Civication

Civic engagement is very low in Nigeria, especially among youths. Young people are often regarded as leaders of tomorrow but still continue to dissociate themselves from civic issues. This contributes to the low number of civic actions and engagement in the country. In the recently concluded Presidential Election in Nigeria, it was reported to have a 27% voter turnout, a very low figure for a country with a majorly youth population. This affects the country in many ways as problems remained unresolved because most elected officials are not a true representation of the populace hence policies are formulated with little consideration for the people.

Current solutions to this problem which include the inculcation of civic education into the school system have proven ineffective in tackling this issue as they focus on the memorization ability of learners. Therefore, new solutions are required in tackling this problem.

In analyzing the problem, I decided on a mobile app to proffer the best solution for this problem. This will enhance accessibility and widespread usage.

My solution is an app that seeks to empower, inspire and connect citizens to take civic action. Through the app, citizens can learn through easy-to-follow short-form civic lessons about civics, ways to take action, and why it is so important. In addition to the learning modules, citizens would be able to connect with other citizens who share their interest in collaborative action and make petitions to government officials on policies and actions that would benefit the country. The app also features a news feed to nudge citizens in the direction of civic engagement by providing access to news information. Citizens would be able to use the app to safely and easily cast their votes seamlessly without the fear of being attacked and bullied to vote against their will. 

Through this app, I aim to help renew the interest of Nigerian people in the civic process(civic engagement) and inculcate good civic principles in Nigerian citizens. 

The ‘for school’ page of Civication offers a curriculum school owners and teachers can make use of, to provide a classroom-based approach to the unique features Civication offers. This curriculum provides activities that give students a real-world connection with civic lessons. I plan on working with the ministry of education to make the curriculum more accessible to schools nationwide.

The app’s major features would be available offline to accommodate users with little or no access to the internet. You can watch the app demo here.

CIvication will serve the Nigerian populace. Through Civication, Nigerians would be impacted with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively participate and contribute to their communities. 

I plan on working with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in delivering the voting feature of the app. The app aims to reignite civic engagement in the country thereby improving civic actions from both citizens and elected officials. Through this, citizens can be actively involved in government to aid the promotion of solutions to pressing issues. When more people are active members of their communities, they would be useful in driving impactful change across multiple sectors and improving their lives as well. 

Nigeria currently battles poverty, electoral malpractices, and poor standard of living, but civic engagement through Civication could address the challenges.

Data from 8 individuals who evaluated Civication

As a member of the community I plan to serve, I am quite proximate to the problem, enabling me to understand it from people’s perspectives in order to effectively solve the problem. My proximity is not just as a member of the community, but proximity with location. I have been able to connect physically with potential users to understand ways Civication would serve them effectively and truly bring forth a change.

Additionally, my programming experience will be useful in developing and launching the finalized version of the Civication app. I have experience in programming languages such as Python, Javascript, and HTML/CSS which would be beneficial in developing the app. I have also worked on various programming projects that have equipped me with skills such as debugging and testing.

I have researched the problem by reading research papers on the issue to identify the challenges and needs specific to the demographic I plan to serve. Engaging with potential users, through interviews, I strive to understand the issue of lack of civic engagement better and the underlying factors influencing it. 

I have organized interviews with people who have tested the app's prototype built on MIT App Inventor and given positive feedback. By digging deeper into the issue and applying the Design Thinking Framework, as a member of the community I plan to serve, I was able to evaluate the impact of my solution and the needs of Nigerians. 

Civication currently exists as an app prototype built using MIT App Inventor, with plans to build a fully-fledged mobile app to launch on both the Google Play store and App store. The prototype is currently being tested with potential users in order to provide a human-centered design that serves the need of the people and effectively solves the problem

I plan on taking advantage of the one-of-a-kind Solver Network to connect with like-minded individuals in driving the growth of this solution. Civication seeks the resources Solve has to offer in order to scale it such as access to a network of creative people. This would be useful in recruiting other people who want to contribute to this Civication.

I am also interested in business mentorship and guidance in developing a sustainable business model and in deploying Civication for implementation.

Additionally, through Solve, I hope to scale my solution to not just the Nigerian market but to address a wider range of individuals. From my research, civic disengagement is not just a major problem in Nigeria but in other countries. I believe, through Solve, I would be able to scale my app through the financial and mentoring opportunities granted to Solver teams. 

My solution maximizes the use of mobile apps to improve accessibility and the inclusivity of the app. Previous solutions included organizations and initiatives that were often limited by location, weather, finances, and other constraints. However, Civication has no such barrier allowing it to reach a wider audience than previous solutions, and impact more citizens across the nation. 

