As part of its contribution to the reduction in the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, ActionAid Nigeria in collaboration with CITAD donated protection materials to Communities around FCT to assist them inculcate the practice of good hygiene among dwellers.

The distributed items include Public Address System, 16 banners and posters, hand sanitisers, hand gloves and face masks in large quantities.

Country Director of ActionAid, Nigeria, Ene Obi, said the orgainisation is already working with CITAD and other Community facilitators in four Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory that include; Abuja Municipal, Kuje, Bwari and Kwali on the need for personal hygiene.

Obi explained that the essence of the sensitisation exercise is to sensitise FCT communities on COVID 19 as well as to educate communities facilitators across FCT of the importance of personal hygiene and the dangers of the pandemic and the need to take communal and individual precautionary measures to stay safe.

She further said; “Our focus of intervention is on prevention and control of the spread of covid-19 in communities and to help them stay home and stay safe.”

“The protection materials and other items donated can be used to prevent infection and stop spread of the COVID-19.

“For easy understanding, AAN and CITAD have also developed messages on how to stay safe from the Corona virus.

“The Messages were produced in English and translated into various local languages (Hausa and Gbagyi) for easy comprehension for the communities in FCT.”

The Local Rights Programme Advisor for Actionaid Nigeria, Hajara Adamu-Opaluwa, said the megaphones/public address systems and few demonstrations on the use of sanitisers, Behavioral Change and Communication materials with messages on COVID-19 were distributed to communities to help curb the spread of the virus

She said that for effectiveness, a WhatsApp group has been created to help community facilitators share update on the situation of Coronavirus in their respective communities.

Adamu-Opaluwa further said that discussion is ongoing with other 11 LRP partners across 11 states and other AAN projects in the country to adopt and replicate thie approach in their respective communities where AAN is implementing the LRP intervention.

According to her; “AAN has also set up a 9-member Committee on COVID-19 drawing up a strategy on sourcing for funds and seeking innovative ways of working in the environment.

“AAN will fashion a way to work with other target groups especially (the poor and the most vulnerable – women, children, young people and people with disability.”

Also speaking, the Programme Officer of CITAD, Salmat Abdulwaheed, said that it is very important to sensitise local communities about the new COVID-19, saying that many of the people out there are not aware of the existence of the dangerous virus.

Abdulwaheed said while some are aware of the disease, they do not believe the extent of the threat and danger it portend to their existence and the necessary precautions or measures to prevent the infection and spread.

Communities benefitting from this intervention programme include; Dakwa, Tungar Ashere, Tungar Nasara, Gwalada, Gofidna and Jiwa Tsoho in AMAC, Pasepa and Kuchi Buiyi in Bwari, Gaube, Kayace and Tukpeki in Kuje as well as Leleyi Bassa, Kilankwa and Leleyi Gwari in Kwali Area council.

The Centre for Information  Technology And Development (CITAD) and  Actionaid Nigeria(AAN), have  trained and educated community facilitators in communities in the Federal Capital Territory, on COVID-19 as part of measures to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic which has killed two persons in Nigeria, leaving over 170 others infected.

The non- profit organisations working in Nigeria and other parts of the country to Improve the living condition of the less privileged, also provided protection materials for the vulnerable communities  to fight the epidemic.

 

Behavioral Change and Communication materials with messages on COVID 19 were distributed to the community facilitators who were trained to help enlighten and educate other members of the communities about the virus.

Actionaid is an international  non-profit governmental organization that works with communities to reduce poverty, promote human rights and justice worldwide.

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) on the other hand, is committed to the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development and promotion of good governance.

Since the outbreak of the virus in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, the virus has spread to other countries, with global cases now surpassing 750,000 and global death toll rising to  over 36,000.

The donated  items which consisted of Public Address  Systems, hand sanitizers, hand gloves, face mask, posters and banners, were handed  to 12 local communities in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari and Kuje area councils in the FCT to curtail spread of the virus.
The beneficiary communities, Dakwa, Gwalada, Gofidna, Jiwa Tsoho, Tungan Ashere, Tungan Nasara, Leleyi Gwari, Kilankwa and Leleyi Basaa, Gauge and Kayache and Pasepa, each received a public address system and large quantities of the  other items for  prevention against the coronavirus.
Community facilitators in the respective communities were educated on the COVID-19, how it can be transmitted and measures for it’s prevention and spread, to help sensitize other members of the communities.
Behavioral Change and Communication materials with messages on COVID 19 were also distributed to community members.
Receiving the items donated on behalf of the communities, the village chiefs appreciated the kind gesture and applauded all the programmes  being implemented in their cimmunuties by CITAD and Actionaid Nigeria to make live better for the communities.
This intervention, as the  Actionaid Nigeria’s Country Director, Ene Obi noted yesterday while briefing on efforts made so far by the nonprofit organization towards combating the virus, focused on prevention and control of the spread of covid-19 in communities where Actionaid Nigeria has been offering humanitarian services.
She explained that  ActionAid Nigeria ’s response has been under its Local Rights Programme which started midweek of March 2020 through working with CITAD and Community facilitators in the 4 Area Councils of Abuja Municipal, Kuje, Bwari and Kwali.

She noted that AAN and CITAD developed messages on how to stay safe from the Corona virus which  were produced in English and translated into local languages (Hausa and Gbagyi) for easy comprehension by the communities where AAN work.

“We have distributed megaphones/public address systems and few demonstrations on the use of sanitizers.  Behavioral Change and Communication materials with messages on COVID 19 were distributed to community members.  Community facilitators placed posters with messages in strategic places in the communities.”

“At the moment focus of the intervention is on prevention and control of the spread of covid-19 in communities where we work. Communities benefitting include Dakwa, Tungar Ashere, Tungar Nasara, Gwalada, Gofidna and Jiwa Tsoho in AMAC, Pasepa and Kuchi Buiyi in Bwari, Gaube, Kayace and Tukpeki in Kuje while Leleyi Bassa, Kilankwa and Leleyi Gwari in Kwali Area council

“In addition, a WhatsApp group have been created where community facilitators will be sharing update on the situation of Coronavirus in their respective communities’” she stated.

The AAN  Country Director disclosed that the organization has opened  discussion  with other 11 LRP Partners across 11 states and other AAN projects in the country to “adopt and replicate this approach in their respective communities where AAN is implementing the LRP intervention.”

