Access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are crucial for good outcomes in health, nutrition, education, economic development and poverty reduction. The problems associated with inadequate WASH services affect virtually all aspects of human development, disproportionately affecting women and girls.

I grew up in the remote village of Umueziukwu in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi state, Nigeria. In 1995, as a primary one pupil, I witnessed instances where classmates stayed away from school for days. Upon recommencement and during roll calls, many of them would be lined up for “beating” for absenteeism without permissions – usually in written forms from parents/guardians. On occasions, my friends would cry and appeal that they be pardoned, citing illness and incapacitation. It was a common phenomenon.

As vividly as I can remember, the commonest reason my classmates maintained low attendance in school was Dracunculiasis, also called Guinea-worm disease (GWD). A simple search on Wikipedia reveals that a person becomes infected when they drink water that contains water fleas infected with guinea worm larvae. After some time, the female worms form a painful blister in the skin, usually on a lower limb. Other symptoms may include vomiting and dizziness. During this time, it may be difficult to walk or work. Because of this usual incapacitation, victims stayed away from school for days, weeks and even months.

Until I became 12 and left home for a boarding house, I “travel” about 10km everyday (with my elder sisters) to fetch water for domestic uses from Egu-Ugba. Egu-Ugba is a stagnant pond – a community-owned asset for Umueziukwu but it serves other adjoining communities. The name is derived from a deity that prevents the pond from drying up during dry seasons, until it is regenerated by another cycle of rainfall. The daily travel was conducted in phases – early in the mornings before we prepare for school and in the evenings before my mother comes back from the market. If you missed any of the sessions, you risked your breakfast or dinner as the case may be. My mother made the rules and enforced it devotedly.

To obtain water from the “cleaner” part of the pond, my sisters would walk into the pond up to thigh level, the part never stirred by fetchers before us. When we come back, my mother would add alum (aluminum sulphate) to cause coagulation and flocculation as a treatment measure whenever she had the time. But residents drank straight from Egu-Ugba without boiling it. That I was never diagnosed of GWD remains a mystery to me. However, I remain terrified that the entire household “played” with water fleas, unknowingly. Till this very day, nothing has changed quite remarkably except for boreholes (“pump” as it is called) scattered along strategic clusters in the community.

Crisis in communities – the issues are the same

In Nigeria, it is estimated that 60 million Nigerians live without clean water, 120 million lack access to decent toilet facilities and 46 million practice open defecation. More disturbing is the fact that annually, about 60,000 Nigerian children, under the age of five, die of WASH-related diseases. This could imply that with 12 years left to the attainment of the SDGs (Vision 2030), Nigeria will find it extremely difficult to achieve #SDGs Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all. WASH is fundamental to health and well-being, forming an effective barrier against disease transmission.

Despite global progress on child mortality, courtesy of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), infectious diseases still pose the greatest threat to vulnerable children, especially children under five. According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), 50% of schools in Nigeria do not have any water facility and 52% lack access to toilet facilities. In fact, if you walk around school facilities in any state in Nigeria, you would have reasons to argue that the issue is underreported. However, the crisis remains unacceptable and should be challenged.

My experience in 1995 had not left me. So early in January 2019 when an opportunity emerged that I lead a national campaign on WASH, I never hesitated. A major outcome from the project was that CODE mobilized a total of 36 House of Assembly; National Assembly and Gubernatorial Candidates in Edo, Lagos and Kano States to sign Pledge Cards, declaring to prioritize WASH delivery when elected into office. In the next four years and beyond, I would commit targeted efforts to engagement with authorities and office holders, tasking them on fulfillment of their commitments and campaign promises and of course improvement of lives especially in marginalized rural communities.

Taking WASH to the Grassroots is a national campaign (activities can be tracked on Twitter using #Vote4WASH) where Connected Development (CODE) in partnership with WaterAid Nigeria; demonstrated resilience and achieved a new record in the history of citizen engagement in Nigeria. We mobilized community leaders and non-profit stakeholders to promote WASH to the mainstream of political debates and conversations during 2019 electioneering and general elections. During engagements publicly declaring to revitalize rural/urban water schemes upon electoral victories was a high point and we documented outcomes, carefully. In turn, electorates were urged to perform their civic responsibility (voting) being WASH conscious and making considerations to candidates who had signed pledge cards to improve access to WASH services.

Although the support of the international donor community will remain critical in the developing world, it will remain incumbent upon national governments to dramatically increase investments. Accountability and improved financial performance can help attract additional external sources of financing and facilitate private sector involvement, argues United Nations World Water Development Report 2019.

Today, as the world marks International world Water Day, governments in Nigeria, national and sub-national, must support comprehensive investment and revitalization of rural/urban water schemes to ensure that public facilities – schools, health centres, markets and parks; are properly equipped with water and sanitation services. These services must be inclusive and affordable with special attention to disadvantaged or under-served groups in the society.

