YOFCI Flag-Off Awareness Campaign Against Elections Violence In The Forthcoming 2023 Polls In Akwa Ibom State Under The NYFF Project #THENIGERIAWEWANT
Youth for change & Social life Development Foundation aka Youth for Change Initiative (YOFCI) is a registered youth-based organization with CAC registration number CAC/IT/No.73499 established to help minimized societal challenges through the transformation of young people’s mentality positively and has achieved levels of success over the years with commitment in improving the quality of young people’s lives in urban/rural areas through advocacy, awareness sensitization and capacity building on education/leadership development, peace/policy advocacy, gender/social inclusion and good governance. As part of the Organization’s commitments to promote the peaceful conduct of elections in Nigeria, YOFCI is implementing the Nigeria Youth Future Fund (NYFF) for LEAP Africa in Akwa Ibom State a project jointly sponsored by Mac Arthur Foundation and Ford Foundation-themed “Strategic Engagement & Advocacy for 2023 Peaceful Elections Project (SEA-P)”.
In every election in Nigeria, there is also heightened tension and early signs of presumed violence across the Federation, and the 2023 general elections are no exception. Findings from the recent pre-elections and political events in the Country as well as Akwa Ibom State have shown that violence would still ensue and characterize as well as hinder the free and fair conduct of the 2023 general elections. Thus, it is eminent and imperative to address this through advocacy, awareness campaign, critical stakeholder and citizens engagement. Also, this presumed violence can be minimized if we have a more organized and enlightened citizenry (community stakeholders/die-heart party supporters) within the state to sensitize and engage the process by collaborating/partnering with relevant stakeholders such as media houses, (Print, Radio and online influencers), traditional and religious leaders, Youth groups, and influential aspirants to sensitize the die-hard party supporters to maintain peace irrespective of the outcome of the elections since nobody’s life is worth the conflict.
Hence, Project SEA-P seeks to raise awareness of citizens on conflict sensitivity and election violence before, during and after the 2023 general elections through advocacy visits to relevant stakeholders’, town-hall meetings/ sensitization, capacity building, and use of media, to sensitize the public on how to maintain peace to help reduce conflict and violence all through the 2023 general election process. The project will also vest citizens with information on how to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner all through the election period to avoid conflict or violence, we believed that the outcome of the project will lead to an increase in citizenry awareness of peacebuilding and conflict sensitivity and avoidance to project positive outcomes that will lead to developmental stride.
In Akwa Ibom State, the project would take place across 6 Local Government Areas in the three Senatorial Districts, where we would engage with the Political party’s stakeholders, Aspirants, Religious/traditional leaders, Youth leaders/groups, Media houses / social media influencers, Women leaders/groups and the People with disability cluster. The Local Government Areas are Ibiono and Itu in Uyo Senatorial District, Essien Udim and Ini in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District and Eket and Onna in Eket Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom State.
We look forward to a robust engagement as we are set to partner with other CSOs, Media and Youth groups to drive this change for #TheNigeriaWeWant.
