Dear members of the press. We welcome you to this press conference. THE
ACTORS
Members of the Press, we wish to welcome you to this important press conference. We are hereas members of the North East Social Accountability Cluster with the Centre for InformationTechnology and Development (CITAD) as its anchor. The cluster is established with the specialgoal of mobilizing all stakeholders towards improving Social accountability in the educationsector of the northeast with particular focus on promoting reforms that increase access to, andgovernance within the education sector in North East Nigeria.
PRELUDE
North Eastern part of the country is facing many challenges among which the poor state of education iscritical. The region has the worst education statistics in Nigeria. Male adult literacy rate is low with allstates in the region having lower than national average rates. In fact Yobe and Borno have the lowestnationally with 31.9% and 35.1% respectively. The corresponding figures for female adult literacy are14.9 and 18.0% respectively for the two states. The performances of the states in both NECO and WAEC have been the lowest of the country. A Survey showed that percentage of children between 6 and 16 who have never attended school has high prevalence in the following states: Borno 72 percent, Yobe 58 percent and Bauchi 52 percent. Only about 20% of all school age girls get to attend school. The North East zone of the country has certain peculiarities which are that it is the region with the highest rate of maternal mortality rate as well as at lowest on the poverty index. Such high mortality rate is an indication of the poor status of women. The region is also further adversely affected by conflict and insurgency.
Between July and September last year, CITAD commissioned a survey on the state of education in the sixstates of the northeast. The findings confirmed the comatose state of education in the region. The reportfor each state was presented to key stakeholders in the respective states. As part of the efforts to engageall stakeholders towards a collective agenda for the revamping of the education sector in the region, theCluster in December convened a national stakeholder event to present the reports in Abuja. This wasattended by Ministries of Education from all the states, members of legislature from all the states, othereducation related agencies from the states, parents/ teachers associations and representatives of civilsociety organizations. Following deliberation on the reports, participants agreed to, among other things,call on state governments in the north east to declare state of emergency on education. The Bauchi ExampleIt is in this light that we welcome the announcement of the Bauchi State government for declaring state ofemergency on the education sector and the inauguration of a committee that is saddled with theresponsibility of 1. studying and reviewing the existing policies on education in the state 2. to monitor and evaluate the implementation of these policies; 3. to make appropriate recommendations incidental to the assignment of the committee 4. To co-opt any officer that is relevant to the assignment. This committee has been given eight weeks within which to complete the assignment and submitits report to government for quick and immediate intervention in the sector.We commend the Bauchi State Government for taking this wise decision. This is an actionworthy of commendation and we pray that the outcome of the committee’s exercise will lead toimprovement of the education sector of the state. We will like to urge the Bauchi StateGovernment not to rest its oars by just making pronouncement and leaving it at that. Declarationof State of Emergency without bold initiatives and corresponding funding and the deployment oftransparent and accountable mechanisms for the utilization of the funds will come to nothing. We
equally call on both the Government and the State of Emergency Committee to engage all stakeholders such as civil society organizations, parent, community leaders, etc.
A CALL TO THE OTHER STATES
In the same vain we call on the other states of Adamawa, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe totake the same step as that of Bauchi so as to release the educational sector of the region from the brink of total collapse. This call is necessary at this time considering the fallen standard of education in the region and the need to address that to free the region from other problems thatpoor status of education have given birth to.Signed:
1. Isah Garba, Bauchi Coalition for Improvement of Public Expenditure Management(BACIPEM), Bauchi. 08064867312
2. Kabiru Sa`idu Dakata, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD),Kano. 08064891110
3. Mohammed G. Wuyo, Borno Coalition for Democracy and Progress (BOCODEP),Borno. 08063309633
4. Enoch Raymond, Centre for Environmental Education and Development (CEED),Taraba. 07065550217
5. Rebecca Hassan, Association of People Living with Disability, Gombe. 08036582745
6. Aishatu Margima, Women and Youth Empowerment for Advancement and HealthInitiative (WYEAHI), Adamawa. 08025225194
\7. Halimatu Laminu, Network of Civil Society Organizations, Yobe. 08025561637
8. Dauda Mohammad, Northeast Youth Initiative Forum(NEYIF), Yobe. 08035548664
9. Asma`u Joda, Centre for Women and Adolescent Empowerment, Adamawa.08032917070
10. Ibrahim Yusuf, Society and the Future, Gombe. 08061153231

Deputy Governor of Kano state, Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, has called on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and notable development partners to join hands in developing critical sectors of the government for better result.

