ROUNDCHECK, a youth-led fact-checking organisation, has launched a web-based game aimed at improving civic education, political literacy and media and information literacy among young Nigerians.
The platform, known as Civic Play, was unveiled on Saturday during a virtual event themed “Advancing Civic Engagement Through Digital Innovation”.
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The organisation said the game currently contains more than 1,000 questions on civic and political issues and is designed to help young people better understand democratic processes, citizens’ rights and responsibilities, and participation in public affairs.
ROUNDCHECK also plans to introduce the platform in about 50 schools and tertiary institutions across Lagos, Oyo and Ogun states.
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How Civic Play works
During the launch, ROUNDCHECK’s Assistant Project Manager, Daniel Nworie, demonstrated the platform, which features timed questions, instant feedback and progress tracking.
The organisation said the game combines civic education with interactive digital learning to make information about governance, politics and media literacy more accessible to young people.
More than 60 people attended the virtual launch, including representatives of Electoral College Nigeria, BudgIT, The Nation Newspaper, Alkalanci, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue (MILID) Foundation, FactCheck Africa, civil society organisations and campus journalists from tertiary institutions.
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Using technology for civic education
Speaking at the event, Lekan Otufodurin, executive director of Media Career Development Network, highlighted the role of digital innovation in promoting civic engagement.
Mr Otufodurin stressed the need for citizens to be informed and actively participate in democratic processes, particularly in addressing misinformation.
He said initiatives such as Civic Play could make civic education more accessible by presenting information through digital platforms that reflect how young people increasingly learn and interact.
Vahyala Kwaga, country director for Nigeria at BudgIT, also stressed the importance of active citizenship to the quality of governance and democracy.
Mr Kwaga described Civic Play as an engaging way to share civic knowledge while encouraging young people to reflect on their responsibilities as citizens.
He said Nigeria’s youthful population should be harnessed to build a more informed generation of citizens and leaders, and encouraged ROUNDCHECK to consider expanding the initiative to other countries in the sub-region.
According to him, the quality of governance is partly influenced by the extent to which citizens understand and participate in civic processes.
Beyond elections
Victoria Bamas, project manager at Alkalanci, said civic engagement should go beyond elections and voting.
Ms Bamas, whose organisation focuses on fact-checking and media and information literacy in local languages, said citizens who understand their rights, responsibilities and the functions of government institutions would be better positioned to hold public officials accountable.
She urged citizens to engage with state and local governments rather than focusing exclusively on the federal government.
“Issues such as primary healthcare, drainage, refuse disposal, and community roads often require citizens to engage directly with their local authorities.”
Ms Bamas also called for possible collaboration between Civic Play and the National Orientation Agency (NOA), saying the agency’s grassroots presence could help the platform reach more communities.
Alao Abiodun, a senior reporter with The Nation Newspaper, urged ROUNDCHECK to explore partnerships with government institutions to expand Civic Play.
Mr Abiodun said structures such as the Office of Civic Engagement in Lagos could help integrate the initiative into existing civic engagement programmes.
He also recommended that Civic Play be extended to secondary schools and that ROUNDCHECK develop a mobile application to complement the web-based platform.
According to him, young people increasingly access information through social media and other digital platforms.
Plans for expansion
Lisa Hassan, deputy executive director of Electoral College Nigeria, described Civic Play as an innovation that could make civic education more practical and interactive.
Ms Hassan said technology could help engage young people who might find conventional approaches to civic education less appealing.
She also stressed the need for collaboration among organisations working on electoral participation, civic education and related issues.
Caleb Ijioma, executive director of ROUNDCHECK, said the organisation plans to expand Civic Play through partnerships, community outreach and additional learning features.
Mr Ijioma said ROUNDCHECK plans to take the platform to about 50 schools and tertiary institutions across Lagos, Oyo and Ogun states.
According to him, additional features being considered include courses on political and media literacy, a dashboard for accessing the courses and the integration of local languages.
ROUNDCHECK also plans to launch a campaign with rewards for participation and test Civic Play during the forthcoming Osun State governorship election.
The platform is available at www.civicplay.ng.
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