Q: my ipad wont activate - why and how do i fix this

What happens when you try to activate the iPad?

If there is an error message, what is the exact complete wording of that message?

You need to provide more details before someone can offer a solution.

You need to provide more info. We are users like yourself and have no clue what you've tried & have not tried. In essence, until you provide more info, we are guessing. For that reason, you may get solutions (some of them very obvious) that you've already tried.

The first thing that comes to mind is are you connected to the internet via a Wi-Fi network? If you don't have one accessible to you, you can connect to a public Wi-Fi hotspot, then try activating the iPad. I've activated an iPad at the local Starbucks parking lot when my personal internet was down.

iOS: Connecting to Wi-Fi - Apple Support