| CITAD |
| Centre for Information Technology and Development |
By Umar Farouq Uthman
On Monday 22nd of June, 2009, CITAD’s Career Talks team, comprising of Mr. Ahmad Abdullahi, Mr Ado Shehu and Mr Umar Farouq Uthman went to the Government Girls Arabic College (GGAC), Goron Dutse to stage the talk to the studentns of the school. 
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The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) on Tuesday, April 2, 2009 flagged off its Information Technology Training for youth in Kano under the Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential (UP) scheme. At a ceremony held at the auditorium of the School of Technology, Kano State Polytechnic, CITAD disclosed that with support from Microsoft Corporation it intends to train 400 youth across the North West zone of the country this year. The ceremony was chaired by the Director-General of the Kano State Directorate of Social Reorientation, Dr. Bala Mohammed who was represented by Alhaji Sani Mohammed Usman, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Adaidaita Sahu while the Guest Speaker was Dr. Bashir S. Galadanci, the State Commissioner for Science and Technology.
In his welcome remarks, the Director of CITAD explained that the participants for the programme were drawn from different local governments of the state. He said that aim of the programme was to imparts IT skills on the participants that would make them either employable or to be self-employed. He disclosed tat last year under the Employability Programme jointly supported by Microsoft Corporation and the USA Government 200 youth were trained and that many of them were now working as interns and volunteers with different organizations in the state.
In her remarks, the Corporation Citizenship Programme of Microsoft, Mrs., Nana Adjoor Mintah said that the Unlimited Potentials is the company’s flagship corporate social responsibility engagement aimed at driving technical into the communities. She said this was the third year of the UP in Nigeria and provides training in all the six zones of the country. She later presented set of the Local Language interface software packages to the Hon. Commissioner of Science and Technology.
In his lecture, Dr. Galadanci expressed appreciation with both CITAD and Microsoft for the initiative which he said has significance to the Kano State’s ICT Park project. He explained the essence of the project which he wais aimed at using ICTs as an economic sector to provide jobs and create wealth in the state. He revealed that already the project has reached an advanced stage and that the park would soon be commissioned. May companies, with employment spaces running to hundreds have already shown their commitment to move into the park was soon as it as complete he added. He explained that with this development there would great demand for IT skill people and this was he was urging the beneficiaries to make good use of this opportunity as they would be needed in the ICT Park.
In his own goodwill massage the President of the Kano State Chapter of the Association of Local Government Chairmen and Chairman of Tarauni Local Government said that he was happy that the participants were drawn from different local governments and that they were ready to support the initiative. He revealed that all the local governments have been directed to set up computer centres in their local governments and hoped that many of the participants would be available to work at these centres.
Other guests at the occasion were the Director General of Directorate for Youth Development, the Chairman of Bagwai Local Government and the Chairman of the Kano State Council of Youths as well as representatives of development partners in the state.
As part of the celebration of this year’s International Women’s Day, CITAD organized a public hearing on the State of maternal Health in Jigawa State on 11th March 2009 at the State Library, Dutse. The event was chaired by Hajiya Hadiza Abdulwahab, the State Permanent Secretary for Rural Infrastructure Development while the Royal Father of the Day was the Emir of Dutse who was represented by Sarkin Gabas and Hakimin Shuwarin, Alhaji Mustafa Abubakar. Guest Speaker at the occasion was Dr. Tajudeen AbdulRaheem, the Deputy Director, UN Millennium Campaign, Nairobi, Kenya. Presentations were made by state agencies, civil society organizations and development partners. Over 100 people attended the event. The pictures below capture some of the moments of the occasion
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In pursuance of parts of its goal and objectives which is to ensure Computer literacy and development through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Kano State, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) team proceeded to Government Girls Junior Secondary School, Jido, Kano State on the 19th March, 2009 as part of its series of enlightenment and sensitization campaign. The team consisted of Umar Farouq Uthman (Program Officer Research), Abdullahi A. Abdullahi (Training Assistant), Kawu M. Ahmad (Interns), Hajara A. Ahmad (Interns) and Abdullhi Dan Balarabe. On arrival at the School, the team proceeded to the Principal’s Office where we introduced ourselves and told him of our purpose to the School, he said they have been expecting us. We now explained that due to some hitches, we couldn’t come as earlier promised. The principal; Mal. Abbas Nafiu then ordered for a Class to be arranged for us. We then proceeded to the Class where the Students and most of the Staffs were seated for the Class. The Principal went ahead and introduced us telling them the name of the Organization we came from and our purpose. He then gave the floor to us, the Presenter; Umar Farouq introduced himself and urged other members of the team to do same.
In order to make the class interactive, the Presenter started by asking the Students” who could explain what a Computer is?” The young girls were initially shy, but as the Class progressed they became a beehive of activities; asking and answering questions, seeking for clarification etc. The Presenter explained to them what a Computer is; its parts and their uses, also the Components and their functions were also explained. Lastly he highlighted the importance of Computers to the Society and its uses in our daily interactions. He also urged the Students to choose careers in the Information Technology field and also others that had other ambitions to inculcate ICTs into their field of study. Then came the Question and Answer segment, questions were thrown to the Students and they actively answered them unlike the shy girls they were earlier. CITAD Souvenirs and IT books were presented to those that answered the questions posed. The Presenter then gave the floor to some of the Staffs to comment on the event. Mal. Husseini Garba, the Islamic Studies and Arabic Teacher then told the Students this presentation is just a tip of the iceberg in the Knowledge of Computer, he further encouraged them not to throw away the Knowledge they have just acquired and to use them wherever they find themselves. Mal. Bashir A. Said on behalf of the Students and Staffs of the School while thanking CITAD for the honor bestowed on them by the visit and the knowledge the Students acquired. He further hoped that this wouldn’t be the last time it would be visiting the School and also emphasized that they the Teachers are in dire need of Computer Training and would be very privileged if they could be considered for training.
