UNICEF and partners at the launch of
the U-Report, an innovative SMS-based platform that empowers Nigerians by
enabling them to participate and engage in
“Today more than ever before community
journalism through communication technology can help engender good governance,
accountability, social change and improve health standards,’’ said Jean Gough,
UNICEF Representative in Nigeria. ‘U-Report platform provides a thrilling
opportunity to contribute to positive social change in the Nigeria,’ she noted.
Director-General
National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-Gen. J.B Olawumi, represented by a
Director in the Service, Thursday in Lagos, ITRealms gathered
stated that “NYSC has continued to serve as a tool for the promotion of
national integration and utilization of the energies and skills of Nigerian
graduate youths for national development.
Olawumi, at Federal Palace Hotel, venue of the launch, elaborated
more by saying that it is not surprising that Unisef has found a strong ally in
NYSC in the realization of the objectives of the U-report Initiative stating
that the NYSC contributed greatly
to the ‘My World Survey, a preparatory
activity for the post-MDGs Global
Development Agenda in 2013. During the first
phase of the survey, the Scheme won a UN award as the most outstanding
contributor at the 2013 Partners’ Recognition Award in New York, adding that in
2014, over 1-2 million votes were uploaded making NYSC and Nigeria one of the
organizations and countries with the highest number of votes for the survey,”
Olawumi stated. He assured that the Scheme on its part will mobilize 1million
U-Reporters by the end of June.
ITRealms gathered
that U-Report enables those who voluntarily register – known as U-reporters -
to speak-out on what is happening in their communities, provides a forum to
amplify their voices through local and national media, sends alerts to key
stakeholders about the issues their constituents are facing, and feeds back
useful information to the U-Reporters, so they are empowered to work for
positive change and improvements in their localities. The platform provides
decision makers a forum to listen to millions of voices through simple
messaging.
In
the last one year with support from Airtel, MTN, GLO and Etisalat, ITRealms learnt, the number of U-reporters has rapidly grown to
about 200,000 with thousands joining every month from all parts of the country.
It is expected to top a million by the end of 2015. It has also attracted
strategic partnerships with civil society organizations, UN agencies and
Government ministries, who contribute by selecting poll questions and promoting
the platform to Nigerian citizens, as a tool for civic engagement and community
empowerment
About
15 million text messages were sent out through the U-Report platform while the
country battled Ebola. The awareness messages and real time responses via sms
and on the U-report Social media platforms sent out during the Ebola outbreak
were able to address mythical cures like bathing with hot water and salt,
taking bitter kola to cure the disease . U-Reporters were informed on how to
identify the disease, and how to keep safe, ITRealms learnt.
Cyraicus
Nnaji/ ED,OPs
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