Human Rights Advancement, Development and Advocacy Centre (HURIDAC) on Friday in Lagos launched the Election and Youth Engagement (EYE) Project Evaluation Report and the EYE Project Report, saying that it had trained about 10,000 youths across four local government areas of the state on a comprehensive understanding of the Electoral Act and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines.
EYE Project was implemented by HURIDAC, a West African sub- regional human rights and environmental concern civil society organization, with the support of MacArthur Foundation through the Nigerian Women Trust Fund, with a focus on empowering Nigerian youth through education, equipping them with the knowledge and skills required to participate fully in the electoral process.
The project was borne out of realization of the disenchantment of the youths with the 2023 General Election as a result of their ignorance about the provisions of the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines on the conduct of elections.
The EYE Project Programme Manager, Ms Mfon Enoidem, disclosed this, while welcoming guests to the presentation of the two reports, highlighting that the goal of the project was to address voters apathy among young people and ensure that they remained engaged and play a vital role in shaping Nigeria’s democratic future.
According to her, the affected 10,000 youths were trained in the last one year, adding that through the focal point training and workshops, that the EYE Project had equipped youth leaders in tertiary institutions and other youths organizations with the right skills needed to advocate for electoral participation and transparency.
Besides, Enoidem disclosed that the project deployed the use of technology through an interactive app and a mini website that allowed participants to source electoral information and resources online.
She noted that the EYE Project was one which prioritized inclusivity by incorporating perspectives from disability advocacy organizations with the goal of ensuring that all voices were head loud and clear.
Enoidem further noted that the targeted social media campaigns, BRT advertisement campaigns and educational videos of the EYE Project, significantly raised awareness about the importance of active participation of the youths in the Electoral process.
She, however, identified some the challenges facing the project to include, among others, “the paucity of funds which limited the demographical spread of execution, technical issues as a result of data glitches as well as the stress of collecting feedbacks from participants who were reluctant to respond within the stipulated time frame for the data collected to be evaluated.”
Enoidem commended the Management and Staff of HURIDAC for a job well done on the EYE Project which she described as a huge success, but quickly recommended that for the programme to achieve its desired effect and sustainability in the long run, there was need to increase access to internet by partnering with telecom providers and government agencies to enhance such, particularly in the rural areas so that more youths can participate.
She also advocated for development of digital literacy programmes to equip the youths with the necessary skills to navigate and utilize digital platforms effectively for civic engagement, as well as integration of civic education into school curriculum.
Besides, she equally advocated for the establishment of recognition and awards programmes to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of outstanding youths in order to inspire others to actively participate in promoting democracy and accountability.
Enoidem, while further acknowledging that the EYE Project has impacted positively in empowering Nigerian youths through education and active engagement in the electoral process, said it was imperative on the funders “to extend the life of the project, so that more youths can be reached and democracy deepened among them.”
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