Conference participants in Lagos on Thursday called on governments to deploy technology to attract and engage the youth in governance.
They said that governments should also use technology to ensure transparency in governance as well as correct societal ills.
The discussants spoke on the topic: “Technology and Improving Governance’’, at the sixth edition of the 2018 Social Media Week Lagos which began on Monday.
Dr Udy Okon, Founder, Youth Alive Foundation, said that many Nigerian youths did not know about governance and how to get involved.
Okon said that there was the need to actively engage youth who, she said, constituted 60 per cent of the nation’s population, in governance to give them a sense of belonging.
She said that her foundation invented a mobile application known as ‘Your Excellency’, which could educate the youth on rudiments of governance.
“Technology and the use of mobile phones have brought the youth together under one space; that space can be used to attract and engage them actively in the processes of governance.
“Many youths use their mobile phones to form a coalition of voices against ills. They record videos on some ills and upload on social media. This has helped to expose ills in the society.
“This app will provide opportunities for the youth to speak to the government, influence policies, make demands, push campaigns and tag the government, especially now that many government officials are on social media.
“If this technology is well explored, it will strengthen engagement between government and the youth in the area of governance,” Okon said.
Mr Bob Etemiku, Communications Manager, African Network for Environment and Economic Justice, said that some government officials laundered money through acquisition of property.
Etemiku said that such people used technology to move money within and outside the country in a corrupt manner.
He said that the trend prompted the invention of a device called ‘Property Tracker’ to expose illegally acquired property.
“This device has created an avenue for citizens to be aware of these corrupt practices, and it can be taken as evidence for investigation.
“This has shown that technology can be used to foster governance,” he said.
Mr Seun Onigbinde, Lead Partner, BudgiT, claimed that the Nigerian budget had become a tool for fund disbursement rather than planning.
Onigbinde said that governments must run transparent budgets in the interest of national development.
According to him, a technology device called – ‘BudgIT’ has been invented to make Nigerian budget and public data more understandable and accessible.
“BudgiT focuses on creating demand for government information, driving accountability and transparency needed to draw attention to inadequacies in governance,” Onigbinde said.