I have been reading a lot of African blogs lately. While there are blogs on every topic imaginable, I especially like the political ones. Having talked online to young Africans inspired by President Obama’s words in Ghana about how their generation can make a difference, I want to follow their progress.
One inspiring movement I came across while surfing blogs is LightUPNigeria. It’s a group of Nigerians advocating for their government to provide more reliable power infrastructure. “The movement aims to highlight the problems caused by the lack of constant power supply in Nigeria and raise awareness of the situation globally,” their Web site says. An unreliable power supply cripples industries and hinders advancements in health care, they say.
The organization says this is “not a political campaign.”
And while their movement may have nothing to do with politics or political parties or who is in power, their tactics for bringing awareness to their cause are the same ones used by the best of American political campaigns. They are spreading their message on Facebook, Twitter and other Web sites. They are encouraging supporters to raise this issue at town halls and concerts. They want people to sign a petition. Planning is underway for a peaceful protest in October in Lagos.
What will come of their efforts is uncertain. But judging by how much they have already done, I’m optimistic – and certain this is a movement worth watching!
It really feels good to read about #lightupnigeria on your blog. It is also encouraging that you are optimistic about our chances of success.
Our intention is to use every means possible to spark a national discussion on a problem that has plagued Nigeria for the past three decades.
Since we started the movement on twitter on July 14th 2009, The movement has grown rapidly – 16,000 members on facebook so far and a lot of new supporters on twitter. The #lightupnigeria message and even some of the tweets have been featured in three national news papers and has been on a few radio stations. Everybody we talk to seem to share our burden for restoring constant electricity to the country and more importantly agree that this is the right time for a crowd-sourced, grassroots movement to make this issue a national priority.
Our strategy is “Unite and Influence”. We intend to unite public opinion on a single point demand that is so simple, even a 5 year old could articulate it: Light up Nigeria. Given unity and numbers we hope to leverage these assets to influence change in every democratic way possible.
We are currently planning peaceful marches in two Nigerian cities (Abuja and Lagos) for the 1st of October 2009. It would be Nigeria’s 49th year since independence – it is interesting to note that we have spent about 30 of those years without constant electricity. It is also interesting to note that the decline of the power supply sector in Nigeria has coincided with the decline of its economic fortunes.
We are looking for opportunities to extend the peaceful protests to other Nigerian cities as well. We have volunteers planning peaceful protests at strategic Nigerian Missions outside Nigeria.
Our position is that the power problem in Nigeria is something we can solve. It puts our nation to shame that despite producing 2 million plus barrels of crude oil everyday, we can barely generate 1 GigaWatt of electricity as is. 50% of what neighboring Ghana generates for a population that is barely 15% of Nigeria’s.
We don’t know how long this will take but we have endured this problem long enough. We will not relent or be dissuaded… and there is no chance in hell that we will forget – because when we get home and the light goes off; or as we try to accommodate the blaring sounds of generators whilst we try to sleep we will remember that it costs us nothing to raise our voice to our government and say “LIGHT UP NIGERIA”.
we are at war with those in leadership who seek to maintain power and do nothing to better the lives of the citizens, LUN is a dynamic youth driven initiative. we would not rest on our efforts to get those in govt to do what is necessary for the good of all. enough with oppression! LIGHT UP NIGERIA
http://www.lightupnigeria.org/in-the-media/
this post is real encouraging! thanks so very much!
It is the right of every law abiding citizen to enjoy all the social amenities in a country,and its very painful that all the mediums previously used has failed but the youth of this great nation will not relent and our voices must be heard. We are ready to fight for our rights,we refuse to give up,with God on our side,we will achieve our objectives if not for US now but for the NEXT GENERATION to come. Long live Nigeria!!! #lightupnigeria.
would like to change the use of the word “WAR AGAINST THOSE IN LEADERSHIP” in my comment above: we are not at war… this is a PEACEFUL PROTEST and God so help us we would realize our Goal, which is a better and greater nation.