In summary, lack of access to potable water comes with a huge cost especially for the poor and vulnerable. Because they are excluded from central reticulated water and sanitation networks (where they exist), they rely on alternatives (usually more costly) such as water vendors. By implication, this is driving exclusion, entrenched power asymmetries, poverty and material inequalities in Nigeria. No child, in any part of the world should be allowed to contend with either Guinea worm or other water borne diseases.

Governance, let alone democracy, is facing grievous, structural challenges in Nigeria but WASH services should remain a priority sub-sector. From time immemorial, this cliché: Water is life, remains a popular one.  To end with a question,does lack of water mean death? Governments in Nigeria must answer this question. As we commit to local actions in pursuit of the SDGs, indeed, efforts must be coordinated that we “Leave No one Behind”.

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Alarmed by the accelerating number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, two civil society organisations; Connected Development(CODE) and FlexiSAF Foundation have  come together to combine their resources in identifying out of school children and providing quality basic education. In direct accordance with the SDG 4 and SDG 17, Connected Development and FlexiSAF Foundation are on a mission to reach these targets ahead of 2030. 

Statistics show that there are about 13.2 million Nigerian children currently not in school and this figure is increasing by the day, particularly in the Northern part of Nigeria. Issues of insurgency, conflicts and unrest militating the North-East combined with deep-rooted poverty, and certain cultural factors especially in the North have pushed the rate of out-of-school children high. Even the few educational facilities in these rural settings are in deplorable conditions—dilapidated structures, no libraries, congested classrooms with poor ventilation, damaged or no furniture, causing pupils to sit on classroom floors—further discouraging children from attending school.

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) records that Girls account for 60 per cent of the out-of-school population. For every 100 boys of primary age out of school, 121 girls are denied the right to education, worsening gender-based discrimination and putting girls at a disadvantage. Displacement and child marriage also significantly affect a girl’s chances of going to school. Issues of water, sanitation and hygiene, and in many cases, insecurity affecting the delivery of education in conflict affected areas, are contributing factors driving children – particularly girls – away from the classroom.

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Distressed by the growing number of out of school children in Nigeria, Connected Development and FlexiSAF Foundation are partnering to identify and verify the number of out of school children in selected states in Nigeria and increase citizen participation through awareness raising.

According to Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad, Chairman, FlexiSAF Foundation, the partnership comes at a time when sustainable measures must be put in place to strengthen the quality of education in the country and curtail the growing number of out of school children, which has grossly affected the Nation, particularly the Northern region. “It is indeed a remarkable feat to partner with Connected Development (CODE) in our mutual goal to reach out a helping hand to communities in need. We will be able to have access to more communities to provide quality basic education for all children,” he added.

CODE’s Chief Executive, Hamzat Lawal, stated that “the future of Nigeria is strongly determined by the quality of education of its children. How can we begin to talk about quality education when a large proportion of Nigeria’s young ones are out-of-school?” Lawal was worried that out-of-school children are constantly being exposed to danger of violence, assault, exploitation and anti-social recruitments such as terrorism, child-trafficking and kidnapping. He noted that addressing out of school children is a challenge that the Nigerian Government must tackle with a sense of urgency.

He also noted that the partnership will be a great leap in pursuing the cause of reducing the number of out-of-school children. CODE is committed to providing its resources in supporting the cause by collating the number of out of school children and providing support in areas of monitoring and evaluation (M&E)”. CODE and FlexiSAF Foundation partnership will bring about the reduction in percentage of out-of-school children and create a sustainable environment for children to study and explore their creativity.

Amina Abubakar, Coordinator FlexiSAF Education stated that there is a lot of work to be done in ensuring the Nigerian child goes to school. She called on the Federal and State Governments, Civil Societies, as well as stakeholders in the Education System, especially the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to commit to securing the education of the Nigerian child.

“As countries strive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) that addresses attaining universal primary and secondary education by 2030, this is a wake-up call for the Nigerian government to make educating the nation’s future leaders a priority. We should begin to think up sustainable initiatives to resolve the challenging factors facing out-of-school children,” Amina added.

She also mentioned that to reach the large number of out-of-school kids, we have a long way to go. The effort required is massive, not just for FlexiSAF Foundation and CODE, but for Nigeria as a whole and the world at large. “It’s not enough to just acknowledge the problem, but a swift and effective course of action 1must be embarked upon. That is what we have began, and we are committed to staying on this course for the long haul.”

FlexiSAF Managing Director, Faiz Bashir stated that change can begin at the grassroots whereby learning opportunities start with community-based education and organising classes in community buildings so children do not have to walk miles  and miles to go to school. This is especially critical for girls, as it reduces insecurity such as harassment and conflict related incidents, on the way to school. FlexiSAF Foundation has, in its effort to reach the SDG 4 target, adopted such flexible methods of teaching out-of-school kids. These include Safe Spaces within their communities, full scholarships to qualitative schools, one-on-one mentorship and counselling and so forth.

