Washington — Adeola Austin Oyinlade, 29, works tirelessly to inform Nigerians of their legal and constitutional rights and to give young people a voice in the development of Africa.
Oyinlade is a law student at the University of Lagos, director of the Know Your Constitution Initiative and a United Nations Young Ambassador for Peace. He was a resource person to the African Union Commission on the African Youth Forum.
“Youth are the future leaders, and if they are not empowered, trained, equipped and prepared for the mantle of leadership, that will affect the future of Africa,” he said during the African Youth Forum in Addis Ababa in April.
“Also, we have our own responsibilities — because we can’t talk about rights without responsibilities,” he added.
The African Youth Forum came up with recommendations that will be presented at the African Union leaders’ summit this summer in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. Forum participants are calling on African Union (AU) countries to ratify and implement the 2006 African Youth Charter, which outlines rights, freedoms and responsibilities of young people and calls on governments to develop policies and programs for youth development (see a PDF version of the charter [334KB] on the African Union website). Two-thirds of AU countries have signed the charter; fewer than half have ratified it.
KNOW YOUR CONSTITUTION
In 2008 Oyinlade launched the Know Your Constitution Initiative on the University of Lagos radio station, UNILAG 103.1 FM, “to educate and empower people” by making them aware of their rights. He brings in guest lawyers to answer listeners’ questions about legal issues, and in some cases the callers receive additional legal assistance.
Why radio? Oyinlade explained in an email interview: “It is easier for me to reach out to millions of people. … On radio, I can hear their voices, their pain and their yearning for help.”
He is proud that the radio show has helped people solve problems such as land title disputes, and that a police spokesman provided phone numbers for all eight police commands in Lagos state “so that people can have direct access to the police in case of emergency.”
Listeners can call or email Know Your Constitution, or use a BlackBerry application to text their questions “and get answers on their mobile phones without having to make phone calls,” Oyinlade said.
He publicizes Know Your Constitution through a Facebook page and a website, and he recently convened a two-day conference on human rights at the University of Lagos. The conference was aired live on UNILAG 103.1 FM and streamed online.
Last year, on International Human Rights Day (December 10), Oyinlade and a team of law students handed out 10,000 free copies of Nigeria’s constitution.
Oyinlade’s vision for the Know Your Constitution Initiative is “to contribute immensely to expanding the frontiers of liberty, human rights, democracy and happiness of ordinary citizens in Nigeria; to also empower Nigerians and non-Nigerians alike on how to enforce their rights; and to achieve delisting Nigeria from the list of human rights violation countries.”
GETTING OUT THE VOTE
Know Your Constitution promoted voter registration and participation in the April 16 presidential election. It was among many initiatives “run by Nigerian youth who are concerned about democracy and governance,” Oyinlade said.
Youth not only voted, he said, but many “waited to witness counting and many sent results via SMS [text messaging] of votes cast in the various polling wards, which many of us monitored to ensure free and fair elections.” (The United States has commended Nigeria on its orderly election.)
“Some Nigerian youth are making meaningful contributions to the development of our democracy, and I am glad that we are getting it right.”
More about Oyinlade’s work is available on his personal website and Facebook page.