I am greatly inspired by your optimism in the LightUPNigeria movement. It’s not news that the Nigeria electricity board – PHCN has a problem with the generation and distribution of electricity. The news is a generation of people that refuses to accept the current situation as the status quo. A people that believe they can cause positive change with one voice, one message saying LIGHTUPNIGERIA
Its very welcoming to read about #lightupnigeria on a foreign blog, and it pains me that some of our own youth over here who have access to the net dont know anything about it. I my self found out about it on 234Next.com and i was excited about it because i have been waiting for something of this nature to take place, and i know that with the level of awareness going on right now there is no turn back untill we see the goal of this cause accomplish. Please spread the word (LIGHT UP NIGERIA) to other foreign bloggers like your self and let the world know that we in nigeria are in total darkness.
I feel honored to be a part of this movment. Its a good thing that i can read about it(LUN) on this blog, and that is so inspiring. I know that somewhere our voices are heard by some people and that propels me to continue to follow the campaign. I must also say that the brain behind these idea(Amara Nwankpa) is a God sent and I know we would achieve the success we want. Nigeria is in the dark, the masses need power but can not get it because our leaders are not looking in the right direction. Nigeria stands to gain alot from constant power supply and I hope that one day, Nigerians will celebrate constant power supply…..
I want to use this medium to ask the authors of this blog not to relent on talking about the good deeds of Nigerians, and pls get your colleagues to know about the light up Nigeria movement and all other movements that is pushing for a better state of things in Nigeria. This will help feed the zeal of these good nigerians to do more and also not relent on what they have already started. Thanks for lighting up Nigeria in your own way.
LIGHT UP NIGERIA
I’m very proud of my generation. We are not whining about the problem rather we are doing our best and using the tools available to us to bring a wave of change. I’m so in love with the #lightupnigeria movement because it’s not just Nigerian youths in Nigeria; it’s bringing Nigerians from all over the world together for a better Nigeria and I know a New and Better Nigeria is about to emerge.
its so refreshing to see that the message to #lightupnigeria has broken through to international lime light. Our government has continually failed us and its time we took a stand to let them know that enough is enough. No more suffering and smiling. People are dying from the fumes created by haphazardly made imported generating sets,we are paying bills for electricity that isnt even being supplied. With #lightupnigeria we know without a doubt that this movement would inspire the change and development required to move our Power and energy sector forward. Thanks for spreading the word in your own way.
“Light up Nigeria, so that I can be productive up to my God given capacity”. By God we shall look back and be happy by how much we have done.
It’s awesome that young people in Nigeria are asking questions, we can’t keep sitting and complaining! Light Up Nigeria is a big initiative and we trust that we’ll be able to peacefully and productively engage our leaders consequently, restore power to our homes, businesses, and our country as a whole. LIGHT UP NIGERIA!!!
The darkness is dual. There is the blinding darkness imposed by greed and enforced by the selfishness of the leadership and its people. Then there is the inexcusable darkness of a nation of 140 million talented people forced to run on less than 2,000 megawatts of electric power. Talents are moribund, skills are denied expression, national capacity and output dwindles and whole generations are robbed of their future up until now…
‘The proof of desire is pursuit’- Mike Murdock. We cannot desire without applying ourselves to it. That is why we have set ourselves to action with ONE voice. Our responsibilty is to pursue this movement till its singular purpose is achieved. Our call is that you help us spread the word further. Thank you.
I must say its indeed a time to rise up for the challenge…. enough of wishful thinking and brain-drain… enough online scam and sheer waste of time on the internet.
Our generation was suppose to be better than this, given the goodies our fathers enjoyed in the ’60s but I must say its could be termed as “dark 4 decades” or simply put D4Ds for Nigeria. Our past advocates have tried their best but its time for we youths to raise up our voices… to challenge, influence and help in anyway we could. (like http://greenlagos.com)
If this country fails, it is nothing but failure of the youth. because those who made it this way were youths in the last decades.
I have closed businesses because expenses on Generators were as high as the income, We have lost lives in the cause of using generator. I almost lost mine the last time I went to service my Generator!
