The Illuminating New Solutions and Programmatic Innovations for Resilient Civic Spaces (INSPIRES) is an initiative dedicated to monitoring, analyzing, and addressing the shrinking civic space in Nigeria and broader Africa. The project aims to safeguard fundamental freedoms, such as the rights to expression, assembly, and association by identifying trends, advocating for policy changes, and strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations (CSOs) to push back against repressive measures.

Implemented by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), the project combines data-driven analysis, stakeholder engagement, and legal advocacy to develop innovative strategies for countering restrictions on civic participation. The first phase of the project focused on tracking civic space violations using AI-powered media analysis and predictive modeling, while the second phase builds on these findings to drive policy reforms, judicial interventions, and enhanced security sector accountability.

The Importance of INSPIRES in Africa’s Democratic Landscape

Across Africa, civic space is increasingly under pressure due to government crackdowns, restrictive legislation, surveillance abuses, and excessive security measures. Nigeria, in particular, has witnessed significant constraints on freedoms, especially in response to protests, political dissent, and independent media reporting. The INSPIRES Project is crucial in this context for several reasons:

1. Strengthening Democratic Participation: Civic space is the foundation of democracy, allowing citizens to engage with governance, advocate for their rights, and hold authorities accountable. INSPIRES works to ensure that civil society remains a strong and influential force in policymaking and governance.
2. Combating Legal and Policy Restrictions: Many African governments have introduced laws that criminalize dissent, such as cybercrime laws, public order acts, and national security decrees. INSPIRES provides evidence-based advocacy to push for legislative reforms that align with democratic norms and human rights standards.
3. Enhancing Security Sector Accountability: While security concerns are often cited as a justification for civic restrictions, the project highlights the link between insecurity and shrinking civic space. INSPIRES advocates for human rights-based security reforms that balance national security with fundamental freedoms.
4. Empowering Civil Society and Media: Independent media and civil society organizations are critical in documenting human rights abuses and amplifying citizen voices. INSPIRES strengthens CSO coalitions, equips journalists with tools for investigative reporting, and fosters partnerships between civic actors to resist repression and misinformation.
5. Predicting and Preventing Future Civic Space Violations: Using AI-driven media monitoring and time-series forecasting, the project provides early warning signals on emerging threats to civic space. This allows stakeholders to take proactive steps in advocating for protections before repressive policies take full effect.

Looking Ahead: INSPIRES Phase Two: Building on insights from Phase One, the next phase of INSPIRES will focus on policy dialogues with lawmakers, security sector engagement, and enhanced monitoring mechanisms to push for lasting reforms. By working with governments, judiciary, media, and international partners, the project aims to reverse the trend of civic space restrictions and reinforce democracy in Nigeria and beyond. The fight for civic space is a fight for democracy. Through INSPIRES, KDI and its partners are committed to ensuring that African citizens continue to have a voice in shaping their societies.

The Ballot Integrity Project (BIP) is a data-driven election monitoring initiative designed to assess the credibility of Nigeria’s election result management process. It focuses on verifying the accuracy of election outcomes, identifying inconsistencies, and ensuring that every vote counts. Through systematic observation, data analysis, and evidence-based reporting, BIP strengthens public confidence in electoral processes and provides actionable recommendations for reform.

At its core, BIP evaluates how election results are collated, transmitted, and announced, with a particular focus on the role of technology in improving or undermining the process. The project highlights whether elections reflect the true will of the people by scrutinizing key aspects such as voter accreditation, ballot reconciliation, and arithmetic accuracy in result compilation.

Importance of BIP in Nigeria’s Elections

1. Revealing the Gaps in Election Result Management: BIP has been instrumental in identifying weaknesses in Nigeria’s election result collation process. For example, in the 2023 Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi off-cycle elections, BIP findings revealed inconsistencies in result uploads on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, raising concerns about transparency. Similarly, in the 2024 Edo and Ondo governorship elections, BIP documented serious lapses, including voter register mismatches, arithmetic errors, and missing ballots. These findings reinforce the need for stronger safeguards in election result management.
2. Evaluating the Impact of Technology on Elections: The introduction of technology in Nigeria’s elections, such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and IReV, was intended to improve transparency. However, BIP has shown that technology alone does not guarantee credible elections. In Edo and Ondo 2024, for instance, poor result collation practices and human errors undermined the effectiveness of digital tools, proving that technology must be applied correctly and with clear accountability measures.
3. Enhancing Electoral Transparency and Accountability: By systematically tracking the collation process, BIP ensures that irregularities are documented and publicly reported. The project played a key role in amplifying civil society concerns about election management in Ekiti and Osun 2022, 2023 General Elections, and 2024 Edo and Ondo. The reports produced by BIP serve as critical tools for advocacy, pushing electoral stakeholders to implement necessary reforms.
4. Strengthening Public Trust in Elections: Elections are only as credible as the public perceives them to be. BIP ensures that Nigerians have access to independent, fact-based assessments of election processes. These fosters trust in democratic institutions and helps citizens hold electoral bodies accountable.
5. Informing Electoral Reforms: The evidence gathered from BIP reports contributes to policy discussions on electoral reforms. In past elections, findings from BIP have influenced conversations on improving result collation procedures, enforcing stricter compliance with electoral laws, and strengthening INEC’s operational transparency.