Speaking at a quiz competition organised by the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) in collaboration with the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) held in Kano yesterday, Abubakar said  what was needed most in an ideal democratic setting was service to humanity and the ability to live above board.
The deputy governor, who was represented by the Special Assistant on Special Duties, Alhaji Idriss Hamisu Rogo, said the Ganduje administration had accorded top priority to education for the young school children to know their worth  in shaping the destiny of the nation.
On her part, the Programme officer , Centre for Democratic Development, Mrs. Abibatu Barry, stressed the need for creating awareness among school children for them to under the nitty-gritty of democratic leadership, adding that the quiz was conceived to ginger the resolve of the children academic pursuit in that regard.

He said the political class must be accountable to the electorate since they were given the constitutional mandate to lead people for everyone to enjoy the much pronounced dividends of good governance, stressing that the NGOs were indispensable partners in progress.
Also speaking, CITAD Programme officer, Malam Kabiru Dakata, said  the issue of election was not the end in itself, but concentrating on the required indices of development which  the political class must strive to uphold.
He pointed out that the quiz was an eye-opener to students willing to excel in their chosen field, affirming that non-government organisations, like CITAD, would be up and doing in creating easy avenues for young school children to forge ahead.

 

Source: http://www.blueprint.ng/2016/03/16/kano-dep-gov-urges-ngos-to-develop-critical-sectors/

The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) with support from Mobilizing for Development (M4D) has since September, 2015 been implementing a project entitled: ‘’Strengthen Local CBOs and Informal Institutions for Improved Access and Quality of Education’’ in some selected Local Governments of Kano State. The aim of the project is to improve access to and quality of basic education in the Dawakin Tofa, Sumaila and Garin malam Local Governments of Kano State.

Having carried out research, conducted advocacy and enlighten the Community Based Organizations, traditional leaders and the teeming local populace in the three local governments for six months, CITAD decides to hold a Public Policy Dialogue with respective relevant stakeholders in attendance, the idea is to further generate vital observations and recommendations in order to develop a roadmap for basic education as regards the finding and experiences of the three local governments. The event took place on 15th March, 2016 at Murtala Muhammed Library in Kano, Kano state. Below are observations, challenges and recommendations generated during the event. This communiqué hereby appeal to the concerned bodies to urgently take the necessary actions in order to salvage poor state of basic education so that the future of our younger ones will be bright.  

Observations

• Education needs collective support
• The southern states have gone far in establishing community schools, the north should the same and in order to fully support the education sector
• PTA and SBMC should join hands and do more to rescue the decay in the education sector
• Basic education is fundamental and lacking it invites social vices
• Resolutions of the conference should be extended to the government, media, concerned bodies and the general public, that will help salvage the poor state of education
• The Nigerian standard of Teacher-Pupil ratio is one teacher to thirty four (34) pupils, the study found varying degrees of alarming ratios e.g 1-73 as against 1-34

