ROUNDCHECK, a youth-led fact-checking organisation advancing truth, accountability and Media and Information Literacy (MIL) in Nigeria, has launched Civic Play, a web-based edutainment game designed to improve civic education, political literacy and MIL among young Nigerians through interactive digital learning.
The platform was unveiled on Saturday, August 8, 2026, during a virtual launch themed “Advancing Civic Engagement Through Digital Innovation.”
The event brought together more than 60 participants, including representatives of Electoral College Nigeria, BudgIT, The Nation Newspaper, Alkalanci, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Media and Information Literacy and Intercultural Dialogue (MILID) Foundation, FactCheck Africa, civil society organisations, campus journalists from various tertiary institutions, and young Nigerians.
The initiative comes amid efforts by civic and media organisations to explore new ways of reaching Nigeria’s young population with reliable information and encouraging greater participation in democratic processes.
The launch featured a live demonstration of Civic Play anchored by Daniel Nworie, Assistant Project Manager, who introduced participants to the platform’s features, including timed questions, instant feedback and progress tracking.
The game currently contains more than 1,000 questions covering civic and political issues, designed to help young people develop a stronger understanding of democratic processes and their role as citizens.
Speaking during the launch, Lekan Otufodurin, Executive Director of Media Career Development Network, highlighted the importance of digital innovation in strengthening civic engagement. Lekan emphasised the need for informed citizens to actively participate in democratic processes and play their part in addressing misinformation.
He noted that initiatives such as Civic Play could help make civic education more accessible to young people by presenting information through digital platforms that align with how they increasingly learn and interact.
Also speaking, Vahyala Kwaga, Country Director for Nigeria at BudgIT, emphasised the importance of active citizenship to the quality of democracy and governance. Kwaga described Civic Play as a fun and engaging way to share civic knowledge while encouraging users to reflect on their responsibilities as citizens.
He stressed the need to harness Nigeria’s youthful population to develop a more informed generation of leaders and citizens, while encouraging the Civic Play team to consider expanding the initiative beyond Nigeria to other sub-regional countries.
According to him, the quality of governance is influenced by the extent to which citizens understand and participate in civic processes.
Victoria Bamas, Project Manager at Alkalanci, said civic engagement should not be limited to elections and voting. Victoria, whose organisation focuses on fact-checking and MIL in local languages, noted that an informed population that understands their rights, responsibilities and the roles of government institutions could help hold public officials accountable
She stressed the importance of citizens engaging with government at the state and local government levels, rather than focusing exclusively on the federal government.
“Issues such as primary healthcare, drainage, refuse disposal and community roads often require citizens to engage directly with their local authorities.”
Victoria called for possible collaboration between Civic Play and the National Orientation Agency (NOA), noting that the agency’s grassroots presence could help the platform reach more communities.
Alao Abiodun, Senior Reporter with The Nation Newspaper, urged ROUNDCHECK to pursue partnerships with government institutions to expand Civic Play’s reach. Abiodun noted that government structures such as the Office of Civic Engagement in Lagos could help integrate the initiative into existing civic engagement efforts.
He recommended that Civic Play reach secondary school students and develop a mobile application in addition to its web-based platform, arguing that young people increasingly consume information through social media and digital platforms.
Deputy Executive Director of Electoral College Nigeria, Lisa Wunmi Hassan, described Civic Play as a welcome innovation in civic education. Lisa said technology could make civic education more practical and interactive, particularly for young people who may find conventional approaches less engaging.
She also emphasised the importance of collaboration among organisations working across electoral participation, civic education and related fields.
Speaking on the future of the initiative, Caleb Ijioma, Executive Director of ROUNDCHECK, outlined plans to expand Civic Play through partnerships, community outreach and additional learning features.
Caleb said ROUNDCHECK intends to work with organisations and to take Civic Play to about 50 schools and tertiary institutions across Lagos, Oyo and Ogun states, to promote political literacy, media literacy and civic participation.
The platform is also expected to receive additional features, including courses on political and media literacy, a dashboard for accessing the courses and possible integration of local languages.
To access the platform, Nigerians are expected to visit www.civicplay.ng. Other planned developments include a campaign with rewards for participation and the testing of Civic Play during the upcoming Osun State election.
