We want to wish you Happy Decolonisation Day. Our use of the word “Decolonisation” today is deliberate. Every year, Nigeria celebrates October 1st as Independence Day to commemorate the commencement of self-rule from the British. The word independence however means freedom and self-sufficiency. Nigeria has celebrated Independence every October 1st since 1960, but can Nigeria and Nigerians truly say we have been free? For the majority of Nigerians, the decolonisation of Nigeria in 1960 only marked the transfer of oppressors from white...
Read PostRaising New Voices, a Civil Society Organization has released a report on the Call Your Reps campaign it mounted with its members to push for electoral reforms in the Electoral Amendment Bill. The campaign was an initiative to inspire collective action from the citizens to demand specific reforms in the Electoral Act, including Electronic Transmission of Results. For this purpose, Raising New Voices, with support from other Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) such as Yiaga, Center for Liberty, ElectoralHub, EiE, and OSIWA,...
Read PostHow To Register For Your Voters Card Online [caption id="attachment_15118" align="alignleft" width="300"] INEC official on duty[/caption] The Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducts periodically before the general elections commenced on Monday 28th of June, 2021. The exercise is aimed to capture young Nigerians who turned 18 years old since after the last election and also those who have reached the connotationally allowed age but have never registered. The exercise will last for one year but we...
Read PostDear Compatriot, The National Assembly will in the coming days be passing the Electoral Act 2021. We have come to a milestone in this campaign for reforms in our elections and while it is good to know that this process is coming to a final bus stop where it will become law, the provisions inserted in the proposed laws are not the people's provisions. One of the reforms that will end election rigging as we know it today is the electronic transmission of...
Read PostBorn at a time when women were least encouraged to get educated or even participate in politics and their rights often neglected, Hajia Gambo Sawaba (born Hajaratu Gambo Amarteifo) was an activist and politician who despite her low education and other cultural barriers at that time fought for women’s inclusion in politics as we know it today. To celebrate this year’s International women’s day, we at Raising New Voices Initiative celebrate this amazon. HER EARLY LIFE Hajaratu Gambo Sawaba was born on...
Read PostIt is a truism that funds are very critical to the proper and effective running of political parties. Without funds, it would be absolutely difficult for political parties to articulate their ideas and visions to the public and, without which the electorates cannot make informed choices during elections. Political parties are funded mainly through contributions from party members and individual supporters (e.g. membership fees, dues, subscriptions and donations). Funding of political parties can also come from organizations that share the parties’...
Read PostThe New Voices Citizen Fellowship is a citizen-participatory programme of the Raising New Voices Initiative geared towards encouraging and supporting citizens in the grassroots communities advocating for local community issues. The Fellowship will induct 20 fellows into a year-long program starting from March 2021 to November 2021 and aims to increase this figure in as many states as possible. Fellows will be required to identify a community challenge or issue that they are passionate about and will be working to solve...
Read PostRead our 2020 annual brief Raising New Voices Report for 2020 ...
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