Building bridges to tackle corruption through  a community of integrity champions, towards improved service delivery in Nigeria…

Hello Stepper! In this exciting edition of our newsletter, we celebrate our 5th anniversary, launch an anti-corruption report and integrity board game, and raise integrity champions across Nigeria. Step Up Nigeria thanks you for partnering with us on this journey. Here are our top highlights from July.

STEP UP NIGERIA @ 5 – A MEMORABLE MILESTONE!

We are thrilled to have celebrated our 5th anniversary in style, and we couldn’t have done it without your tremendous support! On the 27th of July, 2023, friends, supporters, and partners from across the globe joined us to commemorate this momentous occasion, where we reflected on five years of empowering youth, igniting change, and inspiring integrity.

During the event, we unveiled a groundbreaking report titled “Anti-corruption Education in Nigeria: A Complementary or Alternative Tool to Enforcement.” This comprehensive report encompasses five years of research, case studies, successes, challenges, and valuable recommendations. It serves as a vital resource for governments, anti-corruption agencies, and individuals like yourself, offering strategic insights in the fight against corruption. You can access the report HERE.

At our exhibition booth, led by Dr. Kole Shettima, Country Director of the MacArthur Foundation, guests had the chance to experience our diverse range of anti-corruption tools firsthand. From the captivating Integrity board game to immersive virtual reality (VR) films and engaging storybooks and animated films, the booth was a hub of excitement. Children and adults alike immersed themselves in the experience, with many leaving with cherished storybooks to take home.

A special highlight of the celebration was the unveiling of our very own ‘Do It Right’ – An Integrity Board Game. Designed and created with passion by some of our dedicated team members, the game was a labour of love to appeal to children while promoting values of integrity and accountability. You can pre-order your copy if interested.

We are truly grateful for your unwavering support over the past five years, and we look forward to continuing our journey towards a more transparent and corruption-free future. To watch the full event recap, please visit our YouTube page Step Up TV. Thank you for being part of this incredible milestone celebration!

SHERIFAT’S SCHOOL: USING VIRTUAL REALITY TO RAISE ANTI-CORRUPTION CHAMPIONS IN THE EDUCATION SECTOR 

We recently hosted key education stakeholders and anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria for a powerful virtual reality film screening of Sherifat’s School. This innovative experience aimed to raise awareness about the devastating impact of corruption in education.After the virtual reality session, we engaged in an insightful panel discussion, exploring actionable steps to promote integrity and combat corruption in the education sector. The exchange of ideas left us inspired and hopeful for positive change.We are excited about the potential outcomes of this session and look forward to fruitful collaborations with our new champions. Together, we can create a positive change in Nigeria’s education landscape!

PROMISING DEVELOPMENTS IN AGUNJI COMMUNITY: ENGAGING ELECTED OFFICIALS – ROAD REPAIR IN SIGHT!

In a momentous town hall meeting, the first-time voters of Agunji community engaged in fruitful dialogue with political leaders, including the Deputy Speaker (factional) of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly. Concerns about poor service delivery, especially regarding the road’s condition, were raised, and the community representative at the State House of Assembly made a committed promise to address the road’s repair. The community members showed unity by pledging their active involvement in creating proper drainage systems to support the road repair efforts. The women of Agunji celebrated our impact through heartfelt songs, urging their leaders to fulfil their promises. We are proud of these promising developments and remain hopeful for a brighter future in Agunji community.

ANTI-CORRUPTION VIRTUAL BOOTCAMP: EMPOWERING TEACHERS! 

Our second cohort of teachers is reaching the final stage of its training – the anti-corruption bootcamp. They are learning creative approaches to teach children about anti-corruption education in the classroom. So far, 69 teachers have successfully completed both the Flying Start course and the Bootcamp this year. We are excited to witness the impact of their training as they apply the knowledge from our anti-corruption toolkit in their classrooms. The dedication of these teachers inspires us, and we eagerly anticipate their achievements after completing the training.

ANNUAL STAKEHOLDER REFLECTION SESSIONS

In July, we held our annual stakeholder reflection sessions, gathering feedback and learning from our partners and beneficiaries across our projects in Lagos and Nasarawa states and the FCT. These sessions have been instrumental in shaping new initiatives and we are deeply grateful for the continued support of our stakeholders, which has been crucial in driving positive change over the past 5 years.

Anti-Corruption Education For Social Change Project: We met with parents, teachers, school owners, heads of institutes for out-of-school children and children with disabilities, as well as key education stakeholders. 

First-Time Voters Integrity Initiative: We had a reflection session with first-time voters from marginalised communities, as well as elected representatives who participated in the First-Time Voters Integrity Initiative. 

Empowering Marginalised Children through PAGE Project!

Thanks to the generous support from the MacArthur Foundation, we collaborated with Knosk N100-a-day Charity Secondary School, Illmi Children’s Fund (ICF), and Not Forgotten Initiative School on our Providing Access to Good Education for Marginalised Children (PAGE) project. Key highlights from the session include: increased access to education for children from marginalised backgrounds, creating safe spaces for young girls experiencing gender-based violence (GBV) in schools, and tailored learning for children with special needs through training for teachers.

EMPOWERING CHILDREN TO FIGHT CORRUPTION AND UPHOLD INTEGRITY

We’re delighted to inform you that this month alone, we educated over 500 children, this includes in-school, out-of-school and children with disabilities. We disseminated over 500 books to children and school libraries to encourage the teaching of anti-corruption education in the classroom and its integration into closely related subjects. We are looking forward to expanding the Catch Them Young Initiative so that more children will become empowered to fight corruption and uphold integrity. 

ADOPTING INTEGRITY MEASURES TO IMPROVE SCHOOLS’ STANDARDS

We’ve been actively engaging school owners in Lagos and Abuja about our Integrity Certification programme, designed to elevate schools’ integrity standards and deter malpractices. Delighted to share that over 120 school owners have eagerly signed up, committing to uphold academic and admissions integrity in their institutions.

An Integrity Clinic A Day Keeps Malpractices Away!

In Abuja, we hosted an impactful Integrity Clinic session for school owners, delving into crucial areas for improvement. Together, we addressed school policies, codes of conduct, and conflict of interest registers. Their active participation led to crafting new policies to be implemented in the upcoming academic session, ensuring a culture of integrity and excellence in their schools.

STUDENTS’ HEROISM: TEACHER EXPOSED FOR EXAM MALPRACTICE

In a courageous act, four SS3 students reported a teacher who solicited money for exam answers after receiving anti-corruption education from Step Up Nigeria. Following the school owner’s participation in the Integrity Certification program, the entire student body was taught anti-corruption values. Empowered by this knowledge, the SS3 students took a stand against corruption. Their bravery led to an investigation, revealing the teacher’s misconduct with multiple students. He was asked to return the money and subsequently dismissed from the school. The four students were commended for their integrity and courage in speaking up against corruption.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION
We released two amazing podcast episodes this month;

The first highlights our work at Step Up Nigeria over the past 5 years in creating a strong foundation of integrity, empowering youth, and igniting change in the education system. Visit HERE to listen.

The second addresses the rising issue of exam malpractice in Nigeria. You do not want to miss this! Visit HERE to listen.

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