BudgIT opens nominations for 2023 Active Citizens Award: Unveils two new categories

BudgIT, a foremost civic-tech organization leading the advocacy for accountability, transparency, and effective service delivery in Nigeria, is set to host the second edition of the Active Citizens Awards. This year’s award, themed ‘Trailblazers of Change: Pioneering Solutions, Shaping the Future,’ is scheduled to hold on Saturday, September 16, 2023, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The Active Citizens Award is a BudgIT signature effort to honor and spotlight individuals and organizations doing ground-breaking humanitarian work in Nigeria’s civic space. Among the recipients of the maiden edition was Tunde Onakoya, the founder of Chess in Slums, who was presented with the Star Award—the Active Citizens Award.

The Debt Management Office (DMO) was acknowledged with the Institutional Transparency Award in the Government Agencies category, Debo Macaroni was honored with the Art for Activism Award, while Femi Falana, SAN, was recognized with the Hall of Fame Award for Civic Activism, alongside other deserving individuals and organizations.

According to BudgIT’s Global Director, Oluseun Onigbinde, the award represents a prominent endeavor to highlight and acknowledge individuals, organizations, and agencies leading the advocacy for transparency, accountability, and good governance in the Nation’s democracy through groundbreaking projects. “Based on the success of the inaugural edition, BudgIT will continue to recognize those who are making a difference in their respective fields through remarkable efforts. We are excited to host the 2023 Active Citizen Award and spotlight incredible individuals and organizations impacting our society significantly. Through these awards, we seek to acknowledge and honor those driving change and actively contributing to a better and improved Nigeria,” he said.

For this year’s edition, the award will feature two new categories—the Health Activism Award and the Climate Change Activism Award—in addition to the existing eleven categories. We anticipate an engaging event through the invaluable support of civic leaders, industry leaders, and the general public. Nominations for the categories are now officially open, allowing individuals to nominate heroes directly through the official website at: https://awards.civichive.org/

Nominations

For the 2023 edition, there are a total of thirteen (13) award categories. Out of these categories, only seven are eligible for public nominations, after which a distinguished panel of judges will thoroughly identify the winners of each category. The awards committee will select the winners for the remaining six categories through extensive research and thoughtful deliberations based on specific criteria.

Criteria and eligibility for nomination:

To submit a nomination for an individual or organization in any open category, it is essential to thoroughly assess their eligibility for the specific category they are nominated for. The evaluation of the shortlist and selection of winners in each category will be conducted according to the specified criteria, which include innovation, impact, milestones, sustainability, diversity, inclusion, organizational structure, and leadership quality. This requirement entails that upon submitting a nomination, it is necessary to include links to relevant impacts or projects the nominee has successfully undertaken within a designated time frame, aligning with the specified criteria.

Shortlisting and selection

Following the nomination period, all submissions will undergo a thorough review process conducted by a carefully chosen Panel of Judges, consisting of three stages. After completing the selection process, the final shortlist will comprise three individuals with the highest grade points in each category. Of these three nominees, only one will emerge as the winner in each category.

For more information about the 2023 Active Citizen Award, including sponsorship opportunities, visit: https://awards.civichive.org/