By Uzoma Okafor.

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), an NGO, has condemned the fake picture of the killing of some Nigerian Soldiers on the social media platform.

The CTAD Hate Speech Project Coordinator, Alhaji Hamza Ibrahim, made this condemnation in a statement on Wednesday in Bauchi. ‎

“The picture, which has gone viral on the social media, shows two gentlemen in a Nigerian military uniform; one is dead while the other is crying loudly.

‎”Those circulating the image claimed it was a scene during the recent attack on the Nigerian troops under the 157 Task Force Battalion at Metele in Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno on Nov. 18,” he said.

According to him, the organisation observes that the picture is receiving the attention of Nigerians on the social media with the impression that it originates from the Metele attack on the Nigerian troops.

“We want to emphasise here that the picture is fake, and it is not in any way connected with Metele incident.

“Unlike what those circulating the pictures claimed, the picture originated from a Hausa Movie called ”Abu Hassan”, where two friends “Adam Zango and Zahraddin Sani”, were involved in a gunfight with their antagonists.

“Zango had in the movie died, having been shot several times and Sani, being a friend and a colleague, was madly screaming in sympathy with him.

“The movie produced by Zahraddin Sani and directed by Alfazazi (a Kaduna-based film maker), was released in 2016.

“They are using that scene to mislead people into believing that it was a reality during Metele incident; that is absolutely false’’.

Ibrahim, however, said the alleged picture was fake in totality, urging those sharing it to desist from such act, on whatever medium.

“Disseminating fake news in whatever form is injurious to the peace and development of the country, and as such, people should desist from such act.

“We equally want to caution people against sharing fake news particularly at this time of electioneering campaign. Before sharing any information, people should question its authenticity,” he said.

By Sagiru Ado.

As part of its effort to encourage talent and promote Information and Communication Technology  (ICT) knowledge among secondary school students, the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has on Thursday 22^nd November, 2018 conducted 17^th Kano Annual ICT Quiz competition.  ICT Quiz Competition is an initiative of the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) since 2001 and has been conducted annually and also served as a platform to raise IT awareness among secondary school students, enlighten students on career prospects in the IT profession, encourage the study of computer education in secondary schools, popularize the need for the introduction of the computer education in schools and provide an avenue for encouragement and incentives to teachers of computer education in schools by recognizing and rewarding their efforts through the quiz competition.

This year’s ICT quiz took place at Kano State Polytechnic (School of Technology) conference hall and attended by 29 public secondary schools across Kano State. The schools were as follows:

• GSCS Airport Road
• First Lady College
• GGSS Liman Idi Mai Kalwa
• H&M Girls Science College
• GGSS Dakata
• GGC Kano
• GGSS Sharada
• Mairo Tijjani GSTC Kano
• Tech College Ungogo
• Bello Hayatu GSTC Gwarzo
• Day Science College, Kano
• Dawakin Kudu Sci. College
• Rumfa College
• Kano Capital
• GGSS Giginyu
• Girls Sec. Sch. Kabo
• Girls Sec. Sch. Hotoro South
• GGSS Shekara
• GSS Tarauni
• GGSASS Yankaba
• SAS Kano
• Maitama Sule Sci. College Gaya
• Kano Capital Boys Sec. School
• GGSS Fatima Mohd Gyadi Gyadi
• Maryam Abacha GGSS
• GSS Minjibir
• Govt Girls Arabic College G/Dutse
• GSS Gunduwawa
• Tech College Kano

In his opening remarks, Malam Ahmad Abdullahi Yakasai who represented the Executive Director of the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) Engr. YZ Ya’u, briefed the gathering about the history of the ICT quiz competition since its inception in 2001 and highlighted some of the activities of the organization in education sector. He then listed the prizes to be won during this year’s ICT quiz competition. The prizes were as follows:

• 1^st Place Position – Desktop Computer & Projector
• 2^nd Place Position – Laptop
• 3^rd Place Position – Printer
• Best Teacher – Plasma TV
• Teachers of Winning Schools – Wall Clock
• Students of the Wining Schools – 5 Yds of Shadda each
• Participating Schools – 10 Exercise Books and Certificates