According to her, an undisclosed amount of strategic funds have also been released from AAN to different projects partners in different states “especially on how it will affect women from our Women’s Rights Unit.”
We are proposing many other ways of working in different states as AAN has set up a 9-member Committee on COVID-19 drawing up a strategy now on sourcing for funds and seeking innovative ways of working in the environment. AAN will fashion a way to work with our target groups especially (the poor and the most vulnerable – women, children, young people and people with disability). More plans will unfold in the next week,” she further hinted.

Meanwhile, the Local Rights Programme Advisor for  Actionaid Nigeria, Hajara Adamu-Opaluwa, who represented  Actionaid Nigeria at the event, educated  the  community facilitators across the 14 communities in FCT of which the above listed communities are inclusive, about the dangers of COVID-19  and the need  to take communal and individual precautionary measures to stay safe.

She explained to them, how the protection materials and other items donated can be used to prevent infection and spread of the COVID-19.

Earlier,  CITAD Programme Officer,  Salmat Abdulwaheed, noted that it is very important to sensitize local communities about  the new COVID-19 as many of them are not even aware of the existence of the dangerous virus.

She said while some are aware of the disease, they do not believe the extent of the threat and danger it potend to their existence and the necessary precautions or measures to prevent the infection and spread.

“We are here today on a sensitization campaign and to distribute these gift items  because it is very important for these people  who mostly, do not have acess to television and other means of communication to know what is going on presently around the globe like their counterparts in the urban areas.

“We are working together with stakeholders in these community, the Chiefs and community facilitators to ensure these communities are sentized about COVID-19 to receive all the necessary information in order to minimize the spread of the virus among members of the communities who are very vulnerable. “

“We also  want to inculcate  the practice of good hygiene among the community dwellers for their general well being,” said  Abdulwaheed.

She said with the support of Actionaid Nigeria, the facilitator from the communities were trained and educated about COVID-19 to help sensitize other members of the communities and distribute the protection materials to them.

“We ensure that we provide them with information that will keep them updated and alert  so that they can relay the information to the communities,” she emphasized.

As part of their contribution towards prevention and spread of the Coronavirus pandemic which has killed two persons in Nigeria, leaving over 170 others infected, the Centre for Information  Technology And Development (CITAD) and  Actionaid Nigeria(AAN), have collaborated to train community facilitators and provided protection materials for vulnerable communities  in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), to fight the epidemic.

Behavioral Change and Communication materials with messages on COVID 19 were also distributed to representatives of the communities.

Actionaid is an international  non-profit governmental organization that works with communities to reduce poverty, promote human rights and justice worldwide.

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) on the other hand, is committed to the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development and promotion of good governance.

Since the outbreak of the virus in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, the virus has spread to other countries, with global cases now surpassing 750,000 and global death toll rising to  over 36,000.

The donated  items which consisted of Public Address  Systems, hand sanitizers, hand gloves, face mask, posters and banners, were handed  to 12 local communities in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari and Kuje area councils in the FCT to curtail spread of the virus.

Fred from Actionaid Nigeria presenting a Public Address System to the village chief at Leleyi Gwari community in Kwali Area Council of the FCT on Monday, in Abuja.

The beneficiary communities, Dakwa, Gwalada, Gofidna, Jiwa Tsoho, Tungan Ashere, Tungan Nasara, Leleyi Gwari, Kilankwa and Leleyi Basaa, Gauge and Kayache and Pasepa, each received a public address system and large quantities of the  other items for  prevention against the coronavirus.

At Leleyi Gwari community in Kwali Area Council, Fred explains to some members of the community how to use the materials distributed.

Community facilitators in the respective communities were educated on the COVID-19, how it can be transmitted and measures for it’s prevention and spread, to help sensitize other members of the communities.

Actionaid Nigeria Local Rights Programme Advisor, Hajara Adamu-Opaluwa explaining how to use the materials distributed to some members of the Dakwa community.

Behavioral Change and Communication materials with messages on COVID 19 were also distributed to community members.

Hajara Adamu-Opaluwa distributing posters and banners to one of the community facilitators.

Receiving the items donated on behalf of the communities, the village chiefs appreciated the kind gesture and applauded all the programmes  being implemented in their cimmunuties by CITAD and Actionaid Nigeria to make live better for the communities.

The chief of Dakwa community receives some of the items distributed.

This intervention, as the  Actionaid Nigeria’s Country Director, Ene Obi noted yesterday while briefing on efforts made so far by the nonprofit organization towards combating the virus, focused on prevention and control of the spread of covid-19 in communities where Actionaid Nigeria has been offering humanitarian services.

She explained that  ActionAid Nigeria ’s response has been under its Local Rights Programme which started midweek of March 2020 through working with CITAD and Community facilitators in the 4 Area Councils of Abuja Municipal, Kuje, Bwari and Kwali.

She noted that AAN and CITAD developed messages on how to stay safe from the Corona virus which  were produced in English and translated into local languages (Hausa and Gbagyi) for easy comprehension by the communities where AAN work.

“We have distributed megaphones/public address systems and few demonstrations on the use of sanitizers.  Behavioral Change and Communication materials with messages on COVID 19 were distributed to community members.  Community facilitators placed posters with messages in strategic places in the communities.”

“At the moment focus of the intervention is on prevention and control of the spread of covid-19 in communities where we work. Communities benefitting include Dakwa, Tungar Ashere, Tungar Nasara, Gwalada, Gofidna and Jiwa Tsoho in AMAC, Pasepa and Kuchi Buiyi in Bwari, Gaube, Kayace and Tukpeki in Kuje while Leleyi Bassa, Kilankwa and Leleyi Gwari in Kwali Area council

“In addition, a WhatsApp group have been created where community facilitators will be sharing update on the situation of Coronavirus in their respective communities’” she stated.

The AAN  Country Director disclosed that the organization has opened  discussion  with other 11 LRP Partners across 11 states and other AAN projects in the country to “adopt and replicate this approach in their respective communities where AAN is implementing the LRP intervention.”

According to her, an undisclosed amount of strategic funds have also been released from AAN to different projects partners in different states “especially on how it will affect women from our Women’s Rights Unit.”
We are proposing many other ways of working in different states as AAN has set up a 9-member Committee on COVID-19 drawing up a strategy now on sourcing for funds and seeking innovative ways of working in the environment. AAN will fashion a way to work with our target groups especially (the poor and the most vulnerable – women, children, young people and people with disability). More plans will unfold in the next week,” she further hinted.