He added that the partnership between CODE and FlexiSAF Foundation aims to identify and target regions with disproportionately high rates of out of school children, including working with leaders and other groups to advocate for increased education, especially for girls. It will also ensure safe and conducive learning that meets basic security and health standards, including toilets and safe drinking water.

Detailed plans to implement this partnership will be developed by the two organizations in the coming months.

According to the United Nations, out-of-school children are children who are yet to be enrolled in any formal education excluding pre-primary education.

CODE is a Non-Governmental Organization, whose mission is to improve access to information and empower local communities in Africa. Its Follow The Money initiative tracks government and international aid spending in rural communities to ensure and promote open government and service delivery. Since 2012, CODE has tracked an estimate of USD 1 million (in budgeted sums for projects) across 100 communities in over 25 Nigerian states, improving over 1 million rural lives. 

CODE is an INEC Accredited Observer for the 2019 Nigerian General Elections. CODE observed electoral processes in Kenya in 2013, Nigeria in 2015 and the USA in 2016, seeking to ensure peaceful electoral process, promote national reconciliation and improve quality of elections in these countries.

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Introduction

Connected Development presents, today, its Final Report on the Nigerian 2019 Presidential Election that held 23 February 2019. The report is being presented by the Head of Mission, CODE Election Observation team, Hamzat Lawal, to members of the press, the government, civil society groups, political parties and other national stakeholders.

The aim of this report is to recount findings by our tech election observation platform Uzabe mapping tool to national stakeholders, highlight recommendations which CODE believes can impact on the improvement of a more credible electoral process in Nigeria in the future.

We have also proposed recommendations for consideration by the Independent National Electoral Commission and relevant stakeholders on how to further improve future elections. These recommendations are offered to help address a number of the shortfalls outlined on Uzabe and to serve as benchmarks for assessing the commitment of the current administration in advancing democracy in Nigeria. 

Uzabe Findings and Analysis

In preparation for the Nigerian 2019 Nigerian Presidential and National Assembly Elections, Connected Development [CODE], launched Uzabe, a real-time (web-based map) situation technology, for gathering real-time security intelligence and observing the electoral process. With Uzabe mapping tool, CODE established early warning systems for communities and voters; and strengthened mitigation and emergency response during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Uzabe received over 3,887 reports from on-the-ground observers and online social sentiment analysts. From these reports, Uzabe established about 453 election incidents across 34 States of the Federation and the FCT. Uzabe recorded issues of electoral violence, voter suppression, security personnel and party agents influencing ballots of voters, vote buying, underage voting and destruction of voting materials in Lagos, Bayelsa, Rivers, Kogi, Taraba, Bauchi, Kebbi, Borno and Yobe, leading to death of civilians. 

Operations and Logistics Issues:

Logistics and operational issues were prevalent despite the fact that they were the reason for the postponement of elections. Uzabe recorded 137 cases of logistics and operational issues at many polling units across the country. For example; INEC officials in some States in the South-East and South-West did not arrive the polling stations until 12 pm and commencement of voting started at 2 pm and 4pm in some regions of Akwa Ibom. There were also records of missing stamp, card reader issues, delay of voting processes, causing INEC to extend voting to Sunday as means of covering for lost hours 

Security Issues:

Security remain a prevalent challenge confronting the nation’s growth; and electorates should not have to die or lose loved ones at the cost of participating in the electoral process. As an accredited observer, we are disheartened at the poor level of preparedness shown by the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] to conduct a violence-free election, despite the week-long postponement of the election to allow for adequate logistics and security readiness.

CODE strongly condemns election-based violence which resulted in the burning of thumb-printed ballot papers in Isolo local government area in Lagos, killing of a young voter at a polling unit in Dekina Local Government, Kogi State; death of two persons in Nembe, Bayelsa, death of 16 persons in Rivers and injuries of citizens.

The Nigerian Police stated that it would be responsible for the protection of electorates and would deploy at least 3 police officers at the 119,973 polling units across the country; however, this level of preparedness was not reflected as Uzabe recorded many polling units having 1 security agent attached, and in some places, there were none. On a positive note, there were reports of security agents restoring the peace, in areas where suspected political thugs tried to incite violence.

Uzabe situation room provided emergency incidents to security agents including the Nigerian police, ensuring minimal violence due to military deployments across the country. Uzabe platform helped mobilise security in some polling units to erase the tendency of violence. 

Bomb blasts rocked the North-East on election morning, however, Nigerians still came out en mass to vote. This is the resilient Nigerian spirit we commend. Over a million votes were cancelled because they did not meet voting standards. We implore INEC and political parties to do better in educating voters on the voting process. A few people could not travel to vote, contributing to the low turnout of voters. we believe the #NotTooYoungtoVote mandate encouraged young people to come out to cast their votes, as expressed in the elected candidates for the House of Representatives. We are still analysing the demography of voters to note the percentage of youth who voted. 

