GoNigeria, an initiative of Anap Foundation, has launched the GoNigeria Comedy Challenge, a contest for young Nigerians between the ages of 18 to 34 years, with N1 million as the star prize.
Other prizes are N600,000 and N400,000 for the first and second runners-up respectively.
This is in line with its stated objective of becoming an important voice for driving Nigerian youths to actively participate in the nation’s electoral processes and redefining its political trajectory in 2023.
Propelled by the enormous resourcefulness of talents and skills that abound in the creative space amongst Nigerian youths, GoNigeria is seeking to harness this energy and the anger in the minds of some youths in a positive direction.
According to Anap Foundation, a non-profit organisation that is committed to promoting good governance, GoNigeria competitions act as an incentivising platform, which also boosts political participation by Nigerian youths as the messaging requires participants to go beyond cracking jokes.
It enables them to showcase their entertainment talents by delivering an important message through comedy that is consistent with the ongoing GoNigeria advocacy campaign. GoNigeria says it believes that many of a true word is often said in jest.
This competition is coming on the heels of the Q1-2022 Poetry Challenge during which three young Nigerians youths – Diana Modeme from Anambra State, David Odiase (aka 78th psalmist) from Lagos State, and Abdullahi Idi Dabiru, a contestant from Borno State won the first three prizes.
To be anchored by renowned actor content creator, activist and GoAmbassador, Mr Debo Adedayo MrMacaroni1, the online comedy contest will run from Friday 22nd April to Friday 13th May, 2022.
It is open to Nigerian youths who have Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).
Participants are required to send in a 45-second video, incorporating humour, in English and Pidgin or a mixture of both languages, in which they must show their PVCs or registration slips and play with the word “PVC” or “Permanent Voters Card” in their production.
The video must adequately communicate the need for Nigerian youths to register and get their PVCs before 30th June, in an impactful manner. They must then post the video on all their social media platforms with the hashtag #GoNigeriaComedyChallenge and tag @AnapFoundation.
Participants are encouraged to visit the website www.GoNigeria.com for more information.
The selection of winners will entirely be at the discretion of the GoNigeria judges, who will apply terms and conditions that have been designed to ensure fair play and healthy competition.
While the thrust of the comedy challenge is aimed at engaging Nigerian youths with a strong inclination towards comedy to showcase their talents, the real objective is aimed at encouraging Nigerian youths within the eligibility demographics of the challenge aged between 18 and 34 years of old to go and register with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and collect their PVCs before the Continuous Voter’s Registration ends on 30th June, 2022.
This is in line with the ongoing GoNigeria advocacy campaign aimed at encouraging eligible young Nigerians in the country and the Diaspora to actively participate in the nation’s electoral processes leading up to the 2023 elections, as their direct involvement should be pivotal to reshaping the country’s political destiny.
GoNigeria is an initiative of Anap Foundation via its GoNigeria Initiative. Anap Foundation has partnered with advocates and enlightened celebrities (GoAmbassadors), corporate bodies eager to support the Initiative via co-branding (GoPartners) as well as many enthusiastic volunteers who will help to amplify the messaging to Nigerian youths (GoVolunteers). The overall aim is to encourage Nigerian youths to register and vote en-masse in the 2023 general elections.
The 18 Initial Advocates of the GoNigeria Movement are drawn from all the six geopolitical zones (three per zone). They include: Atedo Peterside (Convener), Aisha Yesufu, Nuruddeen Lemu, Dike Chukwumerije, Folarin Falana (Falz), Bishop Matthew Hassan-Kukah, Arunma Oteh and Hamzat Lawal.
Others are Tomiwa Aladekomo, Osita Chidoka, Dr Tony Rapu, ‘Yemi Adamolekun, Muhammad Ali Pate, former Emir of Kano Muhammad Sanusi II, Dr. Salamatu Hussaini Suleiman, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, Ayisha Osori and Ibrahim Dahiru Waziri.
