What We Do

POLICY ADVOCACY

Akwa Ibom Youth Development Fund Bill

Nigeria is currently confronted with a massive unemployment crisis. Youth unemployment has serious implications for the stability of democracy in Nigeria in variety of ways. The high unemployment rate of youths threatens economic growth because of the resulting effect of unemployment such as perpetration of violence and general insecurity threatens economic growth and development. In the Niger delta youth unemployment is even more severe. In 2013, Bayelsa state had the highest unemployment rate of 38 percent of its employable population, while Akwa Ibom state had an unemployment rate of 36 percent, and Rivers state, 32 percent.

Akwa Ibom Youth Development Fund Bill Is a bill for a law to implement a sustainable youth policy framework through the establishment of Akwa Ibom Youth Development Fund. Advocacy for the bill was led by Youth Alive Foundation with a coalition of over 53 civil society organization in the state. As a common trust the project sought to engender the Youth Development Fund set out by clear rules and procedures which would allocate a part of oil derivation fund and attract grants and subventions from National and donor agencies for the purpose of youth and socioeconomic development in the state.  The project set off with a social mobilization course tagged #10%4youths aimed at building a public support for the bill and secure commitment from relevant stakeholders.

Project Location: Akwa Ibom State

Project Funder: USAID – Strengthening Advocacy and Civic Engagement (SACE)

Activity Highlights 

    • 1st Reading
    • 2nd Reading
    • Public Hearing

The Public Hearing on a bill for a law to implement a sustainable youth policy framework through the establishment of the Akwa Ibom State Development Fund.

Passage of the AKYDF Bill

Anti-sexual Harassment Bill

To ensure that there are systems that protect students from sexual harassment in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, YAF took up the advocacy for Anti-Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Education Bill, better known as “Bill for an Act to Prevent, Prohibit and Redress Sexual Harassment of Students in Tertiary Educational Institutions, 2019 sponsored by Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege. More pleasantly, the Bill is sponsored by 106 of the 107 Senators. YAF held a Policy Dialogue with legislators, government agencies, CSOs and other stakeholders to discuss the Bill, its provisions and the need to holistically address violence against students and other violation of women rights in Nigeria.

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

Youth Participation Against Corruption (YPAC)

Nigeria’s population is said to have reached about 167 million people in 2012 (National Bureau of Statistics). The National Population Commission (NPoC, 2013) states that about half of the population is made up of youth, defined as individuals between 15 to 35 years of age. In addition to representing a significant part of the population, young people tend to be more exposed to bribery and therefore particularly vulnerable to corruption, as they are involved in almost every aspect of society – as students, pupils, workers, customers and citizens, (Transparency International 2009).

Against this backdrop, we believe the youth can play a pivotal role in the fight against corruption. In partnership with a consortium of other Civil society organizations we initiated the YPAC project. The project promotes integrity and resistance to corruption among youths/citizens and increase organized citizen’s actions against corrupt practices. YPAC also works with state partners (ICPC, NOA & NYSC) to improve governance systems and processes to enhance the fight against corruption. The project which is funded through DFID Anti-Corruption in Nigeria (ACORN) programme, seeks to achieve a reduction in corruption as a result of, both stronger incentives not to loot public funds and changing public attitudes that will increasingly disapprove of corrupt activities.

Mobilizing youths’/youth groups nationally through capacity building, social marketing/behavior change communication and civic engagement are approaches adopted to build a movement of active youth advocates supporting the fight against corruption.

