Mrs.

Growing up and working in Nigeria, I have seen how elections shape the future of communities, yet I have also witnessed how fragile trust in the process can be. Elections are supposed to give citizens the power to choose leaders and hold them accountable, but too often they are marred by violence, manipulation, or technical failures that leave people discouraged. The introduction of reforms like biometric registration and, most recently, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was meant to restore confidence. During the 2023 elections, BVAS helped reduce some malpractice, but challenges like device breakdowns, late arrival of materials, and inconsistencies in collation showed that technology alone cannot solve deeper institutional and social problems. What concerns me most is how women and young people, who should be at the center of democratic renewal, remain sidelined. Structural barriers, stigma, and lack of inclusion continue to silence their voices. Our research project is about looking beyond the technical fixes to ask: are reforms truly building trust, transparency, and inclusion? By focusing on BVAS and the Electoral Acts, I want to highlight both the progress and the gaps, and to push for reforms that empower women and youth to participate fully. I hope that this work contributes to a Nigeria where elections are not just credible on paper, but meaningful in practice.