UNDP, YIAGA aim to mobilise 65% eligible voters for 2023 election

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Yiaga Africa have initiated a project aimed at mobilising at least 60 percent of eligible young voters to register, collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) and vote in the 2023 elections using traditional and non-traditional tools of political mobilisation.

Both bodies made this vow on Friday in Abuja at an event to award N1 million grants to 13 young Nigerians to mobilize at least 5,000 young voters each to register in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, collect their PVCs and vote in the forthcoming 2023 elections.

UNDP Nigeria Resident Representative, Mohamed Yahya, said increasing voter participation and making the voting processes accessible to young Nigerians is essential to ensure the country’s future.

According to Yahya, the #Powerof18 Initiative has proven that youth in Nigeria are not only ready but that they have the ingenuity, talent and determination to make a significant impact in the 2023 election.

He disclosed that the winners of the #ThePowerOf18 Challenge will work closely with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Yiaga Africa’s civil society partners in their respective states to implement the projects from June to December 2022.

He explained: “The Challenge is part of the activities under the #SixtyPercentOfUs project aimed at mobilizing at least 60% of eligible young voters to register, collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) and vote in the 2023 elections using traditional and non-traditional tools of political mobilization.

“The project also focuses on the states with the lowest voter registration and PVC collection rates according to data from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as part of leveraging the large number of potential first-time voters who are young people to participate in the 2023 elections.

“The winners were chosen through #ThePowerOf18 Challenge which invited applications from young
people between the ages of 18-30 in 15 states: Adamawa, Benue, Enugu, FCT, Gombe, Imo, Kebbi,
Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Plateau, Sokoto & Yobe. A total of 2,503 applications were received in
one week of the Challenge with one winner selected per state.”

Speaking in the same vein, Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa explained that the initiative was another testament to the creativity and innovativeness of young Nigerians, and also the passion and willingness they have for political participation.

Itodo maintained that Yiaga is optimistic that the winners will be instrumental in motivating their peers to make use of their power as citizens in determining the next set of leaders for the country by voting massively in the 2023 election.