Pamia Africa has intensified efforts to tackle youth voter apathy by encouraging eligible young Nigerians to complete their Permanent Voter Card (PVC) registration ahead of future elections.
The advocacy group launched the campaign during a voter education and mobilisation outreach for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Abuja, under its Art4Civic initiative, describing young people as critical stakeholders in Nigeria’s democratic process.
Speaking at the engagement, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Pamia Africa, Peter Monday, said misinformation about the voter registration process continues to discourage many eligible youths from completing their registration.
He explained that online pre-registration alone does not qualify anyone to vote, stressing that applicants must create an account on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) registration portal, complete the required personal information, download their registration slip and visit an INEC registration centre for biometric capture before the registration process can be completed.
Monday warned participants against paying anyone to facilitate the exercise, emphasising that voter registration is free nationwide.
He also cautioned against multiple registrations, noting that the law prohibits anyone from registering on behalf of another person.
According to him, only Nigerian citizens aged 18 years and above who have never registered for a Permanent Voter Card qualify for fresh registration.
He stressed that applicants must reside, work or originate from the Local Government Area where they intend to register and must not face any legal disqualification under Nigerian law.
Also speaking, the NYSC Wuse Zonal Inspector, Siga Kaluri, urged corps members to promote voter education with professionalism, respect and political neutrality.
He advised them to avoid political arguments, refrain from endorsing political parties or candidates and focus on providing accurate information that would encourage more eligible young Nigerians to register and participate in elections.
Kaluri said volunteers build public trust in voter education campaigns when they treat everyone with dignity, respect differing opinions and remain impartial.
The outreach aimed to educate, engage and mobilise young Nigerians on voter registration while guiding eligible participants through every stage of the process.
During the interactive session, corps member Mary Wafari sought clarification on how to complete her online pre-registration before proceeding to an INEC registration centre for biometric capture.
The organisers said the campaign would reach more than 123 corps members across various NYSC centres as part of a broader effort to improve voter awareness, increase PVC registration and encourage greater youth participation in Nigeria’s electoral process.
The outreach was organised under the Art4Civic – LeadUp GenZ project, implemented by Pamia Africa in partnership with Freeze Creative Space.
About The Author
