MD Azeezat Yishawu

2022 IVLP Impact Award Project: Inclusive Election DriveNigeria

Azeezat Yishawu is a medical doctor and and the first female speaker of the Nigerian Youth Parliament with over 6 years of active experience in grassroots mobilization, citizen engagement, and stakeholder management. She has worked with NGOs such as Involve Africa and Constitution Lab to advance democracy and human rights. Her current project is the PVC4HER campaign in Lagos and it is sponsored by the US Consulate to empower young women to effectively participate in elections. She is an alumna of Carrington Youth, the US International Visitor Leadership Program and the Young Women Political Leadership School. Azeezat is also a former member of the Lagos State Youth Parliament and a former speaker for the Lasumsa Senate. As an advocate for good governance and expert in resources galvanization for quality political leadership, she has consistently worked on impactful projects and championed frontline-focused conversations. She mentors many young people as she believes that their energy and potential, if properly harnessed, can serve as catalysts for exponential sustainable development. Azeezat is the founder of the Ethics and Political Leadership Foundation, which is a NGO committed to driving effective democracy and good governance in Nigeria. She is also the co-founder of ConstitutionLab, which is a youth led organization committed to providing Nigerians with working knowledge of the Nigerian Constitution. 

IVLP Impact Award Project: Inclusive Election Drive

Inclusive Election Drive was a project targeting communities of Nigerians living with disabilities who have been disenfranchise from participating or contesting in elections. The project directly reached 40 young people living with disabilities who are community leaders. They then served as ambassadors and registered a minimum number of 800 young people living with challenges. The main goal was to facilitate the active participation of people living with challenges with a focus on young people in governance, politics and elections. The objectives were to enlighten eligible voters on voter's rights as people living with special needs, their responsibilities and the electoral process. Project activities include training participants on the intricacies of running for election in Nigeria and teaching information about voting and elections. It also includes providing communications materials to guide and enlighten participants on their electoral rights, possibilities and responsibilities. At the end of this project, participants who are community leaders were equipped to engage community members, to provide support for aspiring members and to independently assist their community members on voter registration.

 

"It is my fervent hope that we all take advantage of this, to strengthen our resolve to be active participants in the political and electoral processes of our country and empower our strive a more inclusive society."

IVLP Exchange Experience

Azeezat was a participant in the IVLP Project Youth and Civic Engagement I, organized by the U.S. Department of State and Meridian International Center.

 

U.S. Communities Visited Virtually

Birmingham, AL; Washington, DC; Pensacola, FL; Louisville, KY; Boston, MA; Salt Lake City. UT

Country: Nigeria 

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