A civil society organisation, YIAGA Africa, says it has provided N2 million to support civic projects aimed at mobilising younger people to register and vote in the Nov. 6 governorship election in Anambra.
Its Communications Assistant, Miss Chinemerem Onuorah, made this known at a two-day Voter Mobilisation Lab and Training, on Wednesday in Awka.
Onuorah said the organisation launched the Anambra #POWERof18 Challenge in June.
She called for entries on civic projects and ideas to mobilise over seven thousand youths to participate in the electoral processes.
The communications assistant said that 10 best project ideas from different local government areas in Anambra were selected from a pool of over 100 applications.
According to her, the 10 finalists will get N200,000 grant each.
“This is to empower them for the task of mobilising 700 young people each, especially the first time voters to participate in the ongoing voter registration, and also vote during the election.
“According to research, an estimated 4.5 million to five million Nigerians turn 18 every year.
“This means that every four years or election year, about 18 to 20 million new voters are ready to hit the ballot.
“If we do not mobilise them, we will be disenfranchising over 18 to 20 million voters.
“So, the intention is to catch them young, get people between ages 18 and 25 to register in the Continuous Voter Registration and get them to vote wisely,” she said.
Also, Mr Ibrahim Faruq, the Programme Manager, YIAGA Africa, said the voter mobilisation lab was to build capacity of the 10 finalists to become peer educators and voter mobilisation champions in Anambra.
“WIth this grant, we hope to see an increased number of youths registering, getting their permanent voter cards and vote in the governorship election.
“I urge youths to take the electoral process seriously, because we have the power to change Nigeria positively,” Faruq said.
In her comments, Miss Obianuju Uyanne, 24, one of the 10 finalists from Ogbaru, said with the grant, she would move around and ” evangelise’’ for good governance and the need for youths participation in electoral processes.
Another finalist, Mr Nonso Okechukwu, 22, a student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, said he would give out data incentives to motivate and encourage students to participate in the electoral process.
Okechukwu said he would also work with the Students’ Union Government and Faculty Presidents to drive his mobilisation ideas in the campus. (NAN)