The Ballot Integrity Project is not just about monitoring elections; it is about ensuring that democracy works. By providing empirical data on election result management, BIP strengthens the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process and serves as a tool for advocacy and reform. Moving forward, the findings from BIP reports will continue to inform conversations on enhancing electoral integrity and ensuring that Nigeria’s elections reflect the true will of the people.

Political Party Performance Index (PPPI): Strengthening Nigeria’s Democratic Landscape

What is PPPI? The Political Party Performance Index (PPPI) is a first-of-its-kind assessment framework designed to evaluate the performance, inclusivity, and compliance of Nigeria’s registered political parties. It provides empirical insights into how well political parties function, their adherence to democratic principles, and their commitment to citizen engagement.

PPPI is rooted in the understanding that political parties are the backbone of democratic governance. Their effectiveness in representing the people, fostering internal democracy, and adhering to legal and ethical standards is crucial to strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.

The Three Pillars of PPPI

The PPPI framework assesses political parties based on three critical dimensions:

1. Political Party Inclusivity Practices
2. Political Party Legal Compliance
3. Political Party Public Outreach

Why is PPPI Important?

1. Strengthening Political Accountability: PPPI provides a standardized measure to evaluate whether political parties are meeting their commitments to internal democracy, inclusivity, and transparency. By benchmarking their performance, political parties can identify areas for improvement.
2. Promoting Citizen Engagement: With data-driven insights, citizens can better assess political parties, make informed electoral decisions, and hold them accountable for their commitments.
3. Enhancing Electoral Integrity: By examining parties' compliance with the Electoral Act, INEC regulations, and constitutional provisions, PPPI ensures that political entities operate within the boundaries of the law and contribute to credible elections.
4. Encouraging Inclusive Governance: PPPI highlights gaps in gender, youth, and PWD inclusion, prompting political parties to reform their structures and policies to ensure broad-based participation.
5. Informing Policy and Reform: Policymakers, electoral bodies, and civil society organizations can use PPPI findings to advocate for policy reforms, improve party regulations, and strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

As Nigeria's democracy continues to evolve, PPPI serves as a vital tool for ensuring that political parties remain transparent, inclusive, and responsive to citizens' needs. By enhancing political accountability, encouraging inclusivity, and strengthening democratic institutions, PPPI contributes to a more resilient and participatory democratic landscape.

Beyond the Protest: #EndBadGovernance Analysis Project

The Beyond the Protest: #EndBadGovernance Protest Analysis is a comprehensive study that examines the #EndBadGovernance protest in Nigeria, focusing on its origins, evolution, impact, and broader implications for governance and democracy. The project seeks to go beyond the immediate protests and analyze the long-term effects of the movement on civic engagement, political accountability, and institutional reforms.

This study is a continuation of efforts to document and understand the socio-political significance of citizen-led movements, especially those driven by young people and digital activism. It assesses how the movement shaped public discourse, influenced government policies, and faced both political and security responses. Through rigorous data analysis, media monitoring, stakeholder engagement, and policy reviews, the project provides a nuanced understanding of the movement’s role in Nigeria’s democratic journey.

Key Components of the Project:

1. Technical Session on #EndBadGovernance Protest: A structured engagement with key stakeholders to collect firsthand data on the movement and Secondary data analysis to complement primary research findings.
2. Public Presentation of Findings: Dissemination of the study’s insights to policymakers, civil society organizations, academia, and the media and amplification of key takeaways to drive advocacy and inform public policy.
3. Media Monitoring & Sentiment Analysis: Examination of how traditional and digital media shaped the narrative around the movement and analysis of public perception and response patterns to government actions.
4. Legal & Policy Review: Assessment of the legal frameworks surrounding protests, freedom of expression, and civil liberties and recommendations for strengthening civic freedoms and democratic accountability.

The Election Security Risk Assessment (ESRA) is a strategic initiative designed to analyze and mitigate security threats before, during, and after elections in Nigeria. Since the 2019 general elections, it has provided a data-driven framework for identifying potential risks, enabling security agencies, election management bodies, and stakeholders to develop proactive response mechanisms.

Key Features of ESRA

1. Risk Identification & Mapping: ESRA systematically assesses electoral environments, identifying hotspots for violence, intimidation, and other security concerns.
2. Data-Driven Early Warning System: By analyzing historical trends and real-time data, ESRA generates early warning signals to guide pre-emptive security actions.
3. Stakeholder Engagement: The assessment fosters collaboration among security agencies, INEC, civil society, and political actors to create a coordinated security strategy.
4. Adaptive Security Planning: ESRA ensures that security deployments are tailored to the evolving nature of threats in different electoral contexts.

Impact on Nigeria’s Electoral Landscape

1. Improved Security Deployment: ESRA findings have directly influenced how security agencies allocate personnel and resources, leading to a more strategic presence in violence-prone areas.
2. Enhanced Electoral Integrity: By mitigating violence and intimidation, ESRA has contributed to safer election environments, allowing more citizens to vote without fear.
3. Strengthened Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration: Security agencies, INEC, and civil society have increasingly relied on ESRA’s insights for coordinated responses to election-related violence.
4. Evidence-Based Policy Reforms: The data generated by ESRA has informed discussions on electoral security policies, pushing for more proactive approaches to violence prevention.
5. Public Confidence in Elections: Through its role in reducing election violence, ESRA has helped build trust in the electoral process, reinforcing democratic participation.

As election violence continues to evolve, ESRA remains a crucial tool in safeguarding Nigeria’s democratic processes by ensuring elections are peaceful, credible, and inclusive.