ABOUT TALKAM

The TALKAM Human Rights App is a global civic tech innovation designed to combat human rights abuses and promote human rights accountability by enabling citizens, organizations, and agencies to report violations, track cases, and access digital case management tools. The app serves as a platform for documenting and addressing issues such as human trafficking, child abuse, gender-based violence, online sexual exploitation/sextortion, electoral violence, and other forms of abuses. By integrating features like real-time reporting, online courses, and a secure digital case management system, TALKAM enhances accountability and ensures that victims receive the necessary support they need. With its user-friendly interface, the app empowers individuals to take action, fostering a culture of civic engagement and human rights protection across the globe.

Beyond reporting, the TALKAM Human Rights App strengthens collaboration between civil society organizations, legal institutions, and government agencies in responding to human rights violations. The app facilitates data-driven decision-making by providing insights into trends and patterns of abuse, helping stakeholders develop targeted interventions. TALKAM also promotes human rights education through its online learning platform, equipping users as human rights advocates. With its expanding reach across different countries, the app is redefining how technology can be leveraged to safeguard human dignity and amplify the voices of the vulnerable.

TALKAM App, tagged from Africa to the World, has received the Intercultural Innovation Hub Recognition/Award by the United Nations Alliance of Civilization(UNAOC).

TALKAM is an initiative of Devatop Centre for Africa Development, a civic-tech human rights nonprofit organization based in Nigeria.

History of Talkam

2017

IIn February 2017, TALKAM was conceived by Joseph Osuigwe Chidebere, the founder of DEVATOP Centre for Africa Development, after observing low reportage of human trafficking, slow response to reported cases and by recognizing the need to leverage technology in countering trafficking. In a bid to stimulate citizens to take the responsibility of monitoring and reporting human trafficking, the word, TALKAM (a pidgin English meaning “To Speak Out”) was crafted. Joseph Osuigwe also carried out a preliminary fact-finding to understand the acceptability of technology tools for reporting human trafficking in Nigeria, but due to lack of support, TALKAM was put on hold.

2018

In October 2018, after Joseph Osuigwe returned from the International Visitor’s Leadership Program (IVLP) on Anti-Human Trafficking in the United States and inspired by how other organizations are using technology in countering human trafficking, he mobilized resources through individual contributions which was used to develop the first version of the TALKAM App www.talkam.org a Minimum Viable Product. This was used to document and respond to human rights abuses in Nigeria and other countries.

2019

With support from Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) and International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), TALKAM App was publicized through TALKAM weekly radio program and citizens started using the App to report human trafficking and gender-based violence.

2020

During COVID19, the U.S Embassy Nigeria supported TALKAM (under the TALKAM Against Human Rights Abuses Project). TALKAM App was used to document and respond to online sexual abuse, human trafficking, and other related abuses across Nigeria.

2021

Through the support from U.S Embassy Nigeria, Accion Contra La Trata and Pamplona City Council, TALKAM App was promoted across 10 states in Nigeria, gathering reports of abuses within and outside Nigeria, as well as engaging The National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to respond to them.

2023

DEVATOP Centre for Africa Development received support from the U.S Embassy Nigeria, USAID, and Palladium to upgrade the TALKAM Human Rights App and expand its reach. In November 2023, the upgraded version of TALKAM App was released for public use.

2024

The TALKAM Human Rights App received global recognition through the Intercultural Innovation Hub Award by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). This recognition highlights TALKAM’s impact in leveraging technology to combat human rights abuses, empower communities, and strengthen civic engagement across multiple countries.