• Three (3) local governments were selected for the study out forty four (44) LGs in Kano state, empirically the study ought to fully state that.
• Are the findings applicable in all the local governments of Kano state, are there differences and why.
• There needs to be reasons for enrolment rise and fall in order to back the data up.
• In all the local governments, the out of school children are higher than those in schools, the study should give reason for that as well.
• Teacher-pupil ratio helps ensure quality of education, the teacher can easily asses the students, interacts with them, supervise their homework, therefore teacher-pupil ratio is vital to education sector. How does the sampling goes and why. The study has found out 1-73 teacher-pupil ratio as against the official Nigerian standard of 1-34.
• Poor state of infrastructure as found out by the study is also a major setback to education and unless necessary action is taken, the sector will witnessing backwardness
• The world has advanced greatly in terms education and we are left behind
• Any country that abandons education  sector will surely become slave among peers
• Population should not be an excuse, because primary schools pupils in China are more than the Nigerian population yet they are provided with equipments to carryout experiment. The Chinese are what they are because of education, they produce and manufacture everything because they have education

Challenges:

• Some pupils use mud blocks as desks to take lessons
• Some parents could not give their pupils five naira break stipend
• Fifty (50%) of teachers are not qualified which result in producing poor students
• Some schools completely don’t function when it rains
• Many teachers do obtain/buy fake certificates from educational institutions
• Teachers unions are not supportive of government in terms of ensuring quality teachers because there was an incident when the government planned to conduct examination in order to sieve unqualified teachers but the union objected the move
• Lack of many female teachers
• The northwest was rated zero in education at a conference in Abuja last week (Prof. Diso)
• Kano state SUBEB has more than 6000 schools and pay over N2bn monthly salary

Recommendations:

• The society must fully support the education sector as well as move from holding conferences to implementing the resolutions of the conferences.
• SUBEB needs to be organizing workshop to PTA/SBMC in order to enlighten and educate them on what is expected of them so that the sector will move forward.
• Community leaders should pay regular courtesy visits to the wealthy and others that are willing to assist and solicit their intervention in the education sector
• Government should create a joint account and provide autonomy on resources disbursement and the community must be watchful of how funds are spent.
• The school curriculum should be reviewed to suit the changing needs and situations.
• SUBEB must support the community groups and volunteers with structures, facilities and manpower where necessary.
• Remuneration, promotion, annual increment and general welfare of teachers ought to be seriously looked at.
• Ministry for local government affairs must be engaged in order to tackle problems from the grass root.
• CITAD should expand their effort by engaging more development partners.
• Reposition the thinking and mindset of the society, government, educational bodies and everybody in the society.
• Overhaul the education sector and make it a participatory activity.
• Basic education should be made free and compulsory for all.
• Educational agencies must be accountable to the resources they are allocated.

Key Recommendations to the Government:

• Government must ensure quality and welfare of teachers; enact law to punish parents who stop their children from going to school.
• The government must equally cooperate, strengthen and work with relevant development partners on education.
• It must also involve traditional leaders and community groups to help manage education at the grass root level.
• Local government chairmen must also liaise with the community for annual budget and estimate on education.

REPORT OF THE WOMEN APP DEVELOPER JAM ORGANISED BY CITAD DURING THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN DAY IN KANO ON

 

Metrics

How many turned up in total     : 47

Male Attendees                            : 13

Female Attendees                        : 34

 

 

Summary:

Introduction

On Saturday, 14^th March, CITAD as part of its celebration of the International Women’s Day held a one-day training for girls on mobile apps development. The event, code named Women App Developers Jam held at the main training lab of CITAD and was attended by 34 girls from Bayero University, Kano and other nearly institutions.

Topics for the Event:

Introduction to android

History and architecture of Android

Android market share

Building App i: Android Make-up (App Fashionista)

Building App ii: Recipe App

Entrepreneurial Talk

Monetizing App: Google pay and ad mobs

Overall Objective:

As one of the leading organizations advocating for digital inclusion, we intended to bring more women into mobile apps development as their representation in ICT is so low that serious intervention is required. The event was thus to introduce them to android architecture and the potential marketplace for their android apps. As a way of exposing them to entrepreneurial component of App development, we gave them entrepreneurial talk during the event and also exposed them to the best way they can monetize their apps using ad mobs and android pay.

