The GoNigeria Initiative, which encourages youth participation in the electoral process, has announced the names of young Nigerians who won the top 3 prizes in the 1st Quarter GoNigeria Digital Poetry Challenge.
The winners are: Diana Modeme from Anambra State who emerged as the Star prize winner of the competition with a cash prize of N1, 000,000 (One Million Naira), as well as David Odiase aka 78thpsalmist from Lagos and Abdullahi Idi Dabiru, a contestant from Borno State who emerged as the first and second runners-up with cash prizes of N600, 000 and N400, 000 respectively.
The initiative which is in commemoration of the 2022 World Poetry Day was to further boost the public enlightenment campaign themed, GoNigeria, an advocacy to sensitize Nigerian youths to participate in the electoral process.
The online poetry contest which ran from Thursday, 17 March, 2022 to Wednesday, 31March, 2022, was aimed at engaging Nigerian youths with a strong inclination in poetry to showcase their talents and be part of the ongoing GoNigeria advocacy campaign aimed at encouraging eligible young Nigerians in the country and diaspora to actively participate in the nation’s electoral processes leading up to the 2023 elections.
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Anchored by the renowned poet, Dike Chukwumerije, who is a GoNigeria Advocate, the digital competition offered persons between ages 18 to 45, to create a 30 seconds poetry video while holding their Permanent Voters’ Cards [PVCs] and encouraging other youths to go register and pick up their voters’ cards, whilst playing with the acronym PVC in the video, then posting their video using the hashtag #GoNigeriaPoetryChallenge.
The move is aimed at encouraging the youth demographic to register with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and collect their PVC before the expiration of the Commission’s last Continuous Voter’s Registration [CVR] deadline of June 30, 2022 in preparation for the 2023 elections.
Quoting June Jordan who posited that ‘’Poetry is a political act because it involves telling the truth’’, Chukwumerije admonished Nigerian youths to register and pick up their PVCs and also effectively participate in the nation’s electoral processes as their direct involvement in the 2023 general elections can be pivotal to reshaping the country’s political destiny.
GoNigeria is an initiative of Anap Foundation, a non-profit organization which is committed to promoting good governance. Via its GoNigeria Initiative, Anap Foundation has been partnering with Advocates and enlightened celebrities (GoAmbassadors), corporate bodies eager to support the Initiative via co-branding (GoPartners) as well as many enthusiastic young volunteers who will help to amplify the messaging to their age mates (GoVolunteers).
The overall aim is to encourage Nigerian youths to register and vote en-masse in the 2023 General Elections.
The 18 Initial Advocates of the GoNigeria Movement are drawn from all the 6 geopolitical zones (3 from each zone). They are: Atedo Peterside (Convener), Aisha Yesufu, Nuruddeen Lemu, Dike Chukwumerije, Folarin Falana (Falz), Bishop Matthew Hassan-Kukah, Arunma Oteh, Hamzat Lawal, Tomiwa Aladekomo, Osita Chidoka, Dr. Tony Rapu, ‘Yemi Adamolekun, Muhammad Ali Pate, HH Muhammad Sanusi II, Dr. Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, Ayisha Osori and Ibrahim Dahiru Waziri.
To know more about Anap Foundation’s GoNigeria Initiative, visit: www.GoNigeria.com
