Ahead of the 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State, the Gold Heart Foundation, Capstone Mission, and Gender Relevance Initiative Promotion (GRIP) have formed a strong partnership with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti State Council. The aim of this collaboration is to mobilize and raise awareness about civic responsibilities among the public. This initiative is part of broader efforts to ensure that citizens are well-informed about their roles in the electoral process, thereby promoting a credible election and enhancing public participation.
During a courtesy visit to the NUJ leadership, the Executive Director of the Gold Heart Foundation, Moyinoluwa Ogundowole, stated that the program is supported by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), which has provided training aimed at delivering results across various states. She explained that NUJ was selected as a partner due to the essential role of the media in ensuring the success of the electoral process.
Abimbola Emmanuel, GRIP Program Officer, disclosed that the group has been trained in Abuja and is expected to disseminate the knowledge gained while mobilizing youth and women to participate in the electoral process and avoid illegal activities, such as vote buying. Mr. Asiri, the Executive Director of Capstone Mission, emphasized the importance of youth participation in the upcoming elections. He highlighted the organization’s efforts to mobilize youth on campuses, enabling them to register for the ongoing continuous voter registration online while providing voter education both online and on-site.
In response, NUJ Chairman Kayode Babatuyi assured the media’s readiness to collaborate with civil society organizations (CSOs) to mobilize youth participation in the electoral process. He also admonished the organizations to engage the media in training programs, emphasizing the importance of equipping media personnel with a solid understanding of the work of civil society organizations and effective reporting.