We can’t continue like this and we can’t wait to expect other country to come and do it for us. Countries like the US,UK and others have spent billions of dollars in aids in the past the decades… these are monies raise from people who had electricity!
Enough is enough! We must Light Up Nigeria because our future depends on it!
lightupnigeria
See, if only. If only we were all to have access to internet services which will depend on internet knowledge, which will again depend on how much light we have to carry on this campaign; the membership of this movement would have been higher than the population of Nigeria by now. If only. If only there is light.
Electricity is awesome.
Here in the US we are trying to tax it so that we can drop down to the levels you have in Nigeria.
I Just wonder if you in Nigeria plan to have a cap and trade system to tax your electricity?
Also, do you only plan to use the so-called green energy.
I bet not, and I dont blame you. Energy also needs to be affordable.
Good luck to you.
Non violent protestation is not only contructive but is an effective way in which oppressed peoples can use to win their strugglings from their oppressors. GHANDI AND KWAME NKRUMA,used it to win independence for their peoples.KEN SARO WIWA used it to protest againt Shell for poluting the land of the Ogonis. And FELA ANIKULAKPO KUTI,used it as a methord of protest against the then military junta headed by Gen.Obasanjo for the burning of of his house and the throwing down of his mother from a story building which lead to her death.there is nothing wrong if the youth use this methord for “light for Nigeria” protest or for the much awaited social political change that we all have been talking abaut and of which nothing has been done .This protest must be world wide to make the message sink into the heads of our oppressors!
Its refreshing to see #lightupnigeria cutting across borders and getting people interested and talking which actually is what we want. get people talking about it, make it a national debate, let everyone be talking about it something will definitely be done to solve this monster that has plagued us for so long.
we believe in what we have started and want this to be the 1 point Agenda for the government right now.
Lightupnigeria and witness an industrial revolution in this great country Nigeria.
We do this not just for ourselves but for our un-born children, as we owe it to them to #lightupnigeria.
It has been a very interesting article to read what these young people are planning to do and i want to state that the poeples of Nigeria are strongly behind this and wish them well in what they are planning.
The time has come for us as Nigeirans to stop sitting on the fence but make a move that will take our country where we want it to be in the future that is among the league of Nations.
Cheer
Joachim
It is great to hear about what most of us have glamouring about. The issue of power outage in Nigeria, it is the reason for slow of technology, less proficiency. the upcoming peaceful protest is a welcome thing because even the president had intended to declare power as an emergency issue in Nigeria.
yes, october is certain though we our mentor chief Gani, but we are not deterred
please,,, no racist.. i live in indonesia, and i am a christian, all people on my country is very racist. i have write an article about live with peace without racist on my personal blog http://trafficwebdomains.com
i dont know how to make people will not talk about different like religion, skin color, etc. JUST LIVE WITH PEACE ! without any different, please..
The post is very nicely written and it contains many useful facts. I am happy to find your
distinguished way of writing the post. Now you make it easy for me to understand and
implement. Thanks for sharing with us
Wow – 16,000 Facebook fans in less than a month! That is really impressive, and a sign that your message is resonating with other Nigerians. Thanks for the detailed account of your work. I’m following lightupnigeria on Twitter and your Facebook group, so I will be paying attention and perhaps will blog about it again!
One thing that encouraged me to write about this is your focus on peaceful protest. Its great to see young people emphasize peaceful political advocacy, not always for traditional political purposes.
Hi Limmy,
I love your use of the phrase “If only”, so I’m going to try it out if you don’t mind!
If only you can use the opportunity that you have (being connected to the Internet) to print the #lightupnigeria message and share with your friends that don’t have internet access. Tell them to tell their friends.
If only you can use your phone to text people about the #lightupnigeria movement. Tell them it cost nothing to have their voice heard. Tell them “siddon look” will kill the promise of our nation.
There are ways you can help to take this from the Internet to the streets – IF ONLY you can get involved.
A candle loses nothing when it lights another candle.
Are the peaceful protests still scheduled for October? I’d like to hear more about them.