By Chesa Chesa
The Ark and Rainbow Development Foundation (ARDEF) has launched a digital advocacy campaign, tagged The Loud Vote Project, to mobilise citizens, particularly young women, for greater participation in Nigeria’s electoral process and promote free, fair and secure elections.
The initiative is also aimed at strengthening electoral integrity and citizen security before, during and after elections, while encouraging Nigerians to move beyond observing the electoral process to becoming informed and active participants.
ARDEF said the project would leverage its network of young women leaders trained under its SHAPPE and SHAPE fellowship programmes in 2025 to build a citizen-driven movement around electoral participation, accountability and election security.
As part of the initiative, 20 trained ambassadors, known as The Loud 20, will lead digital advocacy and public engagement across social media platforms.
The organisation’s Communications Manager, Joy Tomo, said another component of the project would be The Loud Conversation, a two-hour live conversation on X scheduled for October 1 to mark Nigeria’s Independence anniversary.
She said the conversation would feature five panelists drawn from the fields of governance, democracy, civic participation, security and development.
Tomo said the initiative would combine a structured fellowship, where The Loud 20 would be trained and equipped with digital advocacy skills, with interactive public engagements designed to deepen citizens’ understanding of electoral issues.
According to her, the Loud Conversation would provide a platform for citizens and stakeholders to examine electoral participation, election security, vote buying, citizen responsibility, institutional accountability, and the role of young people and women in strengthening democratic participation.
Project Manager, Faith Kaminus, said the initiative was anchored on the belief that citizens had an important role to play in shaping the electoral environment.
Kaminus said ARDEF would encourage citizens to “sign, share, speak up and stay engaged,” while also calling on relevant public institutions to demonstrate accountability for electoral security and the integrity of the electoral process ahead of and after the 2027 elections.
She said the campaign would use hashtags, including #TheLoudVote, #SecureOurVote and #NaijaWatching, to build a wider digital conversation and encourage public participation.
Kaminus added that a public petition would be activated under the project to provide citizens with an avenue to express their concerns and support calls for free, fair and secure elections.
She urged citizens, civil society organisations, media organisations, young people and other stakeholders to join the campaign, amplify its message and contribute to greater awareness of the need for credible electoral processes.
The project, ARDEF said, is expected to sustain public conversations around citizens’ responsibilities, electoral accountability and the protection of democratic participation as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections.
