Building Bridges to Tackle Corruption – Q2 Highlights

Over 7000 children have read Emeka’s Money storybook and have been inspired by Emeka to act with integrity. In May, with support from the MacArthur Foundation and in partnership with Basement Animation Studios, we launched Emeka’s Money Animated film and the official movie soundtrack. 

So far, the film has been seen by over 58,000 people worldwide and the soundtrack has been viewed by over 43,000 people globally. Emeka’s message is simple ‘We must do better, the change begins with me’ Will you join him in singing and sharing this message? 

To watch the animated film and soundtrack, please visit our YouTube channel. This film is designed for the whole family so we do recommend that you grab your kids and share with all your networks.

We also held a series of interviews with the film cast and film producers, and on launch day, we held panel discussions with special guests on using the social norms approach and storytelling as tools to fight corruption. All of these and many other existing videos can be found on our YouTube channel Step Up TV.

Thanks to our new learning and development website, 65 teachers in Lagos, Kaduna and the FCT have been trained on anti-corruption & integrity using interactive tools and approaches.

We also held virtual classroom sessions with children in Lagos, Kaduna and the FCT using storybooks and cartoon films to show them the real costs of corruption and importance of integrity for a good society. 

Click to sign up or share the links to join the Teachers training or to enrol your children in the virtual classrooms.

Step Up Nigeria launched a podcast series on Covid-19 and corruption. The series seeks to reflect on Nigeria’s preparedness for the pandemic, how corruption has affected and still affects an effective response, important lessons learned, and solutions to prevailing challenges.

1. Preventing Corruption During the Coronavirus Pandemic Ft. Accountability Lab Nigeria Country Director, Odeh Friday

2. Costs of Corruption on the Coronavirus Pandemic – Reflections and Lessons Ft. Step Up Nigeria Directors, Onyi Ough & Zainab Haruna.

3. Why tackling corruption is crucial in ensuring an effective response to COVID-19 Ft. Blair Glencorse, Executive Director, Accountability Lab Global

4. Could implementing the Anti-corruption Summit commitments help countries better ensure transparency and accountability in their COVID 19 response? Ft. Transparency International Project Officer, Lucia Cirimello

5. Will efforts to improve infrastructure transparency contribute towards an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic? Ft. Chatham House Fellow, Matthew Page & COST Initiative’s Gilbert Sendugwa 

6. The impact of COVID-19 on the education sector; A discussion with policymakers in Lagos State Ft. Lagos MoE Abodunrin Oni & AFED Administrator, Laolu Apara

In May 2020, Step Up Nigeria commenced a special  impact assessment survey chronicling the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on disadvantaged people groups in Nigeria. We released a report that highlighted the stories and insights from the urban poor and lower-income groups in Lagos, Kaduna and the FCT. Through interviews, Step Up Nigeria captured voices of community residents, educators, children, farmers, transporters, traders, labourers, casual workers, and internally displaced persons to gain an insight into the effect of COVID-19 on their lives and livelihood. See the full report. We also highlighted voices from these community groups in a series of Step Up Morning show episodes on our YouTube Channel here.

Step Up Nigeria launched an online campaign highlighting the gross mismanagement of funds revealed in the 2016 & 2017 Audit Reports of the Federation. Share your thoughts with us on social media.

In March, Step Up Nigeria launched our YouTube channel called Step Up TV as a platform to share governance and anti-corruption stories for the family and to amplify the voices of less heard people groups in our society. Our playlists range from the Step Up TV Morning show to Step Up Films, Step Up Discourse, and a Kiddies corner amongst others.  Join the Step Up family by subscribing today.

Step Up Nigeria is seeking to build a constituency base of partners, beneficiaries and stakeholders to share our work and experiences with. This quarter, Step Up Nigeria launched our free Membership Program. If interested in becoming a member, please click this link to sign up.

Meet Halima Ahmed, the Hero in the children’s favourite storybook, Halima’s Vote. Halima has taken her anti-corruption advocacy beyond her little village. Halima speaks on issues that affect all of us as Nigerians and shared tips and tricks on being an anti-corruption champion. Follow Halima’s Activities on Facebook.