CODE would like to emphasize that Uzabe is not keen on results but rather observing the electoral process and analysing issues that are critical to running a fair electoral process.

Recommendations

1. CODE suggests that in order to enhance confidence in the election process, INEC’s complete autonomy must be strengthened to ensure it provides more effective and objective electoral process. We seek to see an INEC that is decentralised to avoid issues of logistics and operational issues.
2. INEC must develop result-management process using competent and secure technology; and must provide a more conducive environment for collating results in regions.
3. There should be policies and regulations guiding campaign financing to enhance accountability of political candidates and also legal measures should be introduced to address abuse of state resources.
4. INEC must introduce reforms that allow for Nigerians in the diaspora to vote the candidate of their choice.
5. Under-age voting is a violation of the Nigerian constitution and it is prevalent in some regions of the country. INEC must work to curb this issue as it serves as an indictment on the credibility of election process and ultimately a threat to our democracy.
6. Appropriate authorities should investigate all allegations of violence and cases of violent acts, as well as vandalism and destruction of election materials and electorates’ properties, in accordance with the rule of law, and perpetrators held legally responsible.
7. Party agents must learn to be cordial irrespective of political differences and must desist from inciting election-violence. Government must apply punitive measures in prosecuting criminals and perpetrators of election-based violence.
8. Security agents must do better in protecting lives and properties of the electorate and ensure lives are not lost during the electoral process. We cannot keep addressing issues of electoral violence except we adequately prepare for these contingencies.

We, however commend INEC, for allowing the will of the people to be heard, and for remaining firm on her duty regardless of pressure from political actors that want to truncate the electoral process. We urge citizens to support INEC, particularly the Resident Electoral Commissioners, and they should come out en mass to vote their candidate of choice for the gubernatorial elections. 

CODE would like to acknowledge the commitment made by various volunteers —the field observers who sent in reports to Uzabe for public awareness to ensure transparency; their time and resources were critical to the conduct of an objective electoral process. CODE also commends Nigerians, particularly her youth, for their loyalty and resilience in the face of insurmountable pressure. This election was a test of the magnanimity of Nigeria’s democratic consolidation.

CODE hereby calls on opposition parties and other stakeholders to act responsibly, to pursue peaceful and legal resolution of their grievances and to uphold the integrity of the political and electoral process.

For Media Enquiries, contact Kevwe Oghide, Communications Lead, Connected Development via kevwe@connecteddevelopment.org

Kevwe Precious Oghide

As Nigerians await results of the Presidential and national house of assembly elections, it is important that we do not lose focus of social justice and fairness at all level. The declaration of fairness at work by the International Labour Organisation addresses fair outcomes for all through employment, social protection, social dialogue and fundamental principles and rights at work.

Fairness at work is about obtaining freedom, equity, security and human dignity in conditions of work. It stands against inequality and discrimination—allowing for a work environment that thrives on productivity, having a voice in the workplace and the community. Fairness and rights at work also rides on gender equality, resolving issues around balancing work and family life, enabling women to make choices and take control of their lives. 

In some extreme cases, fairness at work is about moving from subsistence to existence. Having a job, does not guarantee decent living. Not to address the disheartening rate of unemployment in Nigeria, there is a high percentage of employed persons who still cannot afford basic needs. Many people are taking up menial jobs that are characterized with low pay, poor working conditions, health and safety hazards and poor access to social protection system. This percentage of people are experiencing a lack of material well-being, economic security, equal opportunities and basic human security.

In Nigeria today, there is a huge deficit expressed in the absence of employment opportunities, denial of fairness at work and inadequate social protection. Many Nigerians are appalled by the Country’s position as a top leader in the number of people living in extreme poverty. Massive voters’ turnout is largely due to the desire to secure a better Nigeria. We are seeking change in the areas of social justice, economic opportunity, welfare upgrade, environmental protection, health benefits and an overall improved standard of living of the average Nigerian.

Although, there have been recounts of violence in some polling units across the country, people are boldly pushing back, reasserting themselves, regardless of threats and intimidations. What we are witnessing now appears to be a powerful flash of resilience and patriotism.

Also, in the pursuit of social justice, older generation are working to securing the future of their children. Child labour, in its worst form, robs a child of their education, their health, their future and even their lives. Children in rural communities are often marginalized when it comes to getting basic education. Government officials charged with implementing schools and healthcare projects in these communities often embezzle funds, widening the gap between rural and urban children, and further depriving rural children of their right to education, as well as work with higher pay, in the future. 

In addressing social justice in this context, Connected Development’s Follow The Moneyinitiative is empowering rural communities with data and accessible technology to track government spending on education, health, water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, so rural dwellers can hold governments at national and sub-national levels accountable, ensuring improved service delivery.