Meanwhile, the Local Rights Programme Advisor for  Actionaid Nigeria, Hajara Adamu-Opaluwa, who represented  Actionaid Nigeria at the event, educated  the  community facilitators across the 14 communities in FCT of which the above listed communities are inclusive, about the dangers of COVID-19  and the need  to take communal and individual precautionary measures to stay safe.

She explained to them, how the protection materials and other items donated can be used to prevent infection and spread of the COVID-19.

Earlier,  CITAD Programme Officer,  Salmat Abdulwaheed, noted that it is very important to sensitize local communities about  the new COVID-19 as many of them are not even aware of the existence of the dangerous virus.

She said while some are aware of the disease, they do not believe the extent of the threat and danger it potend to their existence and the necessary precautions or measures to prevent the infection and spread.

“We are here today on a sensitization campaign and to distribute these gift items  because it is very important for these people  who mostly, do not have acess to television and other means of communication to know what is going on presently around the globe like their counterparts in the urban areas.

“We are working together with stakeholders in these community, the Chiefs and community facilitators to ensure these communities are sentized about COVID-19 to receive all the necessary information in order to minimize the spread of the virus among members of the communities who are very vulnerable. “

“We also  want to inculcate  the practice of good hygiene among the community dwellers for their general well being,” said  Abdulwaheed.

She said with the support of Actionaid Nigeria, the facilitator from the communities were trained and educated about COVID-19 to help sensitize other members of the communities and distribute the protection materials to them.

“We ensure that we provide them with information that will keep them updated and alert  so that they can relay the information to the communities,” she emphasized.

As part of activities to mark the International Women’s Day, Centre for Information Technology (CITAD), in partnership with Jobberman, Nigeria largest online platform on Wednesday in Kano, trained two hundred young women on Employability Skills.

The Program Implementation Officer, Precious Imuwahen Ajoonu, (Jobberman) said the platform intends to reach out to 5 million young people particularly job seekers so as to train them on Employability Skills and match them with dignified jobs in the next five years.

She said, the choice to train women in kano and by extension the North is connected to the fact that people in the region are under-served.

According to her, the training which focuses on how to write a CV, Cover letters, how to prepare for interviews as well as how to negotiate for salaries as it has been observed that many women are ready to accept whatever is been offered them without considering what value they are bringing to the table, would help women project themselves in a more standard way.

She said, women, who are the backbone of every society needs to be given more chances to occupy prominent positions in the boardrooms so as to bring on board, special skills in their areas of specialization for the growth of the work-force.

Ajoonu further stated that the training will continue in other selected states in the region so as to equip more women with virtually everything needed to acquire their desired jobs.

She charged the participants to pursue their dreams and believe in themselves just as records have shown women whom have excelled greatly in different fields of life just like their male counterparts.

Speaking on the occasion, the program officer, Gender and Internet Advocacy CITAD, Maryam Ado Haruna, stated that the Centre has empowered women in the past on various skills and acquisition programs in a bid to cover up the huge gab between the men and women in the Northern part of the country when it comes to earning a living and productivity.

She said the collaboration is hoped to make more impacts as the both CITAD and Jobberman share similar objectives which would enable them reach out to more women in the society and empower them with needed skills to survive in any field of work they find themselves.

Furthermore, Maryam stated that writing of CV itself is a business one can build a career on and that with such a training, one can begin to write CVs for people to earn a living.

IWD: 200 Women Trained on Employability Skills in Kano

Wani rahoto daga kungiyar taimakon kai da kai mai suna Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) ta ce a tarihin majalisar dattijan Najeriya, mata 36 kadai suka taba samun zama sanatoci tun 1999, kamar yadda jaridar The Nation online ta ruwaito. Rahoton CITAD din ya bayyana ne a wani taron horar da manema labarai da ta shirya a birnin Yola da ke jihar Adamawa. Kungiyar ta ce tun daga 1999 majalisar tarayyar ta samu mambobi 654 ne kuma gurbi 618 maza suka cike shi inda matan suka ciki 36.
Mata 36 ne kawai suka yi mukamin Sanata a Najeriya tun daga shekarar 1999 zuwa yanzu – Bincike Source: Facebook An samu sanatocin 654 ne ta hanyar zabe tun bayan fara mulkin damokaradiyya a Najeriya. A kowanne lokacin zabe kuwa ana samun sanatoci 109 da ke wakiltar yankuna daban-daban na kasar nan. Rahoton ya bayyana cewa, a cikin sanatoci 109 na 1999 an samu mata uku ne kacal. A 2003 an samu hudu, a 2007 an samu takwas, a 2011 an samu bakwai, a 2015 an samu 8 sai kuma 2019 an samu shida. KU KARANTA: Matashi dan asalin jihar Kano ya fito da fasahar koyon addinin Musulunci a waya A wani bincike mai zurfi kuwa, an gano cewa zai yuwu yawan sanatocin su gaza kai 36 saboda wasu matan ba sau daya suka lashe zabe ba. Misali ita ce Chief Remi Tinubu wacce ta ci zabe sau uku. Hakazalika a bangaren mazan za a iya samun kasa da 618 don akwai sanatocin da ba karonsu na farko kenan a majalisar dattijan ba. Rahoton CITAD din ya bayyana rashin shigar mata siyasa da kuma tsangwama da kalaman kiyayya da mata masu burin siyasa suke fuskanta. Rahoton ya bayyana cewa, akwai kalaman kiyayya da kuma na nuna banbancin jinsi wanda ake wa mata masu burin siyasa. A kan kwantanta su da karuwai da sauransu. Hakan kuwa na taka rawar gani wajen cire burin siyasa daga zukatan mata kuma yana hana su cin zaben. CITAD wanda ke da babban ofishi a jihar Kano ya horar da ‘yan jaridu ne tare da hadin guiwa NDI da kuma jami’in hukumar, Hamza Ibrahim.

