The Next Wave Of Civic Tech Leaders: The Civic Hive Fellowship 2022
With a focus on accountability, transparency, civic engagement, and institutional efficiency, the MacArthur Foundation-sponsored Civic Hive Fellowship 2022 got underway in Lagos on March 21, 2022, with the theme "The Next Civic Tech Leaders." Intended for early-stage civic innovators with tech-enabled ideas that could address social issues, the fellowship was a 20-week boot camp and implementation programme.
First Things First
The Civic Hive Fellowship application period opened on February 1st, 2022. Five weeks passed before the application period ended. When the application period ended, we had received about 600 applications from several targeted areas. Interestingly, applications were received from Israel as well as several African countries, including Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Chad, and Kenya. Applications from these countries were not, however, considered, as they fell outside the fellowship's jurisdiction. A shortlist of about forty-five ideas was created after additional applications were evaluated every week.
To talk more about the ideas and credentials of the shortlisted candidates, we set up a video interview. Ideas must satisfy the following criteria to be selected: Ideas should prioritise strategies that focus on women and youth; they should address societal issues that affect a large number of people; and finally, they should be in the early stages of development. Finding the top ten applicants for the programme was the aim of this careful selection process.
We thought they needed the programme, even though the interview process was difficult because there were so many great answers. But to have the greatest possible impact, the fellowship programme was only meant to accept ten fellows.
The table below shows the categories, start-ups, and names of the founders.
| Founder/Cofounder | Start-up | Category |
| Gender Mobile | Omowunmi Ogunrotimi | Gender Based Violence |
| Urban Alert | Anthony Adejuwon | Accountable Governance |
| Yvote Naija | Habeeb Tajudeen | Youth and Election |
| Civily | Eme lekwa | Accountable Governance |
| Motivator’s Crib Africa | Nwokocha Chijioke | Mental Health |
| Balm Heath | Nonyelim Okolie | Mental Health |
| Policy Shapers | Ebenezar Wikina | Public Policy |
| Grassroots Advocacy Project (GRAP) | Daisi Omokungbe | Accountable Governance |
| Local Open Governance Initiative in Nigeria (login) | Kenneth Eze | Accountable Governance |
| JusticePadi | Funke Adeoye | Legal Tech |
Induction into the Civic Hive Fellowship
We formally welcomed the selected candidates into the Civic Hive Fellowship on March 21st at the Civic Hive Hub in Yaba, Lagos. A range of activities were included in the week-long induction programme.
At the induction ceremony, our fellows presented their ideas to us for the first time in front of a panel of knowledgeable judges who provided shrewd feedback on how to strengthen the practicality of their solutions. In addition, the fellows were greeted and given insights into the nonprofit sector by Mr. Oluseun Onigbinde, the global director, and Mr. Gabriel Okeowo, the country director of BudgIT Nigeria.
Oluwaseun Afolabi, the Civic Hive Lead, highlighted their intention to leverage technology for organizational growth, emphasizing plans to integrate advanced technological solutions to enhance and expand their activities.
He stated that the global director of BudgIT also presented the project implementation plan template, which is an essential document created to help "our fellows achieve clarity on their ideas. The fellows took classes to gain more knowledge about industry best practices during their three-month tenure, during which time they worked on the plan."
At the end of the induction ceremony, the fellows celebrated a successful event with dinner at the Radisson Blu, Ikeja.
The fellows took part in an amazing three-month virtual training programme that exposed them to various nonprofit sectors. Forty sessions were led by thirty-two seasoned faculty members. Among the focus areas are an introduction to civic technology, an understanding of the nonprofit sector, public relations and communications, product development, fundraising and donor management, impact measurement, leveraging people power, and the launch and growth of civic tech products.
Among the facilitators are Oladele Olaide, Joseph Agunbiade, Joe Abah, Obiageli Ezekwesili, Toyin Akiniyi, and Aisha Yesufu.
On days when classes weren't held, such as Tuesdays and Thursdays, the fellows were free to focus on their assignments and group projects.
Assistance to Fellows
We identified areas where our fellows needed support so that we could help them scale their work. The experts we paired the fellows with assisted them in developing their solutions. The fellows applied the theoretical knowledge they had acquired, and we provided them with the necessary support.
Here are a few of the available supports:
Development of Pitch Decks and Websites
Concept Generation Methodology Corporate Identity
A monthly allowance
The Closing Ceremony of the Civic Hive Fellowship
On September 8 and 9, the Civic Hive Fellowship 2022 concluded with a ceremony at the Shehu Musa Yar'dua Centre in Abuja. The two days of activities drew a sizable crowd, including all of our fellows and invited guests. Once again, on the first day, our fellows had the opportunity to present their solutions, but this time they focused more on the work's impact in their presentation. They have made such great progress in such a short time, and for that we are happy. As a matter of fact, some of the ideas put forth by our fellows during induction have changed or evolved into completely new civic tech solutions. This is because of the project implementation plan as well as the exposure to new information and material covered in class.
Our fellows had the opportunity to re-connect with seasoned nonprofit sector players to help ensure that their start-ups are successful. During the second day's panel discussion, Mr. Joseph Amenaghawon talked about creating a positive organisational culture, and Mr. Joseph Agunbiade virtually joined us to share some advice on hacking growth. There were also Ms Ijeoma Chukwuma and Ms Chioma Agwuegbo, who discussed developing organisations focused on people and mainstreaming gender into civic tech development, respectively. Speaking about creating networks and strategies, Mr Odey Friday—represented by Prince Chimaroke—explained how stakeholder engagement and growth can be encouraged. When the fellows eventually received their completion certificate, they were delighted.
Now what?
Absolutely! The fellowship has concluded for this cohort. Nonetheless, we offer post-fellowship support to our fellows so they can keep receiving help for their start-ups.
The next Civic Hive Fellowship is taking place when?
Since the Civic Hive Fellowship is awarded every two years, the upcoming cohort is scheduled for 2024. Even though 2024 seems far off, a lot of the classes were recorded, and the public is going to be able to access them. Be cautious of this!
All good things eventually have to end. The Civic Hive Fellowship 2022 cohort has ended, and we are very happy about it. We extend our congratulations to our colleagues for accomplishing this important goal and for the remarkable progress they have made in the shortest amount of time. Civic Hive is certain that our friends have been suitably armed with pertinent weaponry to prevail. We think their ideas can significantly alter society and become agents of change. Without the generous support of our donor, the MacArthur Foundation, the Civic Hive Fellowship 2022 would not be possible. We value your trust in us to help develop the next generation of civic tech leaders.
To our fellow citizens, Go forth and be successful!
Comments
Post a Comment