On Tuesday, at 10:00 AM GMT + 1, the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism launched two web platforms: DUBAWA and UDEME. The goal of these two platforms is to enthrone the regime of truth and facts as the ground for public dialogue and policy claims, use modern technology to keep Nigerians informed about and check government decisions; provide an inclusive and critical platform for public dialogue and debate; and ultimately, enable Nigerian citizens to demand transparency and accountability from public officials and institutions.
To start with, DUBAWA is an online platform which provides FACTUAL information to you, our readers, so you can make informed decisions, whether political, economic, security or mainstream decisions, based on the truth. Our emphasis is on “facts” and “truth”.
The name DUBAWA is a Hausa term that means “to check” and that is what our team of experts would be engaged in. Through a process of scrupulous and diligent selection, research, writing and editing, our team ensures that every information shared on our platform is certified as true.
Recently and with the rise of social media, blogs, alternative facts (as popularized by Donald Trump), propaganda (check out statements made by politicians in Nigeria), and unverified citizen’s claims, it is very difficult to ascertain what is true and what is not. On the flip side, it becomes easy to form opinions and make life changing decisions based on wrong information, especially if the information is given by a trusted source. A trusted source could be a popular media outlet, an outspoken politician or even the Ministry of Information!
DUBAWA is that trusted platform which would provide you with information about current misinformation in circulation. This feature rich website has everything you need to help you make informed decisions, especially in light of the forthcoming 2019 elections.
Start by checking out dubawa.org. If you need any claim to be fact checked, you could also send a comment to [email protected]. Interested in being notified once a statement has been fact-checked? Then be sure to follow us on twitter and on facebook.
UDEME, on the other hand, is our national online platform which provides information on budget implementation and procurement practices in Nigeria. By this, we mean that if you want information about the amount of money spent on a project or the state of implementation of a project which has been allocated to a senator in your locality, then check out udeme.ng. As more information arises, we would be sharing updates on our twitter page; instagram; and facebook.
UDEME is a Southern Nigeria term which means “my share” and it enables the general public to track capital, constituency and ecologically funded projects within their local governments, states and the country as a whole.
The idea behind UDEME was the fact that our daily news is filled with astonishing amounts of money allocated to government projects with no significant benefit to the average Nigerian. In the last three years alone, a total of N274.58 billion has been allocated to Zonal Intervention projects (ZIP) across the 109 Senatorial Districts and 360 Federal Constituencies in Nigeria.
The power of the media in enhancing democracy cannot be overemphasised. Through verifiable information, people can undoubtedly hold their governments more accountable and demand their rights; DUBAWA and UDEME provide those opportunities for the 194 million Nigerians!