http://www.unicefstories.org/2015/08/31/u-report-nigeria-reaches-more-than-1-million-responders/
LAGOS, Nigeria, 2 September
2015 - On Monday, 31st August 2015, Nigeria became the first country to hit the
1 million mark on the U-report platform globally.
U-report is an innovation based, user-centred social monitoring tool based on simple Short Message Service (SMS) messages (poll questions, results, and sharing of useful information) designed to strengthen community-led development, citizen engagement and positive change. U-Report relies on volunteer community members serving as U-Reporters to provide information on issues in their communities. In Nigeria, U-report is free on all GSM networks and by texting JOIN to 24453, citizens can use this platform to get useful information and report on issues in their different communities all over the country.
The first poll question from the U-report Nigeria platform was sent out in April 2014 and since then, issues such as health, education, security, Internally Displaced Persons, water and sanitation, violence against children, trafficking in persons and other pertinent issues have been discussed on the platform and results from these polls have been disseminated to relevant agencies.
Having over a million voices on this platform means that over a million Nigerians now have an opportunity to speak out on social issues in their communities and it gives them the assurance that their voices will be heard.
It is heartening to see a million young people in Nigeria becoming agents of change for their community and nation,” said Dr Sharad Sapra, Director of Global Innovations at UNICEF, when Nigeria hit the one million U-Reporter mark, “These young people and the many more who join them every day, are becoming the pillars for sustainable social development in Nigeria."
With the support in Nigeria of
telecommunications service providers Airtel, Etisalat, Glo and MTN, engaging
with U-Report is completely free and it has grown into a vibrant tool to
empower communities.
“Nigeria hitting the one million mark on the U-Report platform is a huge step in stakeholder engagement, connecting leaders with their communities to improve their standard of living,” said Jean Gough, UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, “U-Report can significantly contribute to transparency, accountability and social justice in Nigeria”
To access U-Report information, see http://www.nigeria.ureport.in. The website shows U-Reporter responses across Nigeria to nearly 70 polls. Questions on a wide range of topics continue to be asked to U-Reporters every week, providing a deep source of real-time information on the views and opinions of Nigerians.