Project Location: Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and FCT

Project Funder: UKAid

Activity Highlights 

 

  1. KAPB Survey A Knowledge, Attitudes and Practiced Behaviour (KAPB) Survey on youths and corruption in Nigeria was conducted to address corruption that will involve the active participation of youths and youth groups. In that regard, the survey was serves as a baseline study against which future surveys can be compared. Its objectives were to:
    • Assess knowledge, attitude, perceptions, and practiced behaviour of youths as it relates to corruption in Nigeria.
    • Identify the factors that inhibits their active participation in the anti-corruption fight besides curating information.
    • Ascertain their level of knowledge about corruption and its attendant consequences on the economy, growth, society and on them as individuals.
    • Probe youth’s actual experience of corruption at the household and society levels.
    • Assess the impact and influence of social norms on all of the above.The study covered Abuja, Kano, Lagos and Rivers States and involved interviews of a sample size of 3,000 youths including youths with disabilities age 18 – 35 years.
  2. Noshishi4bribe Campaign is a mindset reorienting campaign aimed at bring about behavior change among the youth and encouraging them to resist/report bribery as well as other corrupt activities around them. This was in respond to evidence that youths pay nearly 40% of bribes in Nigeria (National Bureau of Statistics’ survey on corruption in Nigeria 2017). Different innovative methods and tools have been adopted under the campaign to engage young people. these include Zero Naira Initiative, Celebrity Engagement, Skits, Music etc.
    • Zero Naira is an initiative that promotes and encourages citizens to resist bribery by circulating a tool that looks like a currency. The dummy currency also serves as an Information Education and Communication (IEC) material, and has bribery reporting hotlines. A symbolism to instill confidence in citizens to say #NoShishi4Bribe. Over 14,000 Zero naira notes have been circulated across the project states and pictures of zero naira note.
    • United Voice Against Corruption: YAF collaborated with musical influencers (Tuface, Simi, Pasuma, Mr P, Sunny Nneji, Timi Dakolo, Waje, ill bliss, Falz, Classiq, Slim Case.) to produce an anticorruption campaign song. This is a call to action song that encourages citizens to shun bribe taking and giving and also amplify voice for young people in resisting corruption.
    • Pictures, Link Anticorruption Video Skits (No Sidon Look) Link Charly Boy’s Video on Corruption Link.
  3. Students Integrity Club: YAF collaborated with ICPC in launching/rejuvenating Integrity clubs in 126 schools in 5 states. The integrity clubs provide adolescents and young people the strategic platform to develop themselves in taking part in the anti-corruption crusade in the country. 
  4. Strengthening Integrity in Tertiary Institution (SITI): Is an intervention under the Youth Participation Against Corruption (Y-PAC) created to support student advocacy for Integrity in Higher Education. The SITI movement which rides on the interest of student union bodies and endorsement by localized tertiary Institutions seeks to address Issues of Extortion, Sexual Harassment, Nepotism or any other form of corruption in Higher Education Institutions. SITI has been established in over 7 schools across 3 states (Rivers, Kano and Lagos).
  5. Integrity Awards: Is an event aimed at celebrating citizens who have shown exemplary acts of integrity and chose to do the right thing against all odds. This was premised on the mantra of “Name and Fame” as against the popular narrative of “Naming and Shaming”. The Integrity Awards presents a promoting of a counter culture to corruption. The bigger picture beyond the focus on the award recipients is the vision that the exemplary acts of the awardees will inspire other citizens to join the Integrity train by replicating similar acts of integrity in their own spaces. 
  6. NYSC: Training of Anti-Corruption Club CDS Corp Members Sensitisation of Anti-Corruption Club CDS Corp Members

Strengthening Students Networks for Inclusive Development (STUNTS) Project

In the last decade there has been a massive decline of student activism in tertiary institutions in Nigeria. There is a disconnect between student unionism and good governance within and outside the various institutions. Students’ unionism has seen a significant decline, as a good number of students who are saddled with union leadership see such positions as avenues to enrich themselves, curry favour from government and highly placed politicians. Such an outcome poses a significant challenge for the future of Nigeria’s leadership class, given that historically, student unionism has been the pathway through which many of Nigeria’s social justice and political leaders have emerged. The STUNT project was hence initiated to address the decline of student activism in tertiary institutions in Nigeria by strengthening the leadership skills, knowledge and advocacy capacity of student organizations in tertiary institutions for non-violent activism. The project provides innovative and authentic avenues for dynamic, enthusiastic students’ groups to participate and influence change whilst improving the quality of sustainable life in Nigeria. Project Location: Lagos, Akwa Ibom and Kano Project Funder: Ford Foundation

