In its efforts to help in curtailing the spread of the deadly coronavirus in Nigeria, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) with support from MacArthur Foundation in partnership with International Institute of Education (IEE) trained 100 Youth in Kano state. The Training which was tagged as Youth Leadership Training on Covi19 was conducted online via Zoom Platform from the 17^th of July to 28^th of July 2020. The objectives of the training were:

1. To enhance the understanding of the participants of COVID-19 and how it can be curtailed
2. To provide tools with which participants will support community efforts in their community to prevent spread of the virus
3. To enable youth provide leadership in situation of emergency in their community
4. To encourage the participants, carry out sensitization efforts in their community using social media

The participants of the program who were selected from different communities based on the criteria set up by CITAD, after receiving many applications from interested candidates. The trained youth are expected to carry out awareness activities on Covid19 in their respective communities.

However, the program carefully selected participants who have visibility on social media; Twitter, Facebooks, Instagram etc. so that issues around covid19 in their communities will be escalated on such platforms to attract the attention of the appropriate authorities and members of their communities. During the training emphasis were made on the area of behavior change which will help in changing the negative perspective many people have on the virus in the state. On the first session of the training Dr. (Pharmacist) Khalid Garba Muhammad of the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Bayero University, Kano took the participants: Understanding COVID-19, Key Symptoms and Asymptomatic Infection, Mode of Transmission and Severity and Interventions to stop COVID-19 spread on the first day of the training. While on the second day he continued with Individual Measures to keep safe and Limit Transmission; COVID-19 Care and Management and concluded with Psychological and Mental Health Impact and Strategies to Manage them.

The second module of the training was facilitated by Kabiru Danladi Lawanti of the Department of Mass Communication, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The focused of his presentations in the first day were on Meaning and Types of Social Media, Use of Social Media to pass Message. In the second day of his session, Mr. Kabiru taught the participants how to create groups on Social Media and how to moderate such Groups. On the final day of his sessions, Mr. Lawanti focused on Monitoring and getting feedback. The third component of the course which commenced on the seventh day of the program, was on community mobilization. This was taken by Mukhtar Halilu Modibbo, Community Engagement Officer at Connected development (CODE) who discussed on Community Mobilization and Identifying and Implementing Community Mobilization Activities in the first day. The objective was on how to mobilize, persuade and spread their messages in their respective communities. On the second day of his session, he discussed on the concept of Community and Influencer, and Identifying Community Influencer. Maryam Ado Haruna who is the head of JobberMan Partnership Program at CITAD discussed with the participants how to write a good CV/Resume, cover Letter, how to attend an Interview and what to avoid in writing CV/Resume. This addition stemmed from the observation that many of the participants did not know how to prepare their CV as analyzed during the selection process.

On the final day of the training, Malam Y.Z Ya’u, the Executive Director of CITAD conducted a session on proposal writing as well how the participants could Pitch their proposals since CITAD had informed them that those who pitch very good proposal would be given micro grant. He took the participants on how to write a good proposal. However not all are to get the micro grant as they are limited and would be awarded on competitive basis. He also discussed guidelines and rules for the competition.

At the end of every class, exercises were given to the participants to test the level of their understanding, commitment and focus during the training. Also, during the training, attendance was made part of the requirements before a participant is issued a certificate. An evaluation questionnaire was served to get feedback from them.

