THISDAY

N-Alert and Its Impact on 2023 Poll

Writes about the use of N-Alert by voters to uncover electioral malpractis­es during the last general elections held across the country.

- -Ahamudein writes from Lagos NOTE: Interested readers should continue in the online edition on www.thisdayliv­e.com

In the run-up to the just concluded general elections, the Federal Government launched a new mobile applicatio­n to help monitor and report criminal activities such as election fraud, vandalism and fire outbreaks. N-Alert, was recently hailed by Nigerians for its effectiven­ess in election monitoring and the prevention of criminal activities such as vandalism and fire outbreaks.

During the recent polls in the country, the N-Alert app was used by thousands of citizens to report any suspicious activities or incidents that could have compromise­d the integrity of the elections.

The app allowed users to send real-time reports of any irregulari­ties to the relevant authoritie­s, which helped to ensure that the elections were conducted fairly and transparen­tly.

In addition to its role in election monitoring, the N-Alert app has also been instrument­al in curbing criminal activities such as vandalism of public infrastruc­tures sexual and genderbase­d violence, prison escapes as well as serve as the Ministry of Interior Agency’s Public Compliant platform.

It can also be used to verify fake news, report road crimes such as Police brutality on citizens, and share intelligen­t reports with security agencies.

The app allows users to report any incidents of vandalism, floods or fire outbreaks in their local areas, which helps law enforcemen­t, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and fire services to respond quickly and prevent further damage.

Since its launch, the N-Alert app has been widely adopted by citizens across the country. It has been praised for its ease of use and the speed at which reports can be sent to the relevant authoritie­s.

The app has also helped to improve communicat­ion between citizens and the government, which has been critical in addressing some of the security challenges facing the country.

N-Alert gained significan­t popularity among the public, with thousands of downloads reported in just a few days following the federal government’s announceme­nt to deploy it to monitor the recently concluded general elections and the results have been very encouragin­g. Users have reported a high level of satisfacti­on with the app, noting its ease of use and effectiven­ess in reporting incidents.

Developed by a group of young tech enthusiast­s from the Federal Ministry of Interior, N-Alert has already gained significan­t popularity among the public, with thousands of downloads reported in just a few days of the announceme­nt.

N-Alert was also used to monitor the conduct of election officials and political parties during the election period. Users reported many instances of malpractic­e or irregulari­ties using the app, ensuring transparen­cy and fairness in the electoral process.

Users uploaded pictures and videos of any suspicious activities or incidents, and the data was sent directly to the security agancies control centre. This allowed the authoritie­s to respond quickly and efficientl­y to any issues that may arise and to ensure the integrity of the election.

In addition to election monitoring, the N-Alert app can also be used to curb other criminal activities such as vandalism and fire outbreaks. Users will be able to report any incidents of vandalism or fire outbreaks, and the data will be shared with the relevant authoritie­s, including the police and fire department.

During the recent general elections held in states across Nigeria, the N-Alert app was used to monitor the elections and prevent any form of electoral malpractic­es.

With the app, voters were able to report any form of irregulari­ties, such as ballot box snatching, voter intimidati­on, and other electoral malpractic­es, which helped to ensure free and fair elections.

According to the developers, N-Alert is a simple and user-friendly app that can be used by anyone with a smartphone. The app uses GPS technology to track the user’s location, enabling the authoritie­s to respond quickly and efficientl­y to the reported incidents.

Once an incident is reported, the app uses real-time GPS technology to pinpoint the location of the user and send the report to the nearest emergency response unit.

One of the key features of the app is its ability to provide users with real-time updates on the status of their report. Users are able to track the progress of their report and receive notificati­ons once the issue has been resolved. This feature has been particular­ly helpful in situations where response time is critical, such as during a fire outbreak.

Commenting on the app, Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Interior, Shuaibu Belgore, said the N-Alert app enabled thousands of citizens to report incidents or irregulari­ties during the election process in real-time.

According to him: “This app is a gamechange­r in election monitoring and in curbing criminal activities. We encourage all citizens to download the app and to use it to report any incidents that they may observe during the election process.

“Citizens were able to report incidents of vote-buying, ballot snatching, and other irregulari­ties in real-time, which allowed security agencies to respond promptly and mitigate the situation.

“With this app, we can ensure that the elections are free, fair and transparen­t, and that the safety and security of citizens are protected.

“The N-Alert app is available for download on both Android and iOS devices and is free to use. It is hoped that the app will help to promote greater transparen­cy and accountabi­lity in the election process and that it will contribute to the overall safety and security of the country.

“The N-Alert app has proven to be an effective tool in promoting accountabi­lity and transparen­cy in our electoral process. We urge citizens to continue to use the app to report any incidents of violence, malpractic­e, and other criminal activities that threaten our democracy”.

Belgore encouraged citizens to report incidents of vandalism and fire outbreaks promptly, which enables the authoritie­s to respond quickly and prevent further damage.

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