Voter apathy has been a crucial concern in the electoral process in Nigeria. Since Nigeria’s 4th Republic started in 1999, there has been a sustained decline in voter turnout. During the 2019 general elections, 51% of the 84 million registered voters were youths. Despite this, the total votes cast during the 2019 presidential elections was 28.6 million. This is because the youths lack adequate political knowledge and trust in the electoral process.
In recent times, technological innovation in the civic space has been providing citizens with unprecedented access to information on how to become active citizens. These citizens, especially the youth bloc are equipped with the knowledge to actively engage elected government officials and policymakers to demand good governance.
Some of these innovations include bots like 'The Office Of The Citizen (OOTC)' WhatsApp Bot; a citizens' engagement tool, apps like Wardchat an electoral community portal that connects voters from the same polling unit, and smart websites like 9jaTalks that empower every citizen to have a voice in Nigeria’s democratic process.
This session will explore the intersection of innovation, technology and social change. Panelists will also share insights and best practices on creative approaches to governance and how best to leverage existing models to improve citizens' experience.