SUCCESS STORIES

Narrating their experiences after the training, one of the participants, Hussaini Yunusa said before this training he and his friends didn’t believe Covid19 is real but with the training he came to realized that indeed covid19 is real and it exists. This made him to inform his friends about the Youth Leadership Training on Covid19 which is aim to train young people that will go back and sensitize their communities and what is being discussed at the training, Malam Husain said in the course of the conversation he was able to convince a handful number of people at the spot about the reality of the virus and it existence and he promise to continue enlightening his community members about the disease, WhatsApp Group, YLTCOVID19@CITAD, 22^nd July, 2020. Another participant, Amina Alhassan narrated that with knowledge she acquired from the training she was able to change the perception of some women on covid19 she met on Adaidaita Sahu, according to her one of the women was discussing on how government is using the disease to get money from foreign countries while the other woman was saying that she has never seen a picture of a person that is infected by the virus or knows someone that seen the picture. According to them it is only government that is manufacturing the numbers in order to scare people and get money. Amina Alhassan seized the opportunity and used the knowledge she gets from the training and lectured the women on why the disease is real, she started by telling them that many have actually contracted the virus as against what people are saying and in many instances people can have the virus especially youth without showing any sign but they can infect others. She went further to discussed with them the importance of wearing face marks, washing hands regularly and maintaining social distancing, WhatsApp Group, YLTCOVID19@CITAD, 22^nd July, 2020.

On her part, Amina Sani, another participant of the training narrated that she actually didn’t believe in wearing the face marks neither observing social distancing and she didn’t see any importance of doing that, but when she attended the training her perception is totally changed and now she wears it wherever she goes and avoided crowd places, she continued to state that she was at an ATM machine with her face mark and observing social distancing but the people there were laughing at her, telling her that COVID19 is a hoax but that didn’t discourage her and promise to spread the knowledge she gets, WhatsApp Group, YLTCOVID19@CITAD, 22^nd July, 2020. On her part, Amina Musa declared that before the training she thought the coronavirus pandemic was over despite she being part of the most vulnerable ones to the virus, Amina continued to state that she for long not in the habit of wearing face marks or observing social distancing, but after participating at the training she fully understood the importance of wearing and observing social distancing YLTCOVID19@CITAD, 22^nd July, 2020.

Sadik Abdurrahman believed that if there were organizations like CITAD who are sensitizing public and enlightening them about the dangers of Covid19 and how real it was just like the way HIV and Hepatitis are being discussed, the disease will easily be controlled in the society, WhatsApp Group, YLTCOVID19@CITAD, 27^th July, 2020. Also, participants like Abubakar Salisu YLTCOVID19@CITAD, 23^rd July, 2020, and Abdullahi Abdurrahman have already started designing fliers containing messages on how to prevent the spread of Covid19, what covid19 is all about and started sharing them on social media, this they pledge to continue doing in order to enlighten the general public and help in kicking out the virus from Kano state (https://web.facebook.com/abdullahi.abdurrahman.5/posts/1732868613519105.

Moreover, some participants like Abdurrahman Iguda (https://twitter.com/AIguda/status/1288547082421317639 https://twitter.com/AIguda/status/1286781030540685313) and Abubakar Muhammad Usman (https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3108487392534026&id=100001183888918  https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3084335118282587&id=100001183888918

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3083789558337143&id=100001183888918) on their part promised to focus their postings on social media like Facebook and twitter on the dangers of covid19, how it is being transmitted and what people need to do to protect themselves from contracting the virus. On his part, Ismail Auwal, said with the knowledge he acquired during the training he will go back to his community and sensitize his people especially Islamiyya schools on the dangers of the virus and how it would be curtailed, Zoom Meeting, 28^th July, 2020. While Adamu Umar said the sessions of Creating Groups on Social Media, Monitoring and Getting Feedback had helped him to sensitize his community members on Covid19 Pandemic, YLTCOVID19@CITAD WhatsApp Group, 22^nd July, 2020.

Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), held its 30th Twitter chat in the 21st of July 2020. The guest was Dr. Chris Kwaja Senior Lecturer and Researcher at Centre for Peace and Security Studies, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, Adamawa State. He discussed on The Responding to COVID 19 in the context of conflict and social fragility.

