The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reached agreement with telecommunications provider Airtel to expand the reach of Ureport, an sms-based platform for citizen participation in governance.
More than 400,000 users—only four-tenths of its target one million users by year end—have already signed up to U-report Nigeria since its launch in 2005, making the Nigerian version the highest populated among 16 countries that run the platform.
Some 15 million text messages were sent and received on the Ureport at the height of Ebola outbreak last year, and real time messages sent on it helped deal with Ebola myths.
U-Report Nigeria has sent out more than 70 polls and 25 million messages over the past year on topics as such as prevention of HIV/AIDS, unemployment, maternal and child health, safety and security in schools, child protection, electricity, water and sanitation and hygiene.
The partnership between UNICEF and Airtel has been describing as helping the UN children’s fund push for increased access to social change related information and provide opportunities for participation.
Airtel looks to shore up connectivity and provide more Nigerians free access to mobile applications and services denied by UNICEF.
The firm’s chief executive officer Segun Ogunsanya said Airtel was always keen “on opportunities to excite, delight and empower our customers.
“This innovative partnership with UNICEF offers Nigerians a golden opportunity to transform the country and we are glad to be part of the U-Report project,” he said.
Jean Gough, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, said a partnership with Airtel “has the potential to empower millions of Nigerians through access to information and with opportunities to help them transform their societies.”