A West African sub regional human rights and environmental concern civil society organization Human Rights Advancement, Development and Advocacy Centre HURIDAC today Friday 26th of July in Lagos launched the EYE project evaluation report and the EYE project report.
The election and youth engagement project called the EYE project was implemented by HURIDAC 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 EYE project was borne out of realization of the disenchantment of the youths with the 2023 general elections as a result of their ignorance about the provisions of the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines on the conduct of elections.
Welcoming guests to the presentation of the two reports, the EYE project programme manager Ms Mfon Enoidem highlighted that the goal of the EYE project was to address voters apathy among young people and ensure that they remain engaged and play a vital role in shaping Nigeria’s democratic future.
Ms Mfon Enoidem informed the gathering that in the last one year, the EYE project has been able to train about 10,000 youths across four local government areas of Lagos State through a comprehensive understanding of the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines.
She also said that through the focal point training and workshops, that the EYE project has equipped youth leaders in tertiary institutions and other youths organizations with the right skills needed to advocate for electoral participation and transparency.
In addition, 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.
The EYE project according to the project manager was one which prioritized inclusivity by incorporating perspectives from disability advocacy organizations with the goal of ensuring that all voices are head loud and clear.
According to Ms Mfon Enoidem, 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.
However, the project was not executed without its own challenges which included 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 stipulated time frame for the data collected to be evaluated.
While commending HURIDAC management and staff for a job weldone on the EYE project which was a huge success, MS Mfon Enoidem 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 abd government agencies to enhance internet access 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. Integration of civic education into school curriculum was also advocated.
Mfon Enoidem as well recommended 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.
In the final analysis, Enoidem acknowledged that the EYE project has impacted positively in empowering Nigerian youths through education and active engagement in the electoral process and thus, 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.