Good governance allows for the creation of quality jobs, better job opportunities, leading to better incomes and an improved standard of living of the average person. It also allows for a system where children have the opportunity to receive basic education. The ripple effect is evident in more unified and equitable societies that are important to preventing violence and conflicts. 

As votes are being collated across the nation, this is a moment of reflection, but also a renewed fire in our hearts, as we begin to assess the need to hold government accountable, demanding that they do better in ensuring social welfare of the average Nigerian. Young people, especially, must recognise that they are the key to future elections and the antidote to whatever fear, hatred and intolerance may lie ahead.

The aspiration for social justice, through which every working man and woman can claim freely and on the basis of equality of opportunity, their fair share of the wealth which they have helped to generate, is quite strong in recent times. CODE is convinced that no lasting peace is assured without an egalitarian system and will keep working with partners to support and promote social justice, one community at a time.

“Voting is not only our right—it is our power” – Loung Ung

A democratic government is birthed by a fair electoral process. Ensuring the integrity and security of the election process is essential for the functioning of democracy in Nigeria and is a shared responsibility among citizens.

However, outcomes of elections in Nigeria have planted seeds of doubt in credibility, and disparity in the minds of Nigerian citizens. People no longer see the need to vote, knowing that political parties will desperately seek to win by discrediting the votes of the people and influencing the election outcomes. Overtime, trust has dwindled and electoral processes have become ridden with corruption and self-enrichment. The disaster herein is that when we do not come out to vote, we leave room for bad government officials to be elected, consequently giving credence to poor educational policies; economic downturn; difficulty in doing business and inaccessibility to basic human amenities like water, sanitation and hygiene. 

Lyndon B. Johnson once said that “A man without a vote is a man without protection;” voting in the wrong people opens the door for our security to be jeopardized.

Some individuals and organisations who are concerned for our democracy have now risen to the challenge of ensuring transparency and accountability during the 2019 General Elections scheduled to hold on the 16th of February and 2nd of March 2019.

Connected Development [CODE], a Non-Governmental Organization, whose mission is to improve access to information and empower local communities in Africa, has launched a real-time (web-based map) situation technology, Uzabe, that would capture election processes happening across the 36 States of Nigeria.

CODE, a civil society organisation that was selected by the Independent National Electoral Commission as an accredited observer for the 2019 General Elections, will be using Uzabe technology tool to strengthen citizens participation and engagement in the electoral process, while also protecting the Nigerian democracy. CODE, through Uzabe, will provide real-time reports on security intelligence that would strengthen mitigation and emergency response during violence and establish early warning systems for vulnerable communities.

How Uzabe Works:

On election day, trained observers, volunteers and witnesses will report to Uzabe any electoral related incidences using either Uzabe hashtags on all social media platforms like twitter, facebook, Instagram; and also, directly uploading feeds to the Uzabe website. These reports are then received by the hundreds of volunteers who will structure, geo-reference, and verify them. Afterwards, the reports are visualized and made public on a map, timeline, and stats board at uzabe.org. 

Citizens can report on a successful vote and also report issues such as voter suppression, ballot issues, or violence via Uzabe mapping tool. The platform allows citizens and election observers to report from the ground via many channels such as email, SMS, twitter and embeddable web forms. Uzabe is user friendly and includes the ability to easily send and receive text and images and interaction with structured messages. 

CODE’s Chief Executive, Hamzat Lawal, stated that the result of this launch is that electoral and response organisations have a new channel to monitor electoral incidences; and citizens have an easy to use tool to capture and report critical information during the 2019 general elections. 

According to Lawal, riding on CODE’s participation in observing electoral processes since 2013 in Kenya, 2015 in Nigeria and 2016 in the USA, the Organisation seeks to, again, ensure peaceful electoral process, promote national reconciliation and improve quality of elections in Nigeria using Uzabe technology tools.  

Through this platform CODE intends to contribute its quota to peace-building by providing the technology tool to enhance a free, fair, peaceful and credible 2019 general election by increasing transparency and accountability through active citizen participation in the electoral cycle.

According to him, Uzabe strengthens citizens participation and give situation and iWitness report from all polling units in real-time.

Connected Development [CODE] is a Non-Governmental Organization, whose mission is to improve access to information and empower local communities in Africa. Its Follow the Money initiative tracks government and international aid spending in rural engagement in deciding a better future for our country. The technology platform helps the Nigerian citizens to communities to ensure and promote open government and service delivery. Since 2012, we have tracked an estimate of USD 1 million (in budgeted sums for projects) across 100 communities in over 25 Nigerian states, improving over 1 million rural lives. 

Geared towards ensuring transparency and accountability during the forthcoming general elections, Connected Development [CODE] has launched a Real-Time (Web-Based Map) Situation Technology, Uzabe, that would observe and report the presidential and gubernatorial elections right as it is happening.