A report by an indigenous nongovernmental organisation, Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), has said the Nigerian Senate has had only 36 women since 1999 when the current democratic dispensation began.
The CITAD report, unveiled at a training for journalists in the Adamawa State capital, Yola, states that the Senate has had 654 members since 1999, meaning that men have had 618 slots to leave 36 to women, giving a percentage of 5.5% women to 94.5% men.
The 654 total number of senators was deduced from Nigeria’s electoral history within the period under review, in which case elections were conducted in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 (six times), each of which time 109 senators were elected.
The report which dug further into the archive, notes that out of the 109 senators elected in 1999, only three were women; while in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019; only 4, 8, 7, 8 and 6 women were elected respectively as senators.
A deeper study would however reveal that the number of specific women would be less than 36 because some women did or have done more than one term at the Senate, including Chief Remi Tinubu, who is doing her third term in the Senate, having first been elected in 2011 and re-elected twice: 2015 and then 2019.
Similarly, the number of men, strictly talking of individuals involved, would be less than 618, as many individuals did or have done more than a term at the Senate, including Sen David Mark, who was first elected into the Senate in 1999 and was reelected repeatedly until he opted out in 2019.
The CITAD report attributed the poor outing of women at the Senate to, among other things, gender-related hate speech which put women at a disadvantage.
The report noted that during the period under review, there was a preponderance of Gender Based Hate Speech with derogative words and phrases used to describe women in politics.
According to the report, terms and refrains like prostitute, ashawo, the weaker vessel, her office is in the kitchen, among others, were freely used, discouraging many women from seeking election or affecting the chances of those who dared to aspire.
The training for journalists at which the report by CITAD was unveiled was on hate speech and what journalists could do to mitigate it.
CITAD which has its head office in Kano, held the media training for journalists in Yola with funding from the National Democratic Institute (NDI), according to a Coordinator with CITAD, Hamza Ibrahim.

The Centre for Information Technology and Development CITAD has called on community and religious leaders to intensify sensitization within their domains on the dangers of hate speech to national development. CITAD’s Project Coordinator, Countering Hate Speech, Malam Hamza Ibrahim, who made the call in Kano while briefing the press, emphasised the need for religious tolerance and mutual respect for one another among Nigerians. Hamza urged the youths, particularly those using the internet, to always try to explore and leverage on social and economic benefits of the technology for personal development rather than use it to promote strife, hate and animosity. Analyzing the trends of hateful conducts on various social media platforms in the last few days, Hamza also expressed dismay over the increasing rate of violence against women on the internet, and appealed  to social media influencers to always rise against acts capable of creating disharmony in the country. He said CITAD had recorded 319 hate contents in January with ethnicity based hate speech dominating the chart with 27 percent followed by gender based hate speech against women with 18 percent.

Culled from: Daily Trust

The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) offered free training on information Communication Technology (ICT) to 24 directors of Bauchi state Ministry of Education.

It could be recalled that the state Commissioner of Education  Dr Aliyu Tilde has issued directives that all management staff should be computer compliance  for easy communication and other transactions within agencies and schools.

The Programme Manager CITAD Mallam Isa Garba disclosed this during the presentation of certificates on ICT to the directors from three Directorates of the  Ministry on Tuesday.

He said the  24 directors have undergone computer skills training under CITAD free training programs that is inline with our mission that all should be ICT compliance especially in the North.

He said the 24 directors were selected from three directorates of Examinations, ICT and Quality Assurance of the state  Ministry of Education.

“The Ministry provides the computers and the hall for the training while CITAD provides the skills to the directors as part of social responsibilities to the State and the Society,” he said.

According to him, ICT plays a catalytic role in enhancing learning in the classroom and beyond, It enhances the scope of education by facilitating mobile learning and inclusive education.

“It facilitates research and scholarly communication, the Impact of ICT and its potential for the education field is manifold,” he said.

In his remarks, The state Commissioner Dr Aliyu Tilde  Commended Center for Information Technology and Development CITAD for offering free ICT training to directors of  three Directorates of the ministry to become Information Communication Technology (ICT) compliance.

He added this is in line with the directives of the ministry that all the directors and the management staff of the ministry and schools should be information communication technology compliance for easy communication across agencies and schools in the state.

“Therefore, before the end of this year, I assured that  all the staff of the remaining directorate of the ministry will be ICT compliance. He said,

Cibiyar Yada Fasahar Zamani da Ci gaban l’umma, CITAD, tare da hadin gwiwar Cibiyar Raya Al’adun Birtaniya a Najeriya sun yi kiran da a lalubo wasu hanyoyin na daban da matakan soji wajen kawo karshen yaki da Boko Haram – wanda ke neman kai wankin hula ya kai dare.

Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) organised a mentorship training for key stakeholders in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as part of efforts in ensuring that the Girl-Child has access to quality education and advance in ICT.

The mentorship session was held on Thursday, at the premises of the LEA Primary School in Tunga-Ashere in Jiwa Chiefdom, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

The objectives aimed at acquainting stakeholders on the importance of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the education of the girl child.

Speaking with journalists after the event, CITAD’s Sponsorship Officer, Mr. Mubarak Ekute said the training was put together to interact with stakeholders and sensitize them on how to leverage on ICT to improve learning and empowerment of the girl-child.

“The world has become a global village through ICT, so the idea behind this programme is to interact and hold a mentoring session with stakeholders that are concerned with education to enable them empower the girl child through ICT so that they can be useful to themselves, the society and achieve education.”

On the relevance of ICT to the beneficiaries he said, “with ICT, the girl-child can leverage on so many opportunities. For instance, in terms of the classroom, she can use it to enhance her learning skills, use ICT to acquire knowledge and information to carryout her assignments,” Ekute said.

The Special Adviser to the Chairman of AMAC on ICT/Donor Agencies and Civil Societies, Abiodun Essiet who made a cash donations of N50,000 for development of the school in the community, commended CITAD for granting beneficiaries in the communities access to ICT.

Earlier in a welcome address, the programme coordinator, Salma Abdulwaheed said in line with the Sustainable Development Goal agenda which emphasized that no one should be left behind, CITAD considered it a priority to take digital skills acquisition programmes to some remote communities in the FCT to empower beneficiaries.

Adding that the organisation has established ICT Centres in communities in five area council’s of the FCT, one of which is located in Tunga-Ashere.

A representative of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education at the event, Dr. Efi Anam said the ministry is happy that women and girls child in the rural communities are being carried along in a world where women are now occupying important positions. She stressed the importance of empowering the girl child with education to face the many responsibilities she is saddled with in the society.

“We are also interested in making progress in our small communities. We can only achieve this by making sure everybody, including girls, go to school. The women need to be empowered, trained to have skills to enable them assist their homes and be useful in the society,” Anam added

The village Chief, Sani Yakubu, who said he is one of the beneficiaries of the ICT training programmes, also lauded CITAD for improving the lives of members of his community. And also commending AMAC authourities for establishing the school in the community two years ago to address the problem of lack of access to education.

He appealed for expansion of the school to accommodate the teeming population of pupils, head Master’s office and convenience for the entire school.

