LAGOS – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched the U-Report, an SMS-based platform that enables Nigerians to participate in policy-making, governance and access information on key social issues.
The launch was held in Lagos.
Ms Jean Gough, the Lagos State Representative, UNICEF, said at the event  that U-report was an important opportunity for Nigerians to make change in the country’s affairs.
“We want to have enough people you cannot ignore and if one million Nigerians will say they need this change, government will listen.
“If only two Nigerians say it, it is different, but if one million say it, your voice will not be ignored and change will come,’’ she said.
The representative said that U-report was a platform of opportunities for youths where they could express their opinions.
She said: “The young people are the ones to drive the change, because if they do not do it, it will be too late.
“It is the youth and the communities in general that are driving this agenda.
“We want to connect the communities because change starts from all of us’’.
Also speaking, the U-Report Project Manager, Miss Caroline Barebwoha, said that the platform was targeting one million users by December 2015.
Barebwoha said: “No country has had 10, 000 U-reporters in one day, but in Nigeria, it has happened.
“So, the power of numbers in Nigeria is unfathomable and that is why the target is one million because we know people want to speak out.
“And so, the launching of the platform is timely’’.
The manager said that U-report would be a success in achieving growth and development of the country when stakeholders were in partnership.
“It is the growth in the platform and partnership that we build that will make U-report a success.
“Our target is to get more people signed up and then use U-reporters to impact change and then take those voices to stakeholders.
“If it is a senator, let him know what is coming from his state; if it is a governor, let him know what is coming from his state.
“It is about moving the information from the communities to people who can act on it,’’ Barebwoha said.
In his remarks, the Chief Health, UNICEF, Nigeria, Mr Aboubacar Kampo, said the platform was seen as a community engagement.
According to him, the platform will ensure that the leaders in the society will be aware of what the community is thinking and addressing the needs of the communities.
“We believe that issues that are raised loud enough always take the attention of the leaders and decision makers.
“Issues like electricity, for instance, is an issue that is big enough which will make that leaders address it.
“This is what we are looking for and also it is the essence of U-report,’’ he said.