First round of the quiz featured 15 schools on the first come first serve basis. The schools were: GSCS Airport Road, First Lady College, GGSS Liman Idi Mai Kalwa, H&M Girls Science College, GGSS Dakata, GGC Kano, GGSS Sharada, Mairo Tijjani GSTC Kano, Govt. Tech College Ungogo, Sen. Bello Hayatu, GSTC Gwarzo, Day Science College, Kano, Dawakin Kudu Sci. College, Rumfa College, Kano, Kano Capital and GGSS Giginyu. Each school was asked to answer 3 questions and each question carries 2 marks. GGSS Liman Idi Mai Kalwa, H&M Girls Science Collage, GGSS Sharada, GSTC Sen. Bello Hayatu Gwarzo, Dawakin Kudu Science Collage and GGSS Giginyu answered only 1 question and scored 2 marks each. GSCS Airport Road, First Lady Collage, GGSS Dakata, Day Science Collage and Kano Capital answered only 2 questions and scored 4 marks each. GGC Kano, GSTC Mairo Tijjani, GTC Ungogo and Rumfa Collage, Kano answered all the questions and scored 6 marks each.

In view of this, Alhaji Sagir Muhammad, Managing Director Intersystem Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) who served as the Chief Judge of the quiz competition announced that there is a tally. He then requested the quiz master to allow the four schools with 6 marks each to go for additional round with intention of having 3 schools that go for the final round. GGC Kano, GSTC Mairo Tijjani and GTC Kano answered their question and secured a place in the final round.

The second round featured GGSS Hotoro, South, GGSS Shekara, GSS Tarauni, GGSASS Yankaba, SAS Kano, Maitama Sule Sci. College Gaya, Kano Capital Boys Sec. School, GGSS Fatima Mohd Gyadi Gyadi, Maryam Abacha GGSS, GSS Minjibir, Govt Girls Arabic College G/Dutse, GSS Gunduwawa and Govt. Tech College Kano. GGSS Kabo, GGSS Hotoro, South and Maitama Sule Science Collage, Gaya couldn’t answered any question and got nil. GGSS Shekara, GGSASS Yankaba, SAS, Kano, Kano Capital Boys Secondary School, GGSS Fatima Muhammad, GGSS  Maryam Abacha and GSS Minjibir answered 2 questions and scored 4 marks each. GSS Gunduwawa and GTC Kano answered all 3 questions and scored 6 marks each. After analyzing the result, the Chief Judge of the quiz competition said that, the two schools with 6 marks each already secured a place in the final round and asked the Quiz Master to give out the 7 schools with 4 marks each with addition round in order to get one school that join GSS Gunduwawa and GTC Kano in the final round. Only GGSS Shekara was able to answer its question and scored 2 marks in the additional round.

The final round of the quiz competition featured the following schools: Government Girls College, Kano, GSTC Mairo Tijjani, Govt. Tech. College, Ungogo, Govt. Girls Sec. School Shekara, Govt. Sec. Sch. Gunduwawa and Govt. Technical College, Kano. Govt. Technical College, Kano won first place position, Govt. Sec. Sch. Gunduwawa won second place position and GSTC Mairo Tijjani emerged third place position.

After presentation of the prizes, the Chief Judge of the competition, Alh. Sagir Muhammad, Managing Director of Inter-system Institute of Information Technology awarded a slot of Diploma Certificate in his institute to all teachers of the participating schools and one student
from each winning school.

During the general comment, Mrs. Kudrat Abinbola from Commercial Secondary School, Kano appealed to state government and members of the Higher Table to support secondary schools with computers. Saying that computer is more on practice and we cannot be able to disseminate the IT knowledge unless we have the systems. Malam Ado Shehu made the vote of thank at the end of the quiz competition.  He thanked the following for supporting 2018 ICT quiz competition with the following prizes: Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Desktop Computer and the Projector, Bayero University, Kano, Laptop, Intersystem Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Printer, Alh. Ahmad Isa (Retired Permanent Secretary), Plasma TV, Alh. Murtala Bala Maisallah, 30yds of Shadda, Hajiya Maryam Haruna (CITAD M&E Officer) 3 pieces of Wall Clocks, CEFSAN, a Wall Clock, Prof. Bashir Shehu Galadanchi (BUK), a printer and lastly he thanked the management of the School of Technology for providing the quiz competition with venue annually.

