The US Embassy Nigeria is celebrating the Executive Director of Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA Africa), Samson Itodo, as a ‘Nigerian Star’ in recognition of his commitment to the promotion of democratic governance, human rights and civic engagement across Nigeria and all of Africa.
Samson Itodo is the Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, a nonprofit civic hub of change-makers committed to the promotion of democratic governance, human rights and civic engagement. He is an alumnus of the International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) and the convener of the #NotTooYoungToRun movement that led to the successful reduction of age limits in the Nigerian constitution for running for elective office.
The #NotTooYoungToRun campaign was adopted by the UN, the AU, and ECOWAS as a global campaign for youth political inclusion. Samson also leads ‘Watching the Vote’, a citizen-led election observation initiative that promotes electoral integrity. He has led international election observation missions across Africa and in the United States of America. YIAGA deployed 3,000 observer teams to 1,500 polling units to monitor Nigeria’s 2019 Presidential Election.
Samson Itodo is a champion renowned for his dedication to building democratic institutions and providing analysis on democratic principles. His latest recognition came as no surprise to his associates, colleagues, and friends, who flooded his social media pages to express their admiration for his success. ‘This is well deserved and merited. Samson, congratulations and glory to God for giving you to us at this time of our national history’, said Ambassador Onoja.
In his response, as seen on Facebook, Itodo said, ‘I’m humbled by this recognition from the @usembassynigeria. Thank you. We will not stop until we reclaim our democracy. I don’t take this recognition for granted and I dedicate this to every young Nigerian working hard to fix this inherited fractured society of ours. Know that your dreams for a better Nigeria are valid and that impossible is nothing’.
Source: The US Embassy Nigeria
Photo sources: The US Embassy Nigeria and US Institute of Peace