 

Success Highlights:

With this event, we were able to reach out to a reasonable number of female enthusiasts, raised their interest in IT (App development in particular), raised their level from mare technology users to technology inventor, and above all clear away the stereotype that women cannot be technologist /inventors. As an outcome, we were able to develop two Apps in an interactive mentoring style with them. A team of women enthousisast was formed with the aim of creating a forum for mentorship in app development.

Challenges:

One major challenge faced was the background of the attendees, many of them were eager to learn, but they had no previous adequate knowledge that could be built on which made the core part of the programme sounded gibberish to them, making some leave before the end of the programme as such, making the programme not as successful as planned.

 

Key Learning:

One new thing that served as a lesson after the event was that it would always be a good idea to first sample the participants knowing their background in programming before actually going into it, so as to enable facilitators come lower to their understanding.

 

Follow-up Actions:

The two android apps developed during this event would be made available to the participants so that those interested could build on them and improve on them. We also intend to create a forum where participants could ask questions in order to solve problems they encountered during practice. In addition, CITAD is planning to have a more women centered apps development event series in order to further enlighten those interested in apps development.

 

 

CITAD’s head of HR Mr. Ado presenting the guest with some of CITAD work.

 

As part of the capacity building mechanisms of its staff and interns, the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has an initiative of organizing a monthly Inspiring Leadership Reflection Session which normally hosts people of robust experience to have a direct interaction with the staff and interns so that they learn from their challenges, failures and successes.

executive director of CITAD Dr. YZ Ya’u in his opening remark Left and Hajiya Salamatu Garba, the executive director of Women

 

Hajia Asma’u of CITAD asking question during the session

CITAD Senior Programme Officer during the session

This month, the organization featured Hajiya Salamatu Garba, the executive director of Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN), formerly an academic and presently an advocate of youths and women empowerment who took a career in development work for the past twenty three (23) years. Passion, determination and commitment are the stepping stones to every zealous person, youths should be innovative, believe in themselves, be community development oriented, Hajiya Salamatu Garba said among other things.

Earlier, the executive director of CITAD Dr. YZ Ya’u in his opening remark observed that the monthly event is meant to serve as experience sharing as well as learning ground for the staff and interns, emphasizing that people like Hajiya Salamatu Garba who dedicated their lives to community service are the caliber of personalities who give inspiration and shape young peoples’ lives with the necessary essentials of excelling in their commitments.

The session which lasted for more than three hours has broadly discussed vital issues and allowed the participants to ask questions, comments and make observations, it finally ended with a presentation of publications of the organization to Hajiya Salamatu Garba and group photograph with the resource person.  It could be recalled that a veteran journalist Umar Sa’idu Tudun Wada (UST) was also featured for the same interactive session last month.

A group of civil society oganisations under the auspices of the North East Education and Social Accountability Cluster, being anchored by the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), has expressed worry over the failure of the federal government to commence the reconstruction of the war-ravaged Northeast region over 7 months into the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Cluster which was established with the special goal of mobilizing all stakeholders towards rebuilding and reconstruction of the North-east and with a particular focus on ensuring social
accountability in the education sector was dismayed over the failure of the region’s reconstruction to commence despite the President’s promise.

In a press statement made available to newsmen in Bauchi on Wednesday, amongst others, the Cluster demanded that the federal government “establish the necessary agency or structure that will implement government intervention programmes for the rebuilding and
reconstruction of the Northeast.”

It further demanded that the FG “facilitate(s) through the General T. Y Danjuma-led PCNI the immediate convening of the Stakeholders Conference On the Reconstruction and Rebuilding of the Northeast to help the government come up with a blueprint for that purpose as well
as give its support for the speedy passage and accent of the Northeast Development Commission that will eventually take over from the adhoc agency that government could establish as a stop gap.”
They also called on the Danjuma committee to become more proactive and engage all stakeholders in the search for ideas and resources for the rebuilding and reconstruction of the Northeast as well as reiterated their commitment towards working with all stakeholders to ensure that all resources meant for the rebuilding and reconstruction of the region were optimally, transparently and accountably utilised for the purposes they were meant.