In a significant step toward promoting electoral accountability and strengthening citizen-led governance, ReadyToLeadAfrica officially launched the FollowThePromises web and mobile application platform with generous funding support from OSIWA – Open Society Foundations West Africa.
This civic tech initiative is designed to track, document, and monitor the campaign promises of elected political leaders, ensuring transparency and fostering a culture of accountability in Nigeria’s governance ecosystem.
Objectives:
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To provide citizens, especially young people, with a digital tool to monitor the fulfillment of political promises.
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To bridge the gap between elected officials and constituents through open data and participatory feedback mechanisms.
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To strengthen democratic governance by using technology for civic education, policy tracking, and electoral monitoring.
Key Features of the Platform:
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Campaign Promise Tracker: Aggregates campaign promises from candidates and elected officials across federal, state, and local levels.
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User-Generated Reports: Citizens can submit updates or feedback on government projects and policy implementations.
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Live Dashboard: Real-time analytics showing progress on various electoral promises.
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Mobile Accessibility: Available as both web and Android/iOS apps to ensure broader reach and usability.
Launch Highlights:
The launch event brought together key civil society stakeholders, youth advocates, media partners, and governance actors. Demonstrations of the platform showcased its usability, potential for civic engagement, and alignment with the principles of open governance.
Impact and Future Use:
The FollowThePromises platform is already gaining traction among civic tech users and youth-led organizations, with hundreds of early users engaging actively. It is envisioned to serve as a vital electoral accountability resource for upcoming elections and a long-term civic education tool.