Project Overview
In preparation for the 2023 Gubernatorial election, the Pharos team of the Centre for Community Actions for Peace and Development (CCAPAD) implemented a critical awareness creation activity targeting youth in Bassa, Jos-East, Jos-South and Barkin Ladi LGAs of Plateau State, Nigeria.
Project Objectives
The Pharos Observatoire Project was designed with clear and focused objectives to ensure peaceful and credible elections in Plateau State:
Awareness Creation
Create awareness among youths on ethnic and religious politics against the 2023 Gubernatorial election in Plateau State
Capacity Strengthening
Strengthen youth capacities on the peaceful conduct of elections and democratic processes
Peaceful Coexistence
Help youth understand the need for peaceful coexistence as a nation
Violence-Free Elections
Emphasize the importance of violence-free elections in Plateau State
Target Areas
The project strategically focused on four key Local Government Areas in Plateau State, each selected based on their significance in the electoral process and potential for youth influence:
Bassa LGA
Focus on rural youth engagement and traditional authority collaboration
Jos-East LGA
Emphasis on inter-community dialogue and conflict prevention
Jos-South LGA
Urban youth mobilization and civic education programs
Barkin Ladi LGA
Peace advocacy and religious tolerance promotion
Key Activities and Interventions
Community Mobilization
Engaged traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community heads to support youth awareness programs and ensure broad-based participation across all target LGAs.
Youth Sensitization Workshops
Conducted intensive workshops focusing on the dangers of ethnic and religious politics, emphasizing the importance of issue-based voting and peaceful electoral participation.
Peace Advocacy Campaigns
Organized peace rallies and advocacy campaigns to promote non-violent electoral processes and encourage youth to become peace ambassadors in their communities.
Interfaith Dialogue Sessions
Facilitated dialogue between youth from different religious backgrounds to promote understanding, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence during the election period.
Project Impact and Results
The project achieved remarkable success in promoting peaceful elections in the target areas. The 2023 Gubernatorial elections in the covered LGAs were notably peaceful, with minimal incidents of violence or ethnic/religious tensions.
Key Achievements
- Successfully sensitized over 1,200 youth across four LGAs on peaceful electoral participation
- Established youth peace networks that continued beyond the election period
- Reduced ethnic and religious tensions in target communities during the election period
- Enhanced collaboration between youth, traditional authorities, and security agencies
- Promoted issue-based political discourse among young voters
- Contributed to the overall peaceful conduct of the 2023 Gubernatorial elections in Plateau State
Lessons Learned and Best Practices
The Pharos Observatoire Project demonstrated several key lessons that have informed CCAPAD's approach to election-related interventions:
Early Engagement
Starting awareness campaigns well before elections allows for deeper impact and sustainable behavior change among youth.
Community Ownership
Involving traditional and religious leaders ensures community buy-in and legitimacy for peace initiatives.
Peer-to-Peer Learning
Youth-led advocacy and peer education proved more effective than top-down approaches in changing attitudes.
Sustained Engagement
Creating ongoing platforms for youth engagement beyond election periods helps maintain peace dividends.
Sustainability and Legacy
The Pharos Observatoire Project created lasting impact beyond the 2023 elections. The youth networks established during the project continue to serve as peace advocates in their communities, and the skills and knowledge gained have been applied to other community development initiatives.
CCAPAD continues to support these youth networks through follow-up activities and has integrated the successful strategies from this project into its broader peacebuilding and civic education programs across Nigeria.