Adding, he identified lack of hospital facility and electricity as some of the urgent need of the community.

Also speaking, the LEA Tunga-Ashere Head Master, Martins Zanyi commended CITAD for assisting the communities to improve their access to education. He ceased the opportunity to appeal to government to construct more classrooms for pupils in the community and provide more furnitures to aid better learning.

Last week, CITAD also visited Leleyi Gwari community, Kwali Area Council for same course.

The Centre for Information and Technology Development, CITAD, said improving the girlchild education and the use of ICT can go a long way in bringing development in the local communities.

The Sponsorship Officer,CITAD, Mubarak Ekute, made this known during a mentoring session at kwali Area Council Tungan Ashere,Tunga Nasara and Leleyi gwari community with the hope of empowering the girlchild through ICT to help her achieve success in education.

Mubarak said,ICT plays an important role in students evaluation.it motivate students and to develop interest in learning.”
It also enhance communication by bridging the gap between teachers and students”.

The Sponsorship Officers, encouraged the members of the community to embrace ICT and use the opportunity to improve upon themselves, noting that with the knowledge of ICT there’s nothing that can’t be achieve through it.

“Looking at the world today it is fast becoming a world global village through ICT, the idea behind this programme was to use the opportunity to give a mentoring section to the stakeholders that has something to do education”.

“We are currently running an Advocacy campaign with the theme,”TAKE BACK THE TAKE”, gared towards encouraging the girlchild on her right to speak up for herself”.

Programme Officer, Abuja Office CITAD,Salma Abdulwaheed who lead the team said, the use of ICT can help the girlchild leverage on so many opportunities on the internet for learning and solving classroom assignment enhance her learning capacity.

The Village Head,Tunga Ashere,under Jiwa Chiefdoom, Sani Yakubu and one of the beneficiaries of ICT,said, children without education today is a risk.

Sani who listed some of the challenges the community is faced with expressed concern over the absence of health care centre and learning centre in the community.

He said though the fact chairman has approved primary school, but that the three block classrooms will not contained the over ninty six students and the school head.

He therefore appealed for another additional classrooms to be constructed to accommodate the growing number of students in the community.

On accessing health care centre, he said,it is a major challenge, saying that alot of children have been lost due to difficulty in accessing health care centre close to the community.

On the success story on ICT, he said the establishment of ICT in the community has helped shaped him and has boost his business as well.

“Most of us are predominately farmers,in the past we usually go far to get our farm produce sold but now with the knowledge we have acquired we have been able to advertise our products and with that people from the market now follow us to our community to buy our farm produce, is a huge success”.

The Women Leader,Hauwa Yakubu, said ICT is a blessing, because it has increase the learning of our children; in the past there was no school but now there’s school and the ICT centre has played a great role in the life of our children and community.

We don’t want our children to be like us.
We didn’t have such opportunity to go to school,in the past even if you have the interest, your father won’t allow you to. But now we are wiser,we want what will bring development to our community and to help our children excel in their education.

The Head Master, Martin’s Zanyi, complained that there’s no enough facility for a condusive learning environment for the pupils.

He said,lack of enough school facilities is a major challenge, he therefore appealed for more classrooms,seats to enhance the learning condition of the pupils.

Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) and Actionaid Nigeria have organised a mentorship training for key stakeholders in the Federal Capital Territory ((FCT) as part of efforts in ensuring that the Girl-Child have access to quality education. CITAD is a non-governmental and non-profit organization that is committed to the use of information and communication technologies for development and promotion of good governance. With support from Actionaid Nigeria, the mentoring session which held at the premises if the LEA Primary School in Tunga-Ashere in Jiwa Chiefdom, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and Leleyi Gwari community, Kwali Area Council from Tuesday-Thursday, focused on ‘the role of ICT in Improving Access to Girl Child Education in FCT Rural Communities.’ TitanicMedia which covered the event, reports that the session aimed at acquainting stakeholders on the importance of Information Communication Technology in the education of the girl child. The programme was attended by young girls, their parents and other members of the communities. Participants also included representatives from the ministries of information and education in Nigeria, AMAC, the head master and other teaching staff of LEA Primary School in the beneficiary communities. Speaking with journalists after the event, CITAD’s Sponsorship Officer, Mubarak Ekute said the training was put together to interact with stakeholders and sensitize them on how to leverage on ICT to improve learning and empowerment of the girl-child. “The world has become a global village through ICT, so the idea behind this programme is to interact with and hold a mentoring session with stakeholders that are concerned with education to enable them empower the girl child through ICT so that they can be useful to themselves and the society and achieve education,” Ekute said. On the relevance of ICT to the beneficiaries, he said with ICT, the girl-child can leverage on so many opportunities. For instance, in terms of the classroom, she can use it enhance her learning, use ICT to acquire knowledge and information to carryout her assignments. “The teachers can also use it to improve educational system generally,” he added. Ekute further explained that girls who are not priviledged to be in school could also, carve a niche for themselves with ICT skills acquired. He said CITAD had mapped out programmes to sensitize the girl child on their rights and encourage them to speak for themselves. “We also sensitize their parents to allow their girls access to education. We have been embarking on advocacy in communities to make this possible,” Ekute said. Earlier in a welcome address, the programme coordinator, Salma Abdulwaheed said in line with the Sustainable Development Goal agenda which emphasized that no one should be left behind, CITAD considered it a priority to take digital skills acquisition programmes to some remote communities in the FCT to empower beneficiaries. According to her, CITAD has trained over 100 youths in the beneficiary communities on digital skills in the last two years. She said the organisation has established ICT centres in communities in five area council’s of the FCT, one of which is located in Tunga-Ashere. “It is better to catch them young, so it is important to teach the youths and elders digital skills” to be at par with their counterparts in the city, she said, adding, women and girls have also benefited from the trainings. The Special Adviser to the Chairman of AMAC on ICT/Donor Agencies and Civil Societies, Abiodun Essiet who made a cash donations of N50,000 for development of the school in the community, commended CITAD and Actionaid Nigeria for granting beneficiaries in the communities access to ICT. While also appreciating the communities for allowing their girls to be part of the trainings, she urged that them to utilize the skills acquired in a meaningful way to better their lives. A representative of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education at the event, Dr. Efi Anam said the ministry is happy that women and girls child in the rural communities are being carried along in a world where women are now occupying important positions.She stressed the importance of empowering the girl child with education to face the many responsibilities she is saddled with in the society. “We are also interested in making progress in our small communities. We can only achieve this by making sure everybody, including girls, go to school. The women need to be empowered, trained to have skills to enable them assist their homes and be useful in the society,” said Dr Anam. While also assuring CITAD of the support of the ministry, she said: “We are impressed by this effort and will support CITAD and other efforts that seek to develop and empower Tunga-Ashere.” In her presentation on the Importance of ICT to Girl-Child Education, Mrs Opeyemi Oliha of the Ministry of Communication, noted that with the knowledge of ICT, beneficiaries can acquire knowledge and skills without formal education, through the use of internet. “Our women and girls can be employed through ICT, they can sell their farm produce by utilizing ICT and acquire any kind of information that will be useful for their farming business,” she said. Also speaking, the LEA Tunga-Ashere Head Master, Martins Zanyi commended CITAD for assisting the communities to improve their access to education.He ceased the opportunity to appeal to government to construct more classrooms for pupils in the community and provide more furnitures to aid better learning. The village Chief, Sani Yakubu, who said he is one of the beneficiary of the ICT training programmes, also thanked Actionaid Nigeria and CITAD for improving the lives of members of his community.Yakubu thanked the AMAC authourities for establishing the school in the community two years ago to address the problem of lack of access to education. He however, appealed for expansion of the school to accommodate the teeming population of pupils. The village head identified lack of hospital facility and electricity as some of the urgent need of the community. On her part, the Women Leader, Asabe Yakubu also thanked the two organisations for the initiative. She lamented that they were at the level they were today because they had no such previlege, assured that with the sensitization and Kno enlightenment, women in her community were willing to encourage and allow their Girl-Child access opportunities to learn and become better in the society.