Finally, the Principal while delivering his vote of thanks thanked CITAD and urged them not to relent in their effort in spreading and sensitizing the knowledge of ICTs. He further said they had a Computer Teacher with no Computers to teach the Students. He said any effort that would enable them to posses a Computer would be gladly appreciated. In response the Presenter, Umar Farouq said he would relay all their messages to the Director of CITAD. He also informed them that there was a Computer acquisition scheme where they could acquire refurbished Computers.
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By
Y. Z. Ya’u
08056180208
It was a one-table exhibition, arranged at the foyer of the Bola Ige Information Technology Centre, National Women Centre, Abuja. The date was Tuesday, 10th March, 2009. On display were baby cots, baby bag, basket, various types of perfumes, soaps, chocolates, curie, pomade and many other household needs. These items were products of women who were trained on Information Technology skills at the Prof. Iya Abubakar Community Centre, Bauchi under the Microsoft Corporation social corporate responsibility flagship programme, the Unlimited Potential. Under the programme at the Bauchi centre, 50 women living on purdah (seclusion) were trained on basic IT skills and entrepreneurship. Noting that Bauchi is a centre of tourism, the programme planners had thought to add value to this by targeting women who already had some handcraft skills.
The result was an astonishing torrent of creativity that has produced these products which are of very high international standards, yet all made from locally available materials. If you run into customs officials at either the airport or the border with these items, you will have hard time explaining to them that these are local products, and not imported ones. Does this not tell us that industry lies in the empowerment of the people?
The secret as revealed by Yusuf Mahmoud, a staff of the Iya Abubaka Community Centre who conducted people round the exhibition was that the women were able to leverage their newly acquired IT skills, browsing through relevant websites, downloading designs and recipes which they then adopted and used local materials to produce their items. Their furniture making mini-factory in Bauchi is an elite must.
Internet has allowed them to research and experiment with various formulas, they were able for instance to discover that the reason for the harshness of most locally produced toilet was the wrong mixed of chemicals and used this knowledge to produce a soap that is soft to the skin and adopted to the local weather conditions.
Today many of these women who are secluded and therefore living from homes, have found an outlet for their creativity through the internet. They are economically empowered and fully engaged. They have also found an outlet for these products through online marketing.
For the country, Jummai Umar-Ajijola, the Citizenship Manager of Microsoft, said the contribution of the women is that by uploading their recipes to the internet so that other people can download and use, they are re-branding the image of the country from one that is associated with the cyber crime to a potentially enrich networking engagement of global benefit. There is of course also the fact that by helping them to be on their own, the value added by the IT training on them has created jobs which are generating incomes directly for the beneficiaries and indirectly adding to the wealth of the country.
The event at which the exhibition was presented was the kick off of the third phase of the Unlimited Potential Programme of Microsoft which also provided an opportunity to review the achievement of the first and second phase of the programme. No doubt form the exhibition and tales from others, there is something to celebrate of the programme.
The Unlimited Potential Programme was started two years ago with a grant of $90,000 to the Bola Ige Information Technology Centre and five of its partners to extend access to ICT skills to disadvantaged and marginalized people, who will otherwise not have access to such training. It is targeted at delivering relevant, accessible and affordable solutions in three interrelated areas that are crucial to developing economic opportunity, namely transforming education, fostering local innovation and enabling jobs and opportunities.
Since the inception of the programme, over 4000 people, men and women have been reached across all the six zones of the country. In summing up the achievement, Dr. Many Emechata, the Director of the BIITC and Coordinator of the Project said it had been a resounding success. It has opened up new windows of opportunity for the beneficiaries and enables them to increase their market scope with exposure to a wider community of people engaged or interested in their skills.
The programme was domiciled in six centers across the country, each with its specific focus. The north east zone which was handled by the Iya Abubakar Community centre focused on secluded women in the first year and widows in the second year. In the South West, located at the Community Computer Centre, Abeokuta the targets were on women focusing on tie and dye business. The Calaber Zone tackled fishermen and women while Kaduna Zone trained women traders and farmers.
The BIITC which handled the North Central in addition to being the coordinator of the project had a more challenging engagement. It trained disabled people in the first year focusing on those with impaired vision, hard hearing and the physically challenged. For the second year, it targeted HIV positive people. The experience in both cases was rewarding as it not only provided these people with new skills and knowledge but also facilitated their integration into the mainstream society which tend to stigmatize such people.
This year the programme added three addition organizations to reach out to wider geographical spread of the country as well as target other groups of people. Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) in Lagos will now take over the implementation in the South West and will be focusing on training youths. In South East, Women Aid Collective (WACOL) will step in with special emphasis on widows while in the North West, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) will take over and focus on youths and journalists as well as creating an interface between the trained people and their governments.
So far, Microsoft has put over $220,000 into the project. Of course for the world software giant, this could be a small amount, but then if all other companies operating in the IT sector could do the same, we would certainly be getting nearer to the goal of universal IT literacy for all, which the United Nations hopes would be achieved globally by 2015. But there is even more to getting social corporate responsibility. Governments in the country would have to realize that the dream for a better economy cannot come through without investment in education which today is IT-driven.
