New Game Launched to Get Young Nigerians Involved in Civic Matters

ROUNDCHECK, a youth-led fact-checking group, has launched a web-based game to help improve civic education, political understanding, and media literacy among young Nigerians.

The game, called Civic Play, was introduced on Saturday during an online event themed “Advancing Civic Engagement Through Digital Innovation.”

According to the group, the game has over 1,000 questions about civic and political topics. It aims to help young people learn more about democracy, citizens' rights and responsibilities, and how to get involved in public issues.

ROUNDCHECK also plans to bring this platform to about 50 schools and universities in Lagos, Oyo, and Ogun states.

How Civic Play works

At the launch, ROUNDCHECK’s Assistant Project Manager, Daniel Nworie, showed how the platform works. It has timed questions, instant feedback, and progress tracking.

The group explained that the game mixes civic education with interactive learning. This makes information about governance, politics, and media literacy easier for young people to access.

More than 60 people joined the online launch. Participants included representatives from Electoral College Nigeria, BudgIT, The Nation Newspaper, Alkalanci, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue (MILID) Foundation, FactCheck Africa, as well as civil society groups and campus journalists.

Using technology for civic education

Speaking at the event, Lekan Otufodurin, executive director of Media Career Development Network, talked about how digital tools can boost civic engagement.

Mr Otufodurin pointed out that citizens need to be informed and involved in democratic processes, especially to fight misinformation.

He added that projects like Civic Play can make civic education easier to access. They present information in a way that aligns with how young people learn and interact online.

Vahyala Kwaga, BudgIT’s country director for Nigeria, also spoke about the need for active citizenship to improve governance and democracy.

Mr Kwaga called Civic Play an exciting way to share civic knowledge and encourage young people to think about their duties as citizens. He mentioned that Nigeria's large youth population can help create a well-informed generation of citizens and leaders. He encouraged ROUNDCHECK to think about expanding this project to other countries in the region.

He pointed out that the quality of governance is affected by how well citizens understand and engage in civic activities.

Beyond elections

Victoria Bamas, project manager at Alkalanci, said civic involvement should not just be about elections and voting.

Ms Bamas, whose group focuses on fact-checking and media literacy in local languages, said citizens who know their rights, responsibilities, and how government institutions work can hold officials accountable better.

She urged people to engage with local and state governments instead of only focusing on the federal level.

“Issues like primary healthcare, drainage, waste disposal, and community roads need citizens to work directly with their local authorities,” she said.

Ms Bamas also suggested that Civic Play team up with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to help reach more communities through the agency’s grassroots presence.

Alao Abiodun, a senior reporter with The Nation Newspaper, encouraged ROUNDCHECK to partner with government bodies to grow Civic Play.

Mr Abiodun mentioned that the Office of Civic Engagement in Lagos could help connect the initiative with existing civic programs. He also recommended extending Civic Play to secondary schools and creating a mobile app to support the web platform. He noted that young people often use social media and other digital platforms to access information.

Plans for expansion

Lisa Hassan, deputy executive director of Electoral College Nigeria, said Civic Play offers an innovative way to make civic education more engaging and interactive.

Ms Hassan emphasized that technology can attract young people who may not enjoy traditional civic education methods.

She also highlighted the need for collaboration among groups working on voter participation, civic education, and related topics.

Caleb Ijioma, executive director of ROUNDCHECK, shared plans to grow Civic Play through partnerships, community outreach, and new learning features.

Mr Ijioma said ROUNDCHECK intends to bring the platform to 50 schools and universities in Lagos, Oyo, and Ogun states.

He mentioned they are considering adding features like courses on political and media literacy, a dashboard for accessing courses, and the inclusion of local languages.

ROUNDCHECK also plans to launch a campaign with rewards for participation and will test Civic Play during the upcoming Osun State governorship election.

The platform can be found at www.civicplay.ng.