He started by talking about the entrenched trust deficit between citizens and states which he said it was easy for communities to accept all manner of conspiracy theories regarding COVID19, especially through religious and traditional leaders. According to him, lockdown is one of the major challenges that posed to conflict management and Civil Society Activities were also hampered due to restrictions of movement. He went further to discuss about transparency and accountability in the way palliatives were distributed which has deepened trust deficit between government and its citizen. Kwaja said the Pandemic has also unraveled some underlying factors such as poverty, sexual and gender base violence and inequality which has dislocated people from their sources of livelihoods. He urge peace building actors to adapt new ways of community engagement in respond to the physical distancing guideline.

He emphasized on the need for conflict to design conflict programming and gender intervention which takes into consideration community level specifications. The use of excessive force by security agencies in enforcing lockdown also show conflict dynamics and how it affects the relationship between security agencies and citizens.

So far, the achievement is minimal in the area of community level intervention that are specific to conflict which is due to the pandemic, restriction of movement and fear of transmission has hindered the achievements. He further said that there is need to adopt a holistic approach in designing intervention and putting human aspects in perspective.

In conclusion, he said community outreach is an important tool for engendering community action and for donors to adopt flexible funding approaching ways that will enable local peace builders to adapt to new realities such as the Pandemic.

ENGAGEMENT:

1. Good afternoon everyone & welcome to another episode of @ICTAdvocates’s twitter chat with Dr. @c_kwaja, Researcher & Senior Lecturer, Centre for Peace & Security Studies, MAUTECH, Yola who will be speaking Responding to Covid19 in the Context of Conflict & Social Fragility @YZYau
2. Welcome on board Dr. @c_kwaja! We look forward to tapping from your wealth of experience.
3. The pandemic also exacerbated a trust deficit that has been on ground between citizens and the Nigerian state.
4. Today in @ICTAdvocates’s Series of Twitter Chat on Covid19 Dr. @c_kwaja,Senior Lecturer & Researcher, Centre for Peace & Security Studies,MAUTECH, Yola, Adamawa will discuss on Responding to COVID19 in the Context of Conflict & Social Fragility. Responding to COVID-19 in the context of conflict and fragility…what opportunities exist? In the context of conflict end fragility in a Nigeria, COVID – 19 emerged amidst an already strained relations among & between communities faced with conflicts and violence linked to insurgency, farmer / herder tensions and organized crimes.
5. @c_kwaja what are the critical principles that can help guide country-level response efforts in those conflict challenging settings? Total readiness for emergency represents the first principles. We because we did not plan, we were all caught unaware and unprepared.
6. Due to an already entrenched trust deficit between citizens and state, it was easy for communities to accept all manner of conspiracy theories regarding the pandemic. Particular from religious leaders and the media.
7. Are there challenges that response to #COVID19 posed to conflict mitigation and social fragility sir? The lockdown was one major challenge that Covid-19 posed to conflict management. The activities of civil society actors were also hampered due to restriction in movements.
8. Sir, in most States, COVID19 palliatives are given to party-men instead of persons affected by the pandemic… Can we rightly say, response to COVID19 has further expose structural violence in Nigeria? The lack of transparency and accountability that defined the way and manner the covid-19 palliatives were distributed further deepened the trust deficit between citizens and the Nigerian state.
9. Peacebuilding actors had to adapt to a new normal of community engagement in ways that responded to the new reality of keeping social distancing while building peace.
10. From a conflict sensitivity perspective, what are the concerns about COVID-19 interventions in conflict-affected contexts and the solutions to the aforementioned issues?
11. Covid -19 also exacerbated other underlying stressors such as poverty and inequality due to the lockdown that further dislocated people from their sources of livelihoods.
12. Violent conflict often exacerbates the spread of infectious diseases, as seen in the recent resurgence of polio in Syria, cholera outbreaks in the conflict zones in Yemen?  How can you explain this in relations to Covid-19 and Nigeria?
13. The covid-19 also witnessed a drastic rise in cases of sexual and gender based violence became key source of tensions within families and communities.
14. Despite the fragility that defines the capacity of state institutions to respond to covid-19, communities there were real stories of coordinated action by communities, leveraging on their social networks and capitals.
15. Across communities in Nigeria, social distancing was a new normal with huge implications for person to person interactions, which was a major agency for community harmony.
16. With the current pandemic and the guidelines being enforced, the success of existing community-based social cohesion programmes may be greatly threatened. How can we achieve this in conflict areas? Conflict programming and interventions that takes into consideration the community level specificities should be designed. Social cohesion is threatened when the communities are not involved in the design of interventions that affects them.
17. @c_kwaja coronavirus and terrorism are both disastrous security threats. How can we manage the two professionally as a nation? Terrorism and covid -19 are two threats that requires different handling or response approaches – both kinetic and non-kinetic.
18. The use of excessive force by security agents in enforcing the lockdown also exacerbated conflict dynamics, particularly as it affects relations between citizens and security agencies. Cases of torture, deaths and other rights violations.
19. So far, not much has been achieved in the area of community level interventions that are specific to conflict. This is due to the pandemic, restrictions on movements and fear of transmissions.
20. Sir @c_kwaja, based on available figures, can we say Nigerian government is doing enough in responding to #COVID19 especially in vulnerable regions? In assessing effectiveness and impact of response, contexts becomes important. Hence, the need to adopt a holistic approach to designing interventions, in ways that capture all aspects of human life.
21. @c_kwaja how will COVID-19 pandemic affect the teeming population of youths in the North east/conflict areas? Covid-19 came with huge shock for the youths, under an environment of already shrinking opportunity / space for social mobility. It further heightened this tension.
22. Monies meant for developed were channeled towards the fight against covid-29, which meant that developed related interventions were stalled. Here the youths are the worst hit since they constitute the productive age of the country.
23. Going forward, it is evident that community outreach programming is an important tool for engendering community action. The use of key mediums such as town criers and community radios are key.
24. for donors, there is a need to design and adopt a flexible funding approach in ways that will allow local peacebuilders redirect adapt to new realities such as the Covud-19.
25. Community radio now constitute key areas that should be explored and investments made by both state and non-state actors. This is one sure way of keeping the communities informed in order to checkmate fake news and mid-information.
26. Here we come to the end of today’s twitter chat, on behalf of @ICTAdvocates’s E.D, @YZYau I will like to use this opportunity to thank u for being with us at this hour to discuss & enlighten us on this important topic. Have a wonderful evening, sir @c_kwaja @macfound @IIEglobal
27. Thank you Sir @c_kwaja for sharing your time just to be with us. We found this session very educative and we are indeed grateful for the gesture.

Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) held its 29th Edition of Twitter Chat on 15th July 2020 with Dr. Umar Muhammad Sani as the discussant. Dr. Umar Muhammad Sani is the Casualty Officer and Coordinator of COVID-19 A&E Triage and Screening Team of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi and he spoke extensively on the Realistic Approach to Living with COVID-19 in Nigeria.

Dr. Umar began the chat by giving a background of the COVID-19 cases and impact in the world. He said the pandemic had exerted a toll on the healthcare systems, economies and many activities have come to a standstill. He said with cases rising globally, there are estimates that show that the pandemic will extend to 2021. Dr. Umar was of the belief that with figures rising daily, there is no way the virus can be defeated living normal lives and plans to resume activities does not equal the defeat of the virus but a step towards reviving the struggling economy.

One of the impacts of the pandemic to pupils being out of classes and he reported that an estimate puts 46 million pupils out of classes in Nigeria while globally the estimate is 1.4 billion pupils. During the chat, Dr. Umar stated that though the lockdown is a good way to slow the spread of COVID-19, it might not be sustainable but using masks, hand washing and physical distancing are among the many ways people can protect themselves and others and at the same time curb the spread of the virus. He urged the need for everyone to know the true facts of the COVID-19 because misinformation is deadly. The increase in mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, substance abuse and weight gain by those under lockdown are some of the challenges brought upon by the pandemic. Some of the challenges noted by the discussant include poor health systems, the challenge of effective physical distancing because of overcrowded schools, markets and work places as well as the 43% jobs which have been lost by the Nigerian population. Dr. Umar suggested individuals protecting themselves and others by following set guidelines and protocols and getting news only from verified sources as approaches to living with COVID 19 in Nigeria.

