The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) held its July Version of its Monthly Lecture Series on the 30^th July, 2008 at American Corner, Murtala Mohammed Library, Ahmadu Bello Way, Kano.

The Speaker was Dr. Yusuf M. Adamu of the Department of Geography, Bayero University, Kano who made his presentations on “ICTs in Healthcare”. He thrilled the listening audience with indebt analysis of the subject matter. Among some of the points mentioned by him were: how ICTs have helped in Learning and Research, how Diagnostic Software help Doctors in consultations, how JIS help Geographers to know endemic areas and how it helps to manage the diseases dictated in such arrears. He also talked about how ICTs help in Medical Record Keeping. The challenge faced by ICTs usage according to him is lack of will power by our policy makers to put enabling environment for the usage of ICTs. He also noted that misplaced priorities are part of the problems that we have among the Policy Makers.

The session was chaired by Dr. B. A. Grema, Chairman Nigerian Medical Association, Kano State Branch, who made his keynote address on the Importance of ICTs in Effective Healthcare Delivery. He also highlighted some challenges facing ICTs usage in the Health Sector. He gave an instance where heavy HiTec instruments are lying unused due to lack of power supply that would power them.

The Lecture was attended by over 40 participants drawn from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Government Health Sectors, Academia, Labour, Media and Community Based Organizations (CBOs).

On Monday, 15^th September 2008, Scott Reed, an intern from the Global Information Internship Program (GIIP), University of California, Santa Cruz, USA, who had been serving with CITAD completed his period and left for the USA. During his stay with CITAD Mr. Reed conducted IT training rounds for staff of CITAD, Mambayya House and the Development Research and Project Centre (dRPc). He also helped to set up new websites for CITAD (www.citad.org and www.trainin.citad.org) as well as trained the staff of CITAD to maintain the sites. In appreciation of his stay with CITAD Mr. Reed donated his laptop to the staff of the organization. Making the presentation of the laptop, Mr. Reed said that he will continue to remember and cherish his stay with CITAD and pleaded to continue to assist the organization. While receiving the donation on behalf of CITAD, the Director of the organization said that they were happy to host Mr. Reed who would now become the Ambassador of the organization in the USA. Mr. Scott Reed came to Nigeria on 22^nd July and stayed for a period of almost three month. His posting to CITAD was part of a partnership between CITAD and GIIP aimed at promoting technology skill exchange and development in the area of ICT.