Nigeria Election Violence Report (NEVR) Project

Free and fair elections allow people living in a representative democracy to determine the political make-up and future policy direction of their nation’s government. But often times this is impossible to achieve due to elections malpractice and violence largely perpetrated by the youths, this being the bases of our election intervention, we sort innovative approaches of engaging youths for behavior change. In collaboration with other CSOs and state actors, YAF engaged youths in communities across 9 states on outreaches and campaigns to shun election violence and resist election malpractice. The intervention also monitored the pre, during and post-election cycle for timely violence and misconduct management and control. Project Location: Bayelsa, Edo, Delta, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Kano, and FCT state

EMPLOYABILITY

Niger Delta Youth Empowerment Pathway

Youth Alive Foundation in partnership with Foundation for Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta (PIND) organized a soft skills training for selected youths in Akwa Ibom State. The opportunity for dynamic, enthusiastic youths changing the quality of sustainable life for all is particularly low in Nigeria. In line with the global needs of today’s youth of authentic avenues for participation and influence, the project served as a capacity upgrade in soft skills that will stimulate young people ready to harness their potentials. At the end of the project, it was anticipated that a crop of youths who could navigate their environment, work well with others and be able to adapt to the changing world would have been trained. The NDYEP project sought to acquaint participants with soft skills needed to navigate their environment, work well with others and be able to adapt to the changing world. Project Location: Akwa Ibom Project Funder: PIND

SOCIAL INNOVATION

Your Excellency Game

For democracy, rule of law and good governance to thrive in Nigeria, the majority of the populace, especially youths, need to be become active citizens who are engaging government for change. Unfortunately, many youths in Nigeria have very limited knowledge on governance and their rights as citizens to demand for good governance. Use the media that youths are familiar and comfortable with like a Game App to make governance interesting and ‘cool’ for youths saw too the development of “Your Excellency Game. The game aims at educating youths on government: the structures, processes and activities in running a government and highlights the role of citizens in improving governance and engaging in the governance process. Your Excellency Game is structured as a racing game with infusion of lessons in governance. A player progress through three stages namely, Active Citizenship, Chairmanship and ultimately Governorship through astute leap-over and dodging of obstacles while also picking coins for extra life. Each stage comprises of levels which in turn ends with lessons oriented governance questions/quizzes meant to highlight the role of active citizens in improving governance, engaging government, decision as office holders and in the long run driving social change. Project Funder: USAID ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHT Pre-Launch at Social Media Week  Launch of Your Excellency Game

GENDER AND SOCIAL INCLUSION

Defending and Empowering Female Youths (DEFY)

YAF has been working in collaboration with governments, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other stakeholders to address sexual abuse, violence and exploitation of girls and women in Nigeria. We have created a couple of support networks for survivors, one of which is Defending and Empowering Female Youths (DEFY)Network. DEFY is one amongst many platforms considered safe spaces for young girls and women in Nigeria to share their experiences on sexual violence, harassment and assault and get support. Building on successes recorded through the utilisation of DEFY Network and other platforms, the Sexual Harassment in Higher Education (SHE) Campaign was initiated. The SHE Campaign is a campaign that aims to proactively address the epidemic of sexual harassment impacting female students in Universities, Polytechnics and College of Educations in Nigeria. The campaign has been flagged off in several institutions across 5 states. As part of the SHE Campaign, a survey in 20 tertiary institutions across 6 states (Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Kano, Nassarawa and FCT) in Nigeria. The outcome reveals 57.3% prevalence of sexual harassment in the surveyed institutions. Findings from the survey backed by other robust evidence have been used by YAF to support advocacy campaigns.