RIPPLES from Lagos

1
RIPPLES from Lagos

• Nigerian Youth Choose to Lead Action in the
  Information Society

Gbenga Sesan Program Manager / Team Leader Lagos
Digital Village / Paradigm Initiative
Nigeria www.gbengasesan.com me_at_gbengasesan.com
WSIS Nigeria Youth Caucus Post-Accra Forum.
Heinrich Boll Foundation, Nigeria. Friday, 04
March 2005
2
From Bamako to Accra

• Young people are the bridge between policy and
  action the proof of sustainability for any
  effort
• During Africas first regional meeting for the
  World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS),
  young people lobbied and recorded major success
  as the plenary threw a lot of support behind the
  clamour for youth empowerment and inclusion
• Nigerian youth input to the WSIS Youth Caucus has
  been consistent, even in the face of limitations
• Between Bamako and Accra, young Nigerians
  continued to extend the frontiers of the
  Information Society through the National
  Information Society Youth Campaigns (Policy
  Train) and other ICT4D consultations

3
Day Accra was Nigerias Capital

• Selected from a pool of applicants, 20 young
  women and men were sponsored by Heinrich Boll
  Foundation to the second African regional meeting
  for the WSIS
• Advocacy. Presence. Networking. Fun. Action.
  Dedication. Experiences these words express what
  young Nigerians did in Accra between January 29
  and February 4 2005. The dramatic exit is worthy
  of note!
• Bearing national symbols around their necks and
  waists and nation building on their minds
  young Nigerians led discussions, facilitated
  meetings, produced newsletters, met with
  dignitaries, resolved issues, matched words with
  action, stayed up late in order to help meet
  Africas Information Society needs
• Theres much more that can be done by young
  Nigerians!

4
To Geneva with Hope

• WSIS II PrepCom II discussed Internet Governance
  (IG), Financial Mechanisms (FM), and set the
  Tunis agenda
• The focus on IG and FM with more success
  recorded with the latter heightened fears that
  WSIS may be more of an Internet than an
  Information Society summit
• The endorsement on the Digital Solidarity Fund
  (after lengthy and intense negotiations between
  the African countries and the European Union and
  supported by other countries as a compromise
  decision) comes as a possible plus to efforts
  seeking to bridge digital divides
• Youth (though few) contributed to the process. We
  produced newsletters, blogged, and launched the
  Phase II National Youth Campaigns, World Summit
  Youth Awards and WSYA Radio

5
Global Thought Local Action

• The Accra Experience suggests what can be
  achieved by a group of networked and supported
  youth
• We can create positive change from our respective
  locations, starting a ripple that will reach
  rural areas and the relevant spaces within the
  Information Society
• There is need to establish a Nigerian Youth ICT4D
  Network (NYIN), led by youth and for youth
  (ranging from secondary school students to young
  professionals)
• NYIN will require support from government,
  private sector, civil society and development
  partners (e.g. HBF)
• Nigeria must make good use of the positive
  energies projected by its youth into the
  development space
• A New Nigeria, built on ICT (and other)
  opportunities, will need youth energy!

6
(No Transcript)
7
(No Transcript)
8
(No Transcript)
9
(No Transcript)
10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
(No Transcript)
14
(No Transcript)
15
(No Transcript)
16
(No Transcript)
17
(No Transcript)
18
(No Transcript)
19
(No Transcript)
20
(No Transcript)
21
(No Transcript)
22
RIPPLES from Lagos

• Nigerian Youth Choose to Lead Action in the
  Information Society

Gbenga Sesan Program Manager / Team Leader Lagos
Digital Village / Paradigm Initiative
Nigeria www.gbengasesan.com me_at_gbengasesan.com
WSIS Nigeria Youth Caucus Post-Accra Forum.
Heinrich Boll Foundation, Nigeria. Friday, 04
March 2005