CODE has partnered with technology giant, Ushahidi, on using Uzabe as an Open Situation Awareness Room (OSAR) for gathering real-time security intelligence and observing the electoral process. With Uzabe mapping tool, CODE will establish early warning systems for communities and voters; and strengthen mitigation and emergency response during elections.

Riding on CODE’s participation in observing electoral processes since 2013 in Kenya, 2015 in Nigeria and 2016 in the USA, the Organisation seeks to, again, ensure peaceful electoral process, promote national reconciliation and improve quality of elections in Nigeria using Ushahidi technology tools. 

The Chief Executive of CODE, Hamzat Lawal, expressed enthusiasm about the impact of Uzabe in promoting transparency and accountability in the 2019 General Elections observation. According to him, Uzabe will strengthen citizens’ participation and engagement in deciding a better future for our country. The technology platform helps the Nigerian citizens to give   situation and iWitness report from all polling units, across the 36 States, in real-time.

Lawal stated that “using Uzabe technology tool to observe election and report intelligence, is a way of protecting our democracy. Our intention is to provide real-time reports on security intelligence that would strengthen fair electoral processes, mitigation and emergency response during violence and establish early warning systems for vulnerable communities.”

CODE is a Non-Governmental Organization, whose mission is to improve access to information and empower local communities in Africa. Its Follow The Money initiative tracks government and international aid spending in rural communities to ensure and promote open government and service delivery. Since 2012, CODE has tracked an estimate of USD 1 million (in budgeted sums for projects) across 100 communities in over 25 Nigerian states, improving over 1 million rural lives. 

By: Hyeladzira James Mshelia

Gender issues continue to plague our World. Generally, women are mostly at a disadvantage and their roles and contributions to society are often marginalised. We have fewer opportunities for economic participation than men, limited access to basic education, greater health and safety risk. We often experience career interruptions as a result of being the primary caregiver at the home front, and our battle against slow occupation growth is far from being won.

In public affairs, women have to fight for a seat at the table, and when we do get a seat, the vocal ones among us are often silenced. Little wonder, ‘too ambitious’, ‘bossy’ and ‘assertive’, are adjectives used to describe a woman rightfully taking what’s her due. Research shows that women are victims of rape and sexual assault at the workplace. Psychologists, Potter and Banyard reported that 38% of employed women had experienced sexual harassment at the workplace.

If your interest and competence take you to a job role that is traditionally for men, your achievements may not count because you are a woman. Today, pseudo-conservative societies and cultures believe a woman cannot be beautiful and smart at the same time.

While there is a lot of awareness and consciousness with addressing issues of gender inequality, it is important to further emphasise that women are still at a disadvantage and the kinds of policies that entrench this mentality are misguided. It is important for gender mainstreaming in the public and private sectors, backed with policies that can help address issues that place women at a disadvantage.

As a woman switching between entrepreneurship and multicultural workplaces, my growth has not been devoid of ‘gender bias’ challenges. I have attended workshops where my questions were either ignored or the answer was addressed to the man seated next to me. I have had customers that refused to buy my perfumes because they believed a woman should not be ‘that industrious.’

Nevertheless, I’ve not let that hold me back. I do not believe that just because I’m female, I cannot reach the same heights that my male counterparts can. Thus, despite the marginalisation, women have proven to be much more– mothers, farmers, managers, chief executives of multinationals, decision-makers, governors,, breadwinners and wives. There is absolutely no end to what a woman can achieve.

There should be a balance in our society where women can do just as much as men. Women should be given equal opportunities at the workplace and organisations should actively drive diversity and inclusion where policies are also in favour of women. There should be free career trainings for women, and use of gender neutral titles in job descriptions. Organisations should state their  family-friendly benefits, parental leave and child care subsidies benefit families and future base of employees.

Women are taking charge, making decisions, and leading successful businesses around the world. But even with these successes, it can feel like an uphill battle to climb your way to the top. In celebration of International Women’s Day 2019, the race is on for gender balance where men and women have equal rights in the workplace, in public affairs, at home, and in the society in general. The success mantra for men as well as women is the same so women deserve equality.

Over the last few years, especially since the launch of Universal Basic Education Act (UBEA 2004), a number of old and dilapidated schools have been rehabilitated and new ones constructed. However, 50% of schools in Nigeria do not have any water facility and 52% lack access to toilet facilities (WHO/UNICEF 2018). Without doubts, poor learning environment is one of the factors driving out of school syndrome.

For the girl child, inability to access basic services like water and sanitation has deterred some to maintain school attendance. For those young girls enrolled, they turn to open defecation in nearby bushes when nature calls. When open defecation is the norm, school children, especially girls, incur risk and vulnerability to physical and sexual attacks on their way to isolated bushes and pathways. At other times, girls spend quality time looking for and fetching water for household consumption thereby loosing productive time that would have been spent in schools learning.

