On the eve of what is expected to be the most competitive presidential election in Nigeria’s history, the country’s largest broadcasters announced that they have designated Friday, March 27, as National Media Peace Day. They will dedicate a full day to peace programming with the goal of promoting violence-free elections. Nigerians go to the polls on Saturday, March 28, for presidential and legislative elections.

The peace messages will reach throughout Nigeria, which represents one-fifth of the population of Africa. It will mark, the first time that a coordinated message has been so widely distributed on the Continent and the first time that Nigeria’s broadcasters have united behind a common theme.

On National Media Peace Day, all major television and radio stations will saturate the airwaves with creative and educational messages on nonviolent political participation using music, dramas, call-in programs, jingles and panel discussions. Supporters include the Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria (BON), Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Africa Independent Television, Ray Power Radio, SilverBird Television, Cool/Wazobia FM, Freedom Radio, Arewa 24, and Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWJ), among others.

Participating stations will be invited to use multimedia messages from the “Vote Not Fight” campaign, which encourages youth from communities where there has been election violence to pledge to vote and participate peacefully in the political process.

#Votenotfight is sponsored by musician 2face Idibia and the Youngstars Development Initiative. The campaign’s slogan, “Vote Not Fight,” urges youth to be politically active and to reject violence or hooliganism, before, during and after the elections.

National Media Peace Day is supported by NDI, Search for Common Ground and BBC Media Action.

Published on March 25, 2015