Cross section of some participants during the mentoring session at Tunga-Ashere on Thursday in Abuja.

In line with the Sustainable Development Goal agenda of leaving no one behind, the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) during the week, took it’s mentoring programme on “The role of ICT in Improving Access to Girl Child Education in FCT Rural Communities” to two communities in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The mentoring session organised for key stakeholders in Tunga-Ashere in Jiwa Chiefdom, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and Leleyi Gwari in Kwali Area Council of the FCT and other relevant government ministries, is part of the efforts of the non governmental organisation in ensuring that the Girl-Child have access to quality education.

Representative of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education at the event, Dr. Efi Anam delivering a goodwill message

CITAD is a non-governmental and non-profit organization that is committed to the use of information and communication technologies for development and promotion of good governance.

The coordinator of the event, Salma Abdulwaheed addressing participants

Smartgist24 reports the event which held on Tuesday and Thursday, aimed at acquainting stakeholders on the importance of Information Communication Technology in the education of the girl child.

A member of the community at Tunga-Ashere interpreting some of the messages delivered to participants in their local dialect

The programme was attended by young girls, their parents and other members of the communities.

Participants also included representatives from the ministries of information and education in Nigeria, AMAC, the head master and other teaching staff of LEA Primary School in the beneficiary communities.

Speaking in Thursday with journalists after the event at LEA Primary School in Tunga-Ashere, CITAD’s Sponsorship Officer,  Mubarak Ekute said the training was put together to interact with stakeholders and sensitize them on how to leverage on ICT to improve learning and empowerment of the girl-child.

Mrs Opeyemi Oliha of the Ministry of Communication in a presentation on the Importance of ICT to Girl-Child Education

“The world has become  a global  village  through  ICT, so the idea behind this programme is to interact  with  and hold a mentoring session with stakeholders that are concerned  with education  to enable them empower the girl child through ICT so that they  can be useful  to themselves and the  society and achieve  education,” Ekute said.

On the relevance  of ICT to the beneficiaries,  he said  with ICT,  the girl-child can leverage on so many opportunities. For instance, in terms of the classroom, she can use it enhance  her learning,  use ICT to acquire knowledge and information to carryout her assignments. “The teachers can also use it to improve  educational system  generally,” he added.
Ekute further explained that girls who are not priviledged to be in school could also, carve a niche for themselves with ICT skills acquired.

Some participants in a group photo with the organizers of the event

He said  CITAD had mapped out programmes to sensitize the girl child on her rights and encourage  them  to speak for themselves.
“We also sensitize their parents to allow their girls access to education. We have  been embarking on advocacy  in communities  to make this possible,” Ekute said.

A structure presently used as a classroom for the KEA Primary School in Tunga-Ashere

Earlier in a welcome address, the programme coordinator, Salma Abdulwaheed said in line with the Sustainable Development Goal agenda which emphasized that no one should be left behind, CITAD considered it a priority to take digital skills acquisition programmes to some remote communities in the FCT to empower beneficiaries.

A two rooms building previously an Islamiyya centre for women, now used as a classroom for the LEA Primary School in Tunga-Ashere

According to her, CITAD has trained over 100 youths in the beneficiary communities on digital skills in the last two years.

She said the organisation has established ICT centres in communities in five area council’s of the FCT, one of which is located in Tunga-Ashere.

Work on this block of 3 classrooms mearnt to accommodate pupils of the LEA Primary School at Tunga-Ashere and being constructed by AMAC is said to be at a very slow pace. Community leader is demanding for more classrooms that can accommodate the 150 pupils of the school.

“It is better to catch them young, so it is important to teach the youths and elders digital skills” to be at par with their counterparts in the city, she said, adding, women and girls have also benefited from the trainings.

The ICT Centre deployed by CITAD in Tunga-Ashere with support from Actionaid Nigeria

The Special Adviser to the Chairman of AMAC on ICT/Donor Agencies and Civil Societies, Abiodun Essiet who made a cash donations of N50,000 for development of the school in the community, commended CITAD and Actionaid Nigeria for granting beneficiaries in the communities access to ICT.

Inside the ICT Centre deployed by CITAD in Tunga-Ashere with support from Actionaid Nigeria(Some of the computers in the centre).

While also appreciating the communities for allowing their girls to be part of the trainings, she urged that them to utilize the skills acquired in a meaningful way to better their lives.

A representative of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education at the event, Dr. Efi Anam said the ministry is happy that women and girls child in the rural communities are being carried along in a world where women are now occupying important positions.She stressed the importance of empowering the girl child with education to face the many responsibilities she is saddled with in the society. “We are also interested in making progress in our small communities. We can only achieve this by making sure everybody, including girls, go to school. The women need to be empowered, trained to have skills to enable them assist their homes and be useful in the society,” said Dr Anam.

