About Us
Founded in 2016, YMonitor highlights crucial accountability issues both at the Federal, State, and Local Government level. YMonitor accountability project is an initiative under The Future Project (TFP), a developmental organization dedicated to building a network of empowered citizens – through jobs, entrepreneurship and active citizenship.
The project has provided critical information to citizens who have stimulated them towards demanding good governance. YMonitor infographics on local government, critical national statistics, allocation to state and local government are user-friendly and have increased citizens’ awareness of government data.
To complement our project YMonitor’s advocacy using infographics, the project began implementing the data satire projects. Critical national issues and data were represented in a cartoon like satirical form to drag people’s attention and call the government out. A special portal was created on the YMonitor website for this and our Instagram handles are being used to promote the satires. We have 100,000 engagements on the websites, and 20,000 engagements on our social media handles.
Through our YMonitor Accountability Project, as well as online and offline activities, we have effectively monitored, tracked, and provided useful information to members of the public on issues crucial to governance in the last four years.
Through engaging with visitors on our website, and initiating projects which bridge the gap between young people and public service holders. This further exposed them to important public accountability matters while urging them to participate and take actionable steps.
The YMonitor quarterly debate show continues to be a leading voice in youth advocacy, giving young people a credible platform to debate trending national issues thereby setting the agenda for national discourse. The show is broadcast live on channels TV, a 13-time best TV station of the year in Nigeria, with a viewership that ranges between 6million to 10 million people on Terrestrial Cable and Sky News UK.
With the YMonitor Pothole tracker implemented in three states, Lagos, Ogun and Oyo, the project has become a credible source of first-hand information on the state of roads within these three states. The innovative nature of the project which differentiates it from every such advocacy is based on the fact that it is concentrated on the first stage of road damage or disrepair before complete deterioration.
The project has reported potholes in more than hundred communities across these three states, apart from these, it has drawn the attention of the government in these respective states to the state of these roads, some of which have been repaired.
The pothole tracker has received direct responses from the Federal Road Maintenance Agencies when they were being contacted on the state of a federal road, officials of state government have also responded when tagged and has directed our complaints to state parastatals responsible for repairs of state roads. Most of the roads in Lagos have been fixed due to the pothole tracker advocacy even at the inception of the project in the first quarter.
Also, YMonitor has recorded more than 50,000 engagements on the website on potholes published, the project also had people sending in pictures and calling the attention of YMonitor to potholes around them. With more than a hundred thousand engagements on social media, the Pothole tracker has continued to generate conversations with people demanding that their roads be fixed.
The Online Community Information has gathered data on all the 360 members of the national assemblies and published them on the website. Constituency office location, email, phone numbers, and the constituency they are representing were duly researched and published online. Every detail of their constituency project which includes location and cost was also contained in the information so that citizens can demand accountability and hold them responsible. On this particular project, we had citizens reach out to YMonitor asking us to send details of their representatives, while some reached out that they were waiting on YMonitor to publish their state’s details.
YMonitor project leverages on infographics, video, photos and satirical representations to simplify and shed more light on government activities. We have simplified huge data to make them accessible to citizens.
YMonitor has also taken its message to larger audiences across the 6 geo-political zones of Nigeria with the radio show on Nigerian Info 99.3 FM. YMonitor has been called on the radio to speak on the Pothole tracker project even on Top Radio FM. Our Radio conversations have also highlighted what it means to have an inclusive government in Lagos; as well as the roles of citizens and government in dealing with emergencies. The intensity and quality of our reportage on these issues, vigilance reports and project tracking have also drawn attention to these issues on social media and beyond.
The website has on several occasions joined active conversation and pressure on the government on the release of jailed journalists and activists, and the overzealousness of security officials across the nation.
Impact Number/Story
years
We have effectively monitored, tracked, and provided useful information to members of the public
projects
Initiating projects which bridge the gap between young people and public service holders.
stories
Highlighting crucial accountability and governance issues at the state and federal level.