An NGO, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), has begun the training of young women in Bauchi on Information, Communications Technology (ICT) and entrepreneurship skills.
‎The Programme Officer of CITAD in Bauchi, Mallam Mohammed Chiroma, made this disclosure at the opening ceremony of the training in Bauchi on Tuesday.

According to him, the training which is tagged: “Digital Livelihood for Young Women and Girls”, will run for one month and at the end of the training, the participants will be issued certificates.

“Prior to this training session, 20 out of the 120 participants who applied were selected.

Chiroma said that the training was designed to ensure that the young women acquire competence to use ICT tools for business growth and entrepreneurial skills.

“The objective of the training is to avail the participants with the basic knowledge of ICT, working on computers and smart phones connected to broadband.

“Also, the training will introduce the participants to the design and sharing of mobile applications through the various platforms frequently used.

” They will also learn basic techniques of designing and sharing mobile applications and effective web applications.

“There will be optimal use of common applications for job searches, information sharing, the development of solidarity among women in ICTs and research of promising sectors for the empowerment of young girls”.

The programme officer said that at the end of the training, participants would understand how to use ICT to promote, build their business and develop more capabilities, as well as link up with other partners globally.

In her remarks, the Vice Principal of Government Girls College Bauchi, Hajiya Hadiza Ibrahim, urged the participants to be attentive during the training session.

“The training will move you to where you ought to be and diversify your business empire,” she added.

She lauded the NGO for raising a group of young women entrepreneurs, who would  have their businesses sustained in the future,” she said.

By Ali Sabo.

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Jigawa office had from the 5^th to 9^th November, 2018 trained 13 staff of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) of Kano state Ministry of Rural and Community Development under the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU). The training which took place at CITAD office, Dutse aimed at building the capacity of the participants and both sensitize the staff on the benefits of the use of ICT for administration and to expose them to know how they can plan to deploy, use and manage ICT effectively in their fields.

RAAMP is a project that aimed to provide a year –round accessibility in the rural areas through the construction/rehabilitation of rural roads and water crossing hydraulic structures in order to ensure easy access to farms, markets, educational and health facilities etc. It would further ensure better agricultural processing and marketing through the provision of Agro – logistics hubs aimed at reducing post harvest losses.

The project will be supported by the World Bank and French Development Agency with contribution from Federal and State Governments. Under this arrangement 13 states are presently participating, Kano State inclusive.

The project developmental objectives is focused to improve rural access and agricultural marketing in selected participating states while strengthening the financial and institutional base for sustainable management of rural and state roads network.

The project would be executed over the period of five years.

In his welcome remarks, CITAD Executive Director, Engineer Y.Z Ya’u who was ably represented by the Project coordinator, CITAD, Malam Isyaku Garba appreciated the ministry for collaborating with CITAD in this gigantic project. He continue to mentioned that it is accepted globally that ICTs are major tools for development processes; where students can use them to enhance their learning activities, teachers can use them to aid their teaching, while administrators can also use them for day to day running and management of their institutions. The E.D added that considering the need to ICTs for administration and the volumes of documents and communications which administrators are handling, computer skills have become necessary for them, yet such staff and officers have no time to learn the computer in a conventional computer school considering their commitments.  He went further to mention that CITAD has developed a fast track module which requires minimum time on the part of the participants, which is well tested module given to a number of similar clients in Bauchi, Edo, Katsina, Jigawa and FCT. CITAD sees it as an opportunity to organize ICTs Capacity Building for administrators, it is thus imperative that officers in the MDAs, especially the administrate staff are conversant with the use of ICT infrastructure in their offices for the benefit of the staff, government and other partners.