While also assuring CITAD of the support of the ministry, she said: “We are impressed by this effort and will support CITAD and other efforts that seek to develop and empower Tunga-Ashere.”

In her presentation on the Importance of ICT to Girl-Child Education, Mrs Opeyemi Oliha of the Ministry of Communication, noted that with the knowledge of ICT, beneficiaries can acquire knowledge and skills without formal education, through the use of internet.

“Our women and girls can be employed through ICT, they can sell their farm produce by utilizing ICT and acquire any kind of information that will be useful for their farming business,” she said.

Also speaking, the LEA Tunga-Ashere Head Master, Martins Zanyi commended CITAD for assisting the communities to improve their access to education.He ceased the opportunity to appeal to government to construct more classrooms for pupils in the community and provide more furnitures to aid better learning.

The village Chief, Sani Yakubu, who said he is one of the beneficiary of the ICT training programmes, also thanked Actionaid Nigeria and CITAD for improving the lives of members of his community.Yakubu thanked the AMAC authourities for establishing the school in the community two years ago to address the problem of lack of access to education.

He however, appealed for expansion of the school to accommodate the teeming population of pupils. The village head identified lack of hospital facility and electricity as some of the urgent need of the community.

On her part, the Women Leader, Asabe Yakubu also thanked the two organisations for the initiative.

She lamented that they were at the level they were today because they had no such previlege, assured that with the sensitization and Kno enlightenment, women in her community were willing to encourage and allow their Girl-Child access opportunities to learn and become better in the society.

The Executive Director of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Malam Y.Z. Ya’u, on Saturday in Kano, advocated for a policy thrust that will ensure the provision of needed gadgets that will enable students with disabilities to acquire needed digital knowledge in tertiary institutions across the country.

Y.Z. Ya’u made the call while presenting a research paper entitled “State of Digital Disability Inclusion Compliance for Learning and Research in Tertiary Institutions in the North-West of Nigeria,” during an enlightenment workshop held for disabled under-graduates, at Malam Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Research and Studies (Mambayya House).

He appealed to relevant authorities to create a framework that will include Digital Education for the disabled right from the secondary school level.

Ya’u who decried the discrimination being suffered by disabled under-graduates in tertiary institutions, urged the Federal Government to formulate a policy that will mandate Citadels of Higher Learning in the country to put in place the needed facilities that can enable the disabled acquire comprehensive digital knowledge.

After a pilot research conducted in selected tertiary institutions within the North-West, CITAD recommended that, “all institutions of higher learning should have a disability policy much in the same line that gender policy was promoted to protect students living with disabilities from discrimination and abuse and to ensure that they are properly incorporated into the academic processes by making available all the necessary disability assistance teaching and study aids.

“All ICT policies of the institutions should be reviewed to incorporate the needs of students (and staff) living with disabilities such that they can have access to and use ICTs as tools for academic work.

“The websites of institutions of higher learning should be disability friendly and complaint by making providing for content to be accessible for students with vision and hearing impairment.

“Institution should not derail the ambition of people living with disabilities by denying them the courses they are interested (a discrimination). Rather they should seek for innovation ways that they should cater for the needs of different disabilities.

“Institutions should accurately capture data about disability at the point of registration and use such data for planning and provision purposes.

“There should be uniform practice with respect to how people living with disabilities are admitted. This should relate to the sitting of both UME and post-UME examinations. Where institutions are not able to provide facilities for the people to sit for these examinations, they should wave them or device alternative tests.

“There is need to sensitize both staff and students in higher institutions to understand the special needs of students with disabilities and to therefore make staff and lecturers more sensitized to think of how they could mainstream them into their teaching.”

Ya’u, however, regretted that students with disabilities have challenges with accessing and using the internet as many of the institutions do not have special provision for appropriate interface tools.

According to him, “only three institutions have special libraries for students studying with disabilities in the North-West of Nigeria. Classroom and lecture halls are not ICT-friendly for disabilities
“Institutions are not able to accurately capture data about students living with disability.

While this is data blindness, it is actually an indication of the attitude of the institutions administration about how they regard disability. Unless you have accurate data about them, you cannot plan for them.

“There is low awareness among both administration and academic staff on the ICT needs of students studying with disabilities.”

He further stated that, “in the wider society, there is also low awareness that people living with disabilities need to access and use ICTs.”

Ya’u opined that, “it is easy to think that to be not left behind means not be left behind in terms of embracing digital life. That is correct but it is more than that.

“Digital systems are tools for empowerment and participation, meaning that if one cannot access and use them, that person will be left behind educationally, economically and politically.”

According to him, “the content of this project, we read ‘not be left behind’ as the inability to access higher education by all those desirous of it.

“One category whose need for higher education is often not given the seriousness it serves are people living with disabilities, pointing out that, “the first level is getting admission: all candidates must sit the computer based UME and then sit for post-UME.

“The second level is what courses those students living with disabilities are eventually allowed to register.

“Third level: how their needs at the level of lectures are addressed; and finally how they are catered for in both the libraries and the computer centres.”

He further stated that, “we excluded concerns for accommodation and hostels, not became they are not important but because our focus is on aspects dealing with ICTs.

“A key question that frames how students living with disabilities are admitted and incorporated in the educational processes is the policy environment. We decided to first ask whether the institutions have two some set of policies. These are ICTs Policy and Disability Policy.

“Our expectation was that we should be able to locate how institutions think of making ICT available to students living with disabilities within the framework of any of these two policies, that is either their needs are treated as part of a general institutional ICT policy or is treated as a particular item under an institution’s disability policy.”

Ya’u also lamented that, “while most of the institutions have ICT policy, none has Disability Policy.

“These policies are not publicly available either in printed form distributed to students at the point of registration or uploaded in their websites.

“Generally, ICTs are used in the academic processes in four ways namely: Means for registration by students at the beginning of each semester.

“As teaching aid by lecturer to deliver lectures; as means of research by students; and as mans of engaging such as submission assignments.

“With respect to registration, students are required to register online. However, none of the institutions has website that is disability compliant. In particular, these sites of are not accessible to either those with vision impairment or those with hearing impairment, these categories of students cannot register directly by themselves. They have to be assisted. This assistance is not provided by the institutions. The students have to make their personal arrangement.

“There is no policy on disability among the institutions. Most have ICT policy. However, these policies do not make provision for people living with disability and therefore assume the provision will apply equally to all regardless of differentials in disability.

