By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
Millions of Nigerian voters can now access key electoral information directly through WhatsApp following the launch of a multilingual civic information assistant by YandyTech Community.
The new service, integrated into the organisation’s Muryanmu platform, enables citizens to obtain election-related information in Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and English without leaving the messaging application.
Users can access the service by sending a message to 07043672113 on WhatsApp.
YandyTech Community announced the development on Tuesday under its Tech4Peace and Citizen Lab initiative, with support from a Tier 2 grant provided by the Digital Democracy Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa (DDISA) Fund.
Muryanmu, which translates to “Our Voice,” was developed to improve citizens’ access to reliable civic and electoral information, particularly among communities that face language, digital literacy and access barriers.
The latest upgrade expands the platform’s reach by introducing Nigeria’s three major indigenous languages alongside English.
YandyTech said the decision was informed by the widespread use of WhatsApp by Nigerians for communication and access to information, as well as the importance of delivering civic information in languages that citizens understand.
Speaking on the initiative, Alamin Musa Magaga, Project Lead for Muryanmu, said access to relevant information was essential to meaningful democratic participation.
“Democracy is stronger when citizens can access the information they need to participate, regardless of their language, location or level of digital literacy,” Magaga said.
He added that the DDISA grant was helping the organisation make the platform “more inclusive, accessible and responsive” to citizens’ information needs.
Through the WhatsApp Assistant and the wider Muryanmu platform, users can access polling unit information and locations, candidate profiles and manifestos, as well as guides on voter registration and election-day procedures.
The platform is also designed to provide live election insights and verified updates during elections, while presenting information in formats that can be easily understood by people with limited digital literacy.
YandyTech said the DDISA support would further strengthen its election-monitoring capabilities and enable the introduction of additional accessibility features aimed at reaching persons with disabilities and residents of rural communities.
The organisation described the development as an important step towards reducing language barriers and making credible civic information available to a wider section of the population.
“This milestone is about inclusion,” YandyTech said, stressing that delivering information through a platform Nigerians already use daily could expand access to timely and trustworthy electoral information.
The organisation said the Muryanmu initiative reflects its broader commitment to deploying technology and innovation to promote civic participation and strengthen digital democracy in Nigeria.
The service is available nationwide, with citizens able to access the WhatsApp Assistant by messaging 07043672113.
