#TheNigeriaWeWant

Promoting active citizenship and civic
 engagement through technology.

Project Goal

The primary goal of our project is to empower and equip young people, with a particular focus onwomen aged 18-35, with tech, leadership, and governance skills to foster active citizenship, bridge the digitalgender gap, and engage a new generation of leaders who will actively participate in governance processes tocreate a more inclusive and responsive society.

Project background

Nigeria has a “youth bulge” with 70% under 30 and a median age of 18.1, requiring targeted empowerment and engagement for this demography.

Nigerian women comprise half the population; however, only 6.7% hold political offices despite 65% voting. Access to and use of technology in Nigeria are also characterized by significant inequalities, with women facing the greatest barriers. Approximately 60% of Nigerian women encounter difficulties accessing technology due to cultural and socioeconomic constraints.

The digital gender gap inhibits women’s and girls’ engagement in the digital economy, limiting their knowledge and prospects.

Additionally, there is a concerning lack of active citizenship, particularly among youth, who often need to engage in governance actively or hold leaders accountable. Inactive citizenship, exacerbated by present political dynamics, hinders good governance and highlights the necessity for citizen engagement. With the recent clampdown on protests and street activism, young people need innovative ways to engage and solve public issues they care about and building a democratic and developed society requires harnessing and preserving youth sociopolitical awareness.

This project aims to foster this by giving them the necessary tools to be change agents and create their desired Nigeria.

Project Objective

  1. Providing comprehensive tech training to 50 participants.
  2. Enhancing leadership, evidence-based advocacy and governance skills among participants.
  3. Promoting active citizenship and civic engagement through technology.
  4. Bridging the digital gender gap by empowering women in technology.
  5. Creating a supportive network for ongoing collaboration and impact.

Project Activities

The “TechForGovernance” project is structured into key activities spanning ten months:

Training: The first phase is an intense training program. This Governance and digital skills training will cover data analytics, software development, digital literacy, coding, leadership, digital advocacy, data for policyengagement, and team building. This essential training will prepare them for tech-driven governance and engaged citizenship.

Virtual Mentorship: Participants will participate in a 6-week virtual mentorship program. They will work with seasoned mentors, including the project’s inaugural cohort. Mentorship will help participants apply their skills to real-world problems and provide guidance, support, and insights.

Civic Tech Tool Development: Participants will collaborate to design a civic tech tool. This tool will help them solve community governance or civic concerns using their learnings. The development process will promote innovation, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Pitch Event: The project will culminate in a pitch event where participants present their civic tech tools to a panel of judges. This event will allow participants to display their innovations and demonstrate howtechnology can improve civic involvement and governance.