While in his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Rural and Community Development, Kano state, Alhaji Kuliyo A. Zubair, mentioned that the important of ICT cannot be overemphasize as it cut across all human endeavors i.e. E-governance. He reminded the participants that the use of ICT is very important to the success of the project and most importantly it is part of the work plan of the project. He also stated that in the near future there will be no offices; people will only be interacting online, so the need to embrace ICT if you don’t want be left behind in the future even if not for the sake of the project. The P.S continue to state that even revenue are now been paid online, things are purchase online and vital documents can also be shared online, thus if you want remain relevant you must embrace ICT.  Alhaji Kuliyo also extended the Honorable Commissioner, Ministry of Rural and Community Development, Musa Ilyasu Kwankwaso appreciation to CITAD and prayed that the collaboration will be sustained.

In the first day of the training Malam Isyaku Garba took the participants Fundamentals of Computer while Sagir Ado Abubakar discussed MS Word. In the following day Sagir Abubakar continued with MS Word and Malam Ibrahim Nuhu taught the participants MS Excel. In the third day of the training the participants were been taught MS Excel and MS power Point by Malam Ibrahim Nuhu and Abdul’aziz Yunusa Ya’u respectively. In the fourth day of the training Engineer Kamal Umar continued with online tools while in the final day of the training Evaluation and certificate presentation were conducted by Maryam Haruna.

In his vote of thanks, Engineer Sunusi Saleh Suleiman, state program officer, RAAMP, appreciate CITAD for accepting to collaborate and conducted the training, he went further to state that they all came to the training with different perception of ICT and hoping to learn basic ICT knowledge in order to improve their work and daily activities which according to him has been achieved.

By Sageer Ado.

The Inspiring Leadership Reflection Interactive Series (ILERIS) of the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has today featured Prof. Aisha Abdul Isma’il, the director center for Gender Studies, Bayero University, Kano as the Guest Speaker of the month. Every month CITAD invites people who have skills, experiences and achievements to interact with staff, interns, friends and associates of the organization with view of motivating them. In his opening remark, the Executive Director of the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) who was represented by the Training Coordinator, Malam Ahmad Abdullahi Yakasai condoled with the family of Prof. Aisha Isma’il over the death of her daughter. He said that CITAD planned to host Prof. Aisha since last month, but unfortunately on that very day the center received the news of the passing away of the Aisha’s daughter. He then prayed that May Almighty Allah (SWT) in his infinite mercy forgive her and grant her a place in jannatul Firdaus.

Prof. Aisha Isma’il started her presentation with giving her personal circumstances and experiences that shaped her life. She said that she started her primary education at the age of nine years at Shekara boarding primary school; from there she proceeded to Saint Luis secondary school. Prof said that she had science background but was given a political science at the university. As she wants to study medicine, at the beginning she rejected, but later on was advised and convinced to read the political science. Prof Aisha said that she was offered a job while she was doing her master degree.

Prof. Aisha encouraged the participants that they should not to be discouraged in life. Saying that life is not street line, you cannot get what you have planned for yourself directly. As a teacher, Prof told that there were lots of experiences to share. Students almost want teachers to assist, and the worrisome part of it when you assist they will not go on that direction, they will deviate. As a Level Coordinator, there were difficult and hot times. I used to guide students not only academically but in all life endeavors. For the ladies, Prof. Aisha cautioned them to understand that whatever you have as qualification you still be a wife. As a director, center for gender studies, Bayero University, Kano my perception on gender issues differs from many people. In gender issues, you find the good, the bad and the ugly. At the center for gender studies, Bayero University, Kano, we have concentrated on family issues to strengthen them. At beginning of our operation, we invited all the stakeholders for gender setting. She then worried about political participation of women in politics in Kano State. Saying that here in Kano it could be a war for women to be legislatures. But the society must understand that having a woman as a legislature is very important.

In her response when asked on her role as a commissioner Ministry for Higher Education, Kano State, Prof said that she cried when given the appointment.  She cried as she doesn’t like the position because of the habit of most of politicians. But Allah in his Mercy with the consistence guidance of the Permanent Secretary then she succeeded the appointment.  Lastly, the Prof. emphasized that she likes obstacles in life. Explaining that obstacles strengthen people, they made people to think wider.