The GoNigeria Digital Poetry Challenge will on Monday 11th April begin the call for entry from Nigerians aged between 18 and 34 for the second quarter of the competition.
Entries will close on 30th June.
The Poetry Challenge, which was launched to commemorate the 2022 World Poetry Day, is to drive the public enlightenment campaign around youths’ participation in the electoral process, starting with registration for the 2023 general elections.
The Q1 of the competition, a GoNigeria initiative, produced three winners who received cash reward of N2 million. Anambra State’s Diana Modeme finished ahead of the competitors and got the the star prize of N1 million, while first runners-up David Odiase (popularly known as 78thpsalmist) from Lagos received N600,00 and Borno State’s Abdullahi Idi Dabiru got N400,000.
As he did for the maiden edition, Q2 of the poetry challenge will also be anchored by renowned poet, Dike Chukwumerije, a GoNigeria advocate.
Participants are required to produce a 45-second spoken word video while holding their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs). emphasise the importance of getting the cards and encourage other youths to register and collect their cards, whilst playing with the acronym P-V-C.
In the video, contestants are required to ensure a strong visual display of their PVCs as a prop which must also involve WORD play around the acronym ‘P-V-C’, and then post their video using the hashtag #GoNigeriaPoetryChallenge tagging @anapfoundation.
The organisers cautioned that any video that is longer than 45 seconds will be disqualified.
The poetry challenge is aimed at engaging Nigerian youths who have a strong inclination in poetry to showcase their talents and be part of the ongoing GoNigeria advocacy campaign aimed at encouraging eligible young Nigerians in the country and in the Diaspora to actively participate in the nation’s electoral processes leading up to the 2023 elections.
The group believes that the youths’ direct involvement in the electoral process would be pivotal towards reshaping the country’s political destiny.
GoNigeria is an initiative of Anap Foundation, a non-profit organisation committed to promoting good governance. Through its GoNigeria Initiative, Anap Foundation has established partnerships with advocates and enlightened celebrities known as GoAmbassadors, corporate bodies eager to support the Initiative by co-branding (GoPartners) as well enthusiastic young volunteers amplifying the messaging to their age mates (GoVolunteers).
The overall aim is to encourage Nigerian youths to register and vote en-masse in the 2023 general elections.
The 18 initial advocates were drawn from all the six geopolitical zones with equal representation. Among them are: Atedo Peterside (Convener), Aisha Yesufu, Nuruddeen Lemu, Chukwumerije, Folarin Falana (well known as Falz), Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, Arunma Oteh, Hamzat Lawal, Tomiwa Aladekomo and Osita Chidoka.
Others are: Dr. Tony Rapu, ‘Yemi Adamolekun, Muhammad Ali Pate, Muhammad Sanusi II, Dr. Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, Ayisha Osori and Ibrahim Dahiru Waziri.