ENGAGEMENT:

1.     Dr. Do you think people can still continue with their normal lives and at the same time defeat Covid19?

Not so fast. As you can see the figures keep rising, there is no way we can defeat the virus living our normal lives. Plans to resume activities does not equal the virus is defeated. It’s a step to revive the struggling economy. Let look at some facts already

2.     Does that means economy is place above people’s lives, sir?

Never. Worldwide, plans are being put in place to learn how to live with the virus. And we cannot be any different. From earlier statistics and estimates, the virus is here to stay. The sad reality is that while lockdown is a good way to slow spread, it might not be sustainable

An estimate puts 46 million pupils out of classes in Nigeria. That’s huge and globally its 1.4 billion with another 40 million girls not able to return to classes for many reasons. Before resuming, there are realities we have to deal with first

3.     Dr. @umsani05, we have seen in many instances where law enforcement agents stop individuals and groups from getting into hospitals and other public places for not wearing masks and let only those with masks in.
4.     I think the #coronavirusdisease is more sinister than we think, and our calling it a mere respiratory disease doesn’t do us any good. I also think we Nigerians need to get to take this disease more seriously as figures continue to escalate by the day. Not so fast. As you can see the figures keep rising, there is no way we can defeat the virus living our normal lives. Plans to resume activities does not equal the virus is defeated. It’s a step to revive the struggling economy. Let look at some facts already

5.     Sir, In Comparing country responses to Covid-19 pandemic, how can you rate Nigeria?

Well, we have seen various responses by governments and authorities.

Some have been heavily criticized. Sometimes politicized and some have made really remarkable efforts worth emulating. We are a struggling economy battling with recessions already. It’s a tough call

6.     Dr. @umsani05. In your comment to @a_sabo12 Question u said before resuming, there are realities we have to deal with first. What are they?  @ICTAdvocates

Replying to @mukhtars_s@a_sabo12 and @ICTAdvocates hurriedly 1. Our health systems are weak pre covid 19, what are plans in place to revive the most vital sector 2. Physical distancing will be difficult in our already overcrowded schools, markets, work places. 3. Jobs have been lost on an already poor population (abt43%)

7.     Is there any vaccine at hand that can take care of the virus or any effort put in place to Producing a vaccine and what need to be done in this regard?

Yes there are many trials and some of them promising. Some are already in the 1st phase. But experts say that a fast track vaccine devt process could speed a successful candidate vaccine in 12 to 18 months assuming all goes smooth

8.     Dr. @umsani05, we have seen in many instances where law enforcement agents stop individuals and groups from getting into hospitals and other public places for not wearing masks and let only those with masks in.

9.     Sir, can you educate us on the ways to live with this deadly virus since it is inevitable living with it?

3. We are also having an increase in mental health problems, like anxiety and depression. Also is substance abuse. 4. People staying at home are gaining weight. We need physical activities to curb the epidemic of obesity

10.    But what confuses me is, majority of the people with the masks have it only on their neck. Leaving the mouth and the neck open. Does that means the law enforcement agent don’t know what the mask is meant for?

That’s a very wrong practice and poses a health risk to the wearer. It gets contaminated and that could compromise safety. Even those enforcing at times use it wrongly. We need increased awareness to educate the public on proper mask usage

Using masks and physical distancing are among the many ways we can protect ourselves and others from the spread of the virus. Other means are washing hands. We have to play our part as responsible citizens to contribute our part in containing the pandemic

11.    Sir, can you educate us on the ways to live with this deadly virus since it is inevitable living with it?
12. We are also having an increase in mental health problems, like anxiety and depression. Also is substance abuse. 4. People staying at home are gaining weight. We need physical activities to curb the epidemic of obesity

12.    Dr. @umsani05, we have seen in many instances where law enforcement agents stop individuals and groups from getting into hospitals and other public places for not wearing masks and let only those with masks in.