Despite political commitments to reverse these discrepancies and combat Nigeria’s overwhelming out-of-school syndrome, investments in education is still low compared to other Sub-Saharan countries. In Kano State, government is struggling to contain her over 3 million children who are currently not enrolled in any form of formal education.

Children under the age of 15 account for about 45% of the total population in Nigeria. For national development, it is important to ensure that these groups of children are provided with quality education.

It is against this background that Comrade Adnan Mukhtar Tudunwada accepted the challenge to represent his constituents, Nasarawa Constituency, in Kano State House of Assembly. Being the youngest person running for a political position in the State, Comrade Tudunwada has vowed to concern himself with quality representation upon electoral victory.

Accordingly, on February 08, 2019; during a High-Level Courtesy Call by Connected Development on the need to prioritize access to water, sanitation and hygiene in line with Sustainable Development Goals, Goal 6 in particular; Comrade Tudunwada restated his commitment to quality representation and signed a pledge card that will have him prioritize or support water programmes, projects and policies in the parliament through his motions, votes and bills. The pledge card is a tool for accountability and civic engagement when Tudunwada finds his way to Kano State House of Assembly.

In the last quarter of 2018, WaterAid Nigeria in partnership with Connected Development launched a national campaign – #Vote4WASH, calling on the political class to increase budgetary allocation and releases to rural and urban water schemes. This is in realization that poor access to potable water and poor sanitation keep people in poverty. No country in the world has ever achieved modernity without good water, sanitation and hygiene. #Vote4WASH enjoins citizens to vote for candidates who publicly pledge to prioritize water programmes, projects and interventions in their states or constituencies.

About 25% of Nigerians defecate openly, placing Nigeria No. 2 in the global rating on open defecation. According to Federal Ministry of Water Resources in Nigeria, access to improved sanitation has decreased from 38% in 1990 to 29% in 2015. In the rural areas, 46% of all water schemes are non-functional and the statistics is similar in the urban areas. 

More disturbing is the fact that annually, about 60,000 Nigerian children, under the age of five, die of WASH-related diseases. This connotes a full-blown crisis situation and implies that water supply has deteriorated and degenerated in successive governments or administrations.

Launched in November 2018, #Vote4WASH is a national campaign rooted in Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals which calls for transformative budgetary provisions, funding and investment in WASH-related projects in schools and communities.  #Vote4WASH wants water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) to dominate 2019 election campaigns and political conversations especially at sub-national levels of government.

However, since Nigerian government had declared a “State of Emergency on Nigeria’s Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Sector,’’ it is therefore a national concern for all stakeholders. With the National Action Plan for Revitalization of Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene; all stakeholders are called to action.

On this basis, our team reached out to five presidential candidates under the historic #ReadyToRun platform. The movement had organized a town hall meeting at Channels TV, Abuja on February 10, 2019, for engagement and in-depth interaction with electorates. After due diligence and engagement, we secured overwhelming support from the five candidates as they signed up to the accountability tool (Pledge Cards) – publicly declaring to support and prioritize water programmes, projects and interventions if elected into office.

The five presidential candidates include: Mr. Chike Ukagbu (Advanced Allied Party), Mr. Babatunde Ademola (Nigeria Community Movement Party), Mr. Emmanuel Ishie Etim (Change Nigeria Party) Mrs Eunice Atuejide of (National Interest Party) and Ahmed Buhari of (Sustainable National Party).

Water is life and lack of it means death. Access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are crucial for good outcomes in health, nutrition, education and livelihood standards. When water and sanitation facilities are available and accessible to citizens, they act as primary barriers against disease transmission. Personal hygiene, particularly hand washing with soap and running water, has been identified as the most cost-effective disease control mechanism.

Nevertheless, Nigeria parades embarrassing statistics as highlighted above in relation to WASH. The implication of signing up to #Vote4WASH Pledge Cards is acceptance to be held accountable in terms of support and investment towards universal access to safe water and improved sanitation in our communities (urban and rural) in line with the SDGs, National Open Defecation Free Roadmap (ODF), Partnership for Expanded Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (PEWASH) and a State of Emergency in Nigeria’s WASH Sector.

In addition, signatories to the Pledge Cards mean support and investment to ensure that all public institutions especially schools, health centres, markets and parks have inclusive WASH facilities and/or services. And because poor sanitation keeps people in poverty, WASH would form components of poverty alleviation schemes and social welfare programmes.

We are reaching out to electoral stakeholders – political parties and their candidates for Gubernatorial, National Assembly and House of Assembly positions; community-based organisations; civil societies; and electorates, to recognize; influence and demand for remarkable budgetary attention and funding for WASH in the grassroots.

Citizens are enjoined to vote for candidates who have to upgrade and prioritize WASH sector. With evidences, we ascertain that increasing access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) aids economic development, poverty reduction, education, good health and general well-being.