Also, Civication has the potential for scaling. As a mobile app, Civication can be adapted for a large number of users in other countries potentially solving this crucial problem not just in Nigeria but beyond. 

1) Create civic awareness: Currently, Civication is in its prototype stage for testing and collection of user feedback for a human-centered design. By next year, we plan to have launched the app on the Play store and App store to reach an estimated 120 million users in Nigeria (Source: Statista)

2) Improve Voter Turnout: (In the next five years)By working with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deliver the voting feature of the app, we aim to improve the electoral process, significantly improve voter turnout, and restore trust in the democratic process. The Nigerian elections have been associated with mass electoral malpractices and electoral violence but by leveraging technology—through Civication—we can solve this issue.

3) Improve citizens’ interaction with elected officials:(In the next five years) Beyond our core features, Civication seeks to improve the interaction of citizens with elected officials by extending its features to accommodate and foster conversions between citizens and elected officials. This would further improve civic engagement and foster transformational growth in the country.

I also plan on working with more people to improve the content of the app. At the end of five years, I aim to have contributed to an increase in civic engagement and participation of Nigerians, improving the growth of the country.

I plan on measuring progress towards my impact goals mainly through voter turnout and app usage. By tracking these two stats, I can draw conclusions on the progress towards achieving impact goals. An increase in the currently low voter turnout indicates data that can show Civication role in achieving it.

Activities:

• Launch the Civication app and promote it through various mediums.

• Monitor app usage and receive user feedback to improve the app for a better experience

• Develop high-quality learning modules on civic engagement and civic action

• Encourage user interaction and collaborative civic action through social feature

• Facilitate seamless online voting through the voting feature, allowing citizens to participate in elections 

• Use the news feed to keep users informed and engaged with current events and issues related to civic engagement and civic action.

Outputs:

• Increased engagement and interaction among app users for collaborative action among other

• Increased knowledge and understanding of civic engagement and civic action both for app users and schools in Nigeria (through the curriculum)

• Increased participation in voting among app users

• Increased awareness and interest in current events and issues in the country to spark civic action

Outcomes:

• Increased civic engagement and civic action among app users

• Improved voter turnout

• Increased accountability and transparency in government

Impact:

• A more engaged and active citizenry that is better equipped to take civic action

• A stronger democracy in Nigeria

• Improved social and economic outcomes in Nigeria

Evidence:

• External research shows that online platforms can be effective in promoting civic engagement and increasing political participation (Source: The Impact of Social Media in Political Participation Among Students in Nigeria).

• Impact evaluation findings prove that Civication's voting feature could increase participation in voting, leading to higher voter turnout and more representative election outcomes (based on analysis of election data from the Independent National Electoral Commission, Article on e-voting).

• Feedback from interviews with potential users shows that the app could increase awareness and generate interest in current events and issues in Nigeria through the learning modules and news feed, leading to increased participation in community initiatives and civic action.

The prototype of the app was built using MIT App Inventor Block Interface. In the future, I plan on using Flutter to develop Civication for both Android and IOS devices.

I plan on recruiting team members from various parts of Nigeria who share similar passions and interests in the solution. My recruiting process would be ‘demographic-blind’, a term I coined to describe the fact that ability, drive, passion, and mindsets will drive the recruiting process with no consideration for the tribe, gender, and skin color of the prospective team member while ensuring ethnic representation in the team. Currently, the team comprises two people with plans to expand and grow.

Also, in the user feedback process, I am aware of the need for diversity in order to design an app that meets the needs of diverse people. Having diverse perspectives is beneficial and crucial to the development process of Civication.

Civication is a social enterprise that is committed to helping improve civic engagement in Nigeria. We do this through our app for Nigerians which uses four methods to spark civic action. Our learning modules provide civic education in short form using eye-catching visuals and graphics. Our social features allow app users to connect and collaborate on civic action. The news feed nudges users towards civic action. Finally, the curriculum offered on the app improves the current classroom-based approach to civic action.

Civication offers the voting feature and the social feature as a unique value proposition that would attract potential users. The app also works offline, further accommodating citizens with limited access to the internet. 

I plan on maximizing crowdfunding to raise funds for the launch and maintenance of the Civication app.  I would also work towards receiving grants and donations from individuals and organizations who may be interested in funding the cause. Additionally, by partnering and working with government organizations, I plan to receive funding through the process.

No external funds have been raised for this solution yet. All efforts, including research, data collection, design, and prototype, into the Civication have been self-funded. After the completion of the testing phase of the app, I would begin the execution of our financial plans.