“As the schools are mixed in terms of ownership, belonging to different states and federal governments, there are differences in the way in which they treat disability. For example, in all Kano State owned institute people living with disability are given concession of free education which means that they do not have to pay for school fees.

“Websites and admission/registration portals of these institutions are not disability complaint. Blind prospective students and the deaf they have to get personal assistants to fill the forms for them. Digital non inclusion affects different students with special needs differently.”

Emotions were high at the Centre for Research and Democratic Studies (Mambayya House, in Kano, dedicated to a foremost political sage and leader of the masses, Malam Aminu Kano, when the educated blind, deaf and dumb, the cripple and the deformed, narrated the ugly experience they passed through, while struggling to acquire education in the midst of normal persons. They were humiliated and discriminated by lecturers and even classmates who could not give them the deserved chance to enjoy their right to acquire education. These were people who refused to be conquered by pity, instead they conquered their own fate. They refused to become liability to the society. They are proud of who they are and they needed a voice to tell to whom it may concern the need for them enjoy full access to digital technology. They want to enjoy their right to digital knowledge. And in the Centre for information Technology and Development (CITAD), they found not only the voice, but a hope that brightens their future.

The  Executive Director of CITAD, Malam Y.Z. Ya’u, on Saturday advocated for a policy thrust that will ensure the provision of needed gadgets that will enable students with disabilities to acquire needed digital knowledge in tertiary institutions across the country.

Y.Z. Ya’u made the call while presenting a research paper entitled “State of Digital Disability Inclusion Compliance for Learning and Research in Tertiary Institutions in the North-West of Nigeria,” during an enlightenment workshop held for disabled under-graduates, at Malam Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Research and Studies (Mambayya House).

He appealed to relevant authorities to create a framework that will include Digital Education for the disabled right from the secondary school level.

Ya’u who decried the discrimination being suffered by disabled under-graduates in tertiary institutions, urged the Federal Government to formulate a policy that will mandate Citadels of Higher Learning in the country to put in place the needed facilities that can enable the disabled acquire comprehensive digital knowledge.

After a pilot research conducted in selected tertiary institutions within the North-West, CITAD recommended that, “all institutions of higher learning should have a disability policy much in the same line that gender policy was promoted to protect students living with disabilities from discrimination and abuse and to ensure that they are properly incorporated into the academic processes by making available all the necessary disability assistance teaching and study aids.

“All ICT policies of the institutions should be reviewed to incorporate the needs of students (and staff) living with disabilities such that they can have access to and use ICTs as tools for academic work.

“The websites of institutions of higher learning should be disability friendly and complaint by making providing for content to be accessible for students with vision and hearing impairment.

“Institution should not derail the ambition of people living with disabilities by denying them the courses they are interested (a discrimination). Rather they should seek for innovation ways that they should cater for the needs of different disabilities.

“Institutions should accurately capture data about disability at the point of registration and use such data for planning and provision purposes.

“There should be uniform practice with respect to how people living with disabilities are admitted. This should relate to the sitting of both UME and post-UME examinations. Where institutions are not able to provide facilities for the people to sit for these examinations, they should wave them or device alternative tests.

“There is need to sensitize both staff and students in higher institutions to understand the special needs of students with disabilities and to therefore make staff and lecturers more sensitized to think of how they could mainstream them into their teaching.”

Ya’u, however, regretted that students with disabilities have challenges with accessing and using the internet as many of the institutions do not have special provision for appropriate interface tools.

According to him, “only three institutions have special libraries for students studying with disabilities in the North-West of Nigeria. Classroom and lecture halls are not ICT-friendly for disabilities.

“Institutions are not able to accurately capture data about students living with disability. While this is data blindness, it is actually an indication of the attitude of the institutions administration about how they regard disability. Unless you have accurate data.
about them, you cannot plan for them.

“There is low awareness among both administration and academic staff on the ICT needs of students studying with disabilities.”
He further stated that, “in the wider society, there is also low awareness that people living with disabilities need to access and use ICTs.”
Ya’u opined that, “it is easy to think that to be not left behind means not be left behind in terms of embracing digital life. That is correct but it is more than that.

“Digital systems are tools for empowerment and participation, meaning that if one cannot access and use them, that person will be left behind educationally, economically and politically.”

According to him, “the content of this project, we read ‘not be left behind’ as the inability to access higher education by all those desirous of it.

“One category whose need for higher education is often not given the seriousness it serves are people living with disabilities, pointing out that, “the first level is getting admission: all candidates must sit the computer based UME and then sit for post-UME.

“The second level is what courses those students living with disabilities are eventually allowed to register.
“Third level: how their needs at the level of lectures are addressed; and finally how they are catered for in both the libraries and the computer centres.”

He further stated that, “we excluded concerns for accommodation and hostels, not became they are not important but because our focus is on aspects dealing with ICTs.

“A key question that frames how students living with disabilities are admitted and incorporated in the educational processes is the policy environment. We decided to first ask whether the institutions have two some set of policies. These are ICTs Policy and Disability Policy.

“Our expectation was that we should be able to locate how institutions think of making ICT available to students living with disabilities within the framework of any of these two policies, that is either their needs are treated as part of a general institutional ICT policy or is treated as a particular item under an institution’s disability policy.”
Ya’u also lamented that, “while most of the institutions have ICT policy, none has Disability Policy.

“These policies are not publicly available either in printed form distributed to students at the point of registration or uploaded in their websites.

“Generally, ICTs are used in the academic processes in four ways namely: Means for registration by students at the beginning of each semester.

“As teaching aid by lecturer to deliver lectures; as means of research by students; and as mans of engaging such as submission assignments.

“With respect to registration, students are required to register online. However, none of the institutions has website that is disability compliant. In particular, these sites of are not accessible to either those with vision impairment or those with hearing impairment, these categories of students cannot register directly by themselves. They have to be assisted. This assistance is not provided by the institutions. The students have to make their personal arrangement.

“There is no policy on disability among the institutions. Most have ICT policy. However, these policies do not make provision for people living with disability and therefore assume the provision will apply equally to all regardless of differentials in disability.

“As the schools are mixed in terms of ownership, belonging to different states and federal governments, there are differences in the way in which they treat disability. For example, in all Kano State owned institute people living with disability are given concession of free education which means that they do not have to pay for school fees.

“Websites and admission/registration portals of these institutions are not disability complaint. Blind prospective students and the deaf they have to get personal assistants to fill the forms for them. Digital non inclusion affects different students with special needs differently.”