STEP UP NIGERIA MAY NEWSLETTER

Building bridges to combat corruption through a community of integrity champions, fostering enhanced service delivery in Nigeria…

Hello Stepper!

We hope you have been well. This past month, we collaborated with civil society in Abuja towards building a more united and resilient ecosystem. Key highlights include an invitation from the Honourable Ambassador of the United States to Nigeria, recognizing our role as civil society leaders in transparency and accountability. Additionally, we took the opportunity to celebrate children worldwide, emphasizing that meaningful change starts with what we teach our children. We also distributed over 100 training toolkits to teachers throughout Nigeria, equipping them with valuable resources to inspire integrity in the classroom and cultivate a generation of responsible citizens. Let’s begin. 🌟🎉

UNITED AGAINST CORRUPTION: CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERS MEET WITH U.S. MISSION

We were invited to a key stakeholders roundtable on transparency and accountability in Nigeria by the Ambassador of the U.S. Mission in Nigeria, Mr Richard M. Mills. Alongside other civil society leaders championing anti-corruption initiatives in Nigeria, the Honourable Ambassador recognized our efforts to promote good governance through transparency, integrity, and accountability. Together, we are working towards building a Nigeria where public services truly serve the people.

FROM CLASSROOMS TO COMMUNITIES: THE FUTURE OF NIGERIA IS IN OUR HANDS

We celebrated Children’s Day this year by recognizing the potential of Nigeria’s children to build the nation of their dreams. This year, one of our young champions, Emilia Terdoo Ako, highlighted the importance of our collective responsibility for the state of our nation. Inspiring figures like Emilia are leading the charge against corruption, reminding us that positive change begins with each of us. Emilia encourages everyone today to unite in advocating for a brighter, more transparent Nigeria. Together, we can build a better future for all. Watch her short message here – https://youtu.be/FG8P8GRuAyU

EQUIPPING TEACHERS TO TEACH ETHICS EDUCATION THROUGH THE TEACHERS TRAINING PROGRAMME

In May, we celebrated teachers, recognizing them as the unsung heroes who are shaping Nigeria’s future, one child at a time. To honor their invaluable contributions to society, we distributed over 100 toolkits that included teaching guides, manuals, and storybooks to educators nationwide. This initiative aims to equip more teachers with the resources they need to inspire integrity and foster a generation of responsible citizens. Congratulations to this group of educators for completing the Teacher Training program. Here’s to raising more integrity champions! You can watch the testimonies of these trained teachers here: https://bit.ly/3T8YjRH

FROM ROUNDTABLE TO REFORM: BUILDING A CULTURE OF INTEGRITY THROUGH COLLABORATION

As part of our efforts to raise ethical future leaders in Nigeria, we are partnering with organizations to scale our leadership and integrity-building initiatives. We believe that building strategic collaborations can help deepen our shared commitment to integrity and good governance across Nigeria and also shape young Nigerians with the necessary tools to lead with integrity, accountability, and transparency. If you would like to partner with us, contact us at info@stepupnigeria.org.

FROM VISION TO ACTION: SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE NIGERIA BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE COALITION

We hosted members of the Nigeria Behaviour Change Cohort as part of our leading advocacy to shape the future of the emerging Nigeria Behavioural Change Coalition. The Coalition is dedicated to improving anti-corruption initiatives in Nigeria by providing strategic technical support and expert guidance on addressing corruption issues through behavior change approaches. Represented here are the Provost of the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria, the Executive Director of Step Up Nigeria, the Country Director of Accountability Lab Nigeria, and Dr. Rekiyah Momoh-Abaji of the Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, Akin Fadeyi Foundation, and Palace of Priests Assembly. We look forward to all that this coalition will achieve.

THE FOURTH ESTATE IN ACTION: JOURNALISM AS A TOOL AGAINST CORRUPTION

On World Press Freedom Day, we took time to honor courageous journalists who share important stories. In an era where investigative journalism is being cracked down on, it is important to teach the next generation to stand firm in their commitment to truth, refusing to let unethical practices silence critical narratives. Our book and animated film, Tosin’s story, is dedicated to sharing the untold stories of journalists whose stories amplified the voices of underprivileged communities. Let’s continue to support integrity in journalism as we strive for a more informed society. You can watch the animated film with this link: https://youtu.be/HMGhWzexO9w.

SHAPING FUTURE LEADERS WITH INTEGRITY #BUYACHILDABOOK

Our goal is to create a brighter future for the next generation by empowering children with knowledge and tools to fight corruption and uphold integrity. So far, we have reached 60,000 children. You can support our #BuyAChildABook campaign by purchasing any of our anti-corruption storybooks and sharing them with children in your community. You can place your order here for just N2,500 https://bit.ly/BuyAnticorruptionStorybooks