Running 21st century governments by the “old rules” is reinforcing information asymmetry, inefficiency, inequality and ultimately poverty. In 2016, the eight richest people in the world had as much money as the bottom 50 per cent of humanity – that’s three-and-a-half billion people. And of those eight, six were infotech billionaires. The world can no longer feign indifference on the pricelessness of public data in this age. Like these infotech billionaires, governments are stewards of public data and money. Their responsibility is allocating same to priority sectors in the society for policy-making. If data is so priceless, why then is the unsustainable concentration of power and wealth (data) in the hands of few individuals and government?

Technological advancement such as computer, internet and airplane has not only demystified global challenges (e.g. transportation) to the point that one could fly from New York to London in six hours or less; technology has made governance and public policy increasingly participatory and interactive. It is believed that such interaction will ultimately result in more democratization of decision-making and getting citizens more involved in the allocation of state resources for public good. Democracy requires transparent decisions; so that citizens are aware of what is decided and how much money is being spent on which purposes.

In developing economies, e.g. Nigeria, one phenomenon driving political instability and economic stagnation is corruption. Stakeholders are unanimous that the incidence of corruption is unacceptably high and that open government – opening up government data and public processes, is the antidote. The importance of data-driven transparency is indisputable in combating corruption because corruption thrives in atmospheres of opaqueness and secrecy. Incontestably, transparency counteracts corruption and sharp practices in government circles.

A fundamental concept for understanding open government is information asymmetry. Information asymmetry is a situation in which one party has more information than another, for instance, when a government has more information than its constituents. One of the reasons why governments open their data is to reduce information asymmetry, but completely overcoming this is often not realistic. Somebody who is inside the system on a daily basis will always have more knowledge than outsiders do. However, easy access and a clear presentation of information are often necessary. By that, citizens can see a clearer picture, but completely bridging the information asymmetry is virtually impossible.

The second point why we should open up government data is civic participation and engagement. Among other forms of centralized governments, one distinctive characteristic of democracy is citizens’ voice or civic participation. Citizens can never be able to properly engage their elected or public officials without data or information about what is happening inside government institutions. World over, a military dictator can always build roads; primary healthcare centres; potable water supply; etc., but at any instance, military dictators lack legitimacy because they rule by the barrel of a gun. Ruling by the barrel of a gun is a measure of primitiveness.

Article 21 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights reads that: “The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot or by equivalent free voting procedures.” Fundamentally, access to relevant public data inevitably guide electorates during elections, guaranteeing credible electoral outcomes among nations. Undoubtedly, under democracies where voices are present, human rights are best protected.

So there is relationship between open government, legitimacy of governments and trust. The importance of easy access to public data as a way of building trust is captured in open government ambitions. Commitments to open government should show that governments are not hiding anything from citizens. In the circumstance, the public can see how the government is functioning, and influence its working where necessary. For example, viewing how budget is spent and thereafter suggesting alternative ways of spending the budget better.

Challenging the status quo

For five decades (1962–2011), Nigeria operated a horrible law – Official Secret Act, which provided for the protection of official information from public interaction or scrutiny. The Act imposed restrictions upon public servants concerning disclosure of certain “privileged” information. Thus, for 50 years, Nigerian political environment was more or less a “black box” – citizens living in information blackout.

In the same year (2011) that Open Government Partnership (OGP) was launched, Nigerian government enacted a revolutionary law – Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), providing for free access of public information to citizens. The act also provides for the protection of personal privacy, protection of serving public officers from adverse consequences when they disclose certain kinds of official information without authorization. The Nigerian FOIA is considered a game-changer in the country’s long push for openness, transparency and accountability.

Global efforts at opening up government-controlled data for public participation and engagement birthed a multilateral initiative – OGP.  In September 2011, on the sidelines of a UN General Assembly meeting, Heads of State from 8 founding governments (Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, United Kingdom, and the United States) endorsed the Open Government Declaration. The OGP aims to secure concrete commitments from national and sub-national governments to open up government data and processes, empower citizens, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to strengthen governance among member states.

How civic organisations are disrupting service delivery using FOIA and OGP

For many years in Nigeria, corruption and cultures of opacity meant that resources meant for development were frittered away. According to a UN report, roughly $4.6bn is spent on bribes in Nigeria each year. Poor transparency and accountability have allowed corruption to flourish, but these civil society groups are trying to change the opaque environment.

Empowered by the provisions of OGP and FIOA, governments are under intense pressure to intensify fights against corruption; sharing more information about the way federal ministers or commissioners are managing public resources and increasing civil participation in public decision-making. A host of civic organisations: Follow The Money, Tracka, PPDC, SERAP etc are harnessing new technologies to strengthen governance especially at the grassroots. The activities of these above-named organisations are examples of how citizens (activists) can be part of the solution of nation building in a fragile or failing democracy. Therefore to increase civic participation, promote transparency, and strengthen accountability; governments must open up public data – hitherto administered in secrecy, for public perusal, consumption and ownership.

This article was originally published on Apolitical in December 2018.