected African cities. Rather than focusing on single-country case studies, the project adopts a comparative approach to identify recurring patterns, mechanisms, and outcomes across different political and social contexts.
The study aims to generate evidence that supports informed policy responses to digitally mediated political participation, with particular attention to governance, civic space, and democratic accountability.
The project is guided by the following core questions:
Across Africa, urban youth populations are growing rapidly, while access to digital technologies and social media platforms continues to expand. These developments intersect with long-standing political grievances, economic precarity, and demands for accountability.
While digital activism is often portrayed as either transformative or superficial, existing research frequently fails to account for the specific political, institutional, and social contexts in which digital mobilization occurs. Moreover, policy responses to digitally mediated political participation are often reactive and fragmented.
This project responds to these gaps by grounding analysis in real-world contexts and examining digital mobilization as part of broader political ecosystems rather than as an isolated phenomenon.
The project employs a mixed-methods, participatory research design combining qualitative and comparative analysis.
Key methodological components include:
This design allows for both depth and comparability while ensuring that research remains grounded in lived experience.
In line with the lab's commitment to participatory research, youth participants and civic actors are actively involved in shaping research questions, interpreting findings, and identifying policy-relevant implications.
This approach ensures that knowledge production is collaborative and that research outcomes reflect the perspectives of those most directly engaged in political mobilization.