#AbductedBornoGirls #AbductedBornoSchoolGirls #BringBackOurGirls

These trending hashtags on Twitter represent the widespread anguish of many Nigerian citizens following the abduction of hundreds of secondary school girls in Chibok, Borno State. Abducted by suspected Boko Haram insurgent fighters since April 14, 2014, the whereabouts of these young girls remain unknown. Latest reports suggest that they may have been ferried across the border and forced to marry the Islamic insurgents. The military search and rescue efforts has made scant progress ever since localized forest searches by local hunters, community volunteers  and grieving parents armed with cutlasses, bows and arrows equally failed. 

Independent Verification of Job Creation Statistics Set to Commence

Spaces for Change.S4C is getting set to commence an independent verification of job creation statistics of the Nigerian government. This independent verification exercise is propelled by the March 18, 2014 request to inspect or obtain copies and public records of the official statistics regarding the number of jobs created in Nigeria between 2011 – 2013, made pursuant to the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. Through that FOI request, S4C is seeking an opportunity to examine copies of the enabling policies, executed and ongoing projects for bolstering job creation and youth employment so as to independently verify the methodology employed in generating the statistical data of jobs created within the specified timeframe.

YOUTH-VOTE 2015: NO MORE APATHY.NO MORE DULLING

Youth-Vote 2015 (YV2015) campaign is now fully on course! YV2015 campaign has one ultimate goal: to increase the electoral participation of all eligible Nigerians of voting age, especially young voters in the 2015 elections.  A significant number of young voters go to the polls without the necessary tools to make an informed decision. They know little or nothing about the politicians and have no idea how the political institutions that run the country function.

Thanks to YV2015, Badagry communities in Lagos will never remain the same again. On Saturday, May 26, 2014, traditional rulers, grassroot politicians, religious groups, women and youth leaders of various communities and villages in Badagry Local Government benefited from empowering YV2015 civic education and election simulation exercises remarkably delivered by Spaces for Change’s YV2015 advocates, Oluwafunmilayo Fakeye and Cletus Ogwuche.

PHOTOSPEAK: BADAGRY YOUTH-VOTE 2015 TOWHNHALL

Prosecute Electoral Offenders Now! - NHRC

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has recommended to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN), to prosecute 41 persons for violating electoral laws.

Among them are former Edo State Governor Oserhiemen Osunbor, a professor of law and former senator; a former Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Clarence Olafemi; a former Ekiti State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Ayoka Adebayo, and an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Christopher Oloyede.

NNPC, PHCN: Two Evil Cathedrals

THE TWO DEADLIEST CULT GROUPS IN NIGERIA  - Victor Abibo Jr.

NNPC: They operate an accounting system no financial expert can ever understand… Their personnel collude with oil marketers and subsidy merchants to rape the nation… Who really knows what amount of crude oil Nigeria truly exports in a day and what amount accrues to the nation’s coffer daily?

PHCN: They collude with filling station owners and generator suppliers to keep Nigerians in perpetual darkness… Its personnel slap Nigerians with bills only they know how they were calculated… In place of stable electricity they generate darkness and outrageous bills concocted through voodoo accounting system.

Rebasing the Economy: Young Nigerians React

 “Nigeria has moved to be the largest economy by GDP size in Africa and has moved to be the 26th largest economy in the world," finance minister and coordinating minister of the economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said. According to the newly-released data rebasing the country's gross domestic product (GDP), Nigerian economy grew to $453 billion in 2012, instead of $264 billion as measured by the World Bank for that year, overtaking South Africa's economy which the World Bank put at $384 billion in 2012.

 This news elicited mixed reactions from citizens across the country ranging from the congratulatory chants to the most cynical remarks exuding disbelief and rage considering the rising poverty and unemployment levels in Nigeria that sharply contrast with the super-bright statistical data. Now trending on Twitter and across social media sites is #RebasingTheEconomy and tons of similar hashtags created by both the fascinated and disenchanted commentators.

Consistent with our dedicated work of using the social media to promote citizen engagement in democratic governance and strategically crowd-source public opinion on critical social and economic policies of government, Spaces for Change’s Discussion Room has since Sunday evening, witnessed an unprecedented traffic of commentary, intense debates and web postings interrogating the accuracy of the latest data. Is this another game of numbers or the ripe time to celebrate real economic progress?

National Conference and Us: Report of Conference Proceedings

At Spaces for Change.S4C, crowd-sourcing – research questions, policy answers, public opinion and statistical data – is a buzzword. S4C has increasingly built capacity and gained reputation for promoting enhanced public engagement in democratic problem-solving using digital technology.

Saturday, March 29, 2014 e-conference, “National Conference and Us” once again presented another unique opportunity to use crowd sourcing techniques and internet-based tools to solicit ideas, valuable information and input from over 6,700 members of Spaces for Change’s Discussion Forum who want their voices and matters that affect them to be heard at the ongoing national conference. Three lead discussants who are also delegates representing various interest groups in the ongoing national conference were there to listen to them and interact with the large group of young Nigerians in a new and dynamic way.