13.    Is there any vaccine at hand that can take care of the virus or any effort put in place to Producing a vaccine and what need to be done in this regard?

Yes there are many trials and some of them promising. Some are already in the 1st phase. But experts say that a fast track vaccine devt process could speed a successful candidate vaccine in 12 to 18 months assuming all goes smooth

14.    But what confuses me is, majority of the people with the masks have it only on their neck. Leaving the mouth and the neck open. Does that means the law enforcement agent don’t know what the mask is meant for?

That’s a very wrong practice and poses a health risk to the wearer. It gets contaminated and that could compromise safety. Even those enforcing at times use it wrongly. We need increased awareness to educate the public on proper mask usage

Using masks and physical distancing are among the many ways we can protect ourselves and others from the spread of the virus. Other means are washing hands. We have to play our part as responsible citizens to contribute our part in containing the pandemic.

By

Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD),

Kano, Nigeria

1.INTRODUCTION

Technology, especially communication and information technology (ICT) is only a tool for personal development but also an everyday tool for personal empowerment. It helps to activate individual and collective agency, just as it can be used to suppress such collective and individual agency. In the context of patriarchal setting, it can be used by women and girls to both subvert and demystify patriarchal of control of women life. But it is also used as tool to silence women, widened economic and political and marginalization. Technology is not just a neutral tool. It is application of a patriarchal thinking and their insertion in society is informed by these experiences and thinking that have gone into their making. In this sense, as a product of patriarchal system, it is inserted in the ways in which patriarchy has thought to control and dominate the life of women.

Within the content of Nigeria, CITAD has documented[1] various dimensions of an insidious gender related digital divide in which women and girls in general do not have the same opportunities to access and use ICTs as their male counterparts. This gender digital dimension is not just about access but also in the very ways in which technology itself is used or misused[2]. In this content, we have found that gender-based violence and online harassment have been deployed to intimidate women and squeeze them out of the cyber space, while it can be used to report instances of gender violence by women, it has been used to maintain such oppressive use that dehumanizes women.

At the individual level, most women do not have access to the technology so that when they are subjected to domestic violence or other forms of gender related abuse, they cannot access the technology to report, government it itself  has not taken measures to ensure women have access  to and use to technology so that they can protect themselves against both offline and online harassments.

As countries across the globe struggle to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns are being raised about the effect of the pandemic on Domestic and Gender Based Violence (GBV) and this intersects with technology both as facilitator and tool to counter such violence in all countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Countries across the globe have made various efforts to suppress transmission of COVID-19 and to mitigate its socio-economic impacts. This unprecedented crisis unfolds in the context of many pre-existing challenges, one of which is the gendered dimensions of access to basic necessities in a world rife with gender inequality. These challenges are now exacerbated by the pandemic and have a disproportionate impact on women’s enjoyment of human rights including economic, social and cultural rights.

Lockdowns have been one of the globally supported measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact on public health. What this means for many women and girls, however, is that they are trapped at home with abusive spouses, partners and family members with limited access to support services. In the context of COVID-19, Technology advances have allowed intimate partner to take violence in a new form, as the victim is stalk to her abuser. The abuser has more access to the victims’ private information, control over online accounts and use of electronic devices to track victim’s whereabouts.

Gender-Based violence (GBV) increases during every type of emergency whether economic crises, conflict or disease outbreaks. Pre-existing toxic social norms and gender inequalities, economic and social stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with restricted movement and social isolation measures, have led to an exponential increase in Gender Based Violence. Many women are in lockdown at home with their abusers while being cut off from normal support services.

Nigeria has long been facing a gender-based violence crisis, with women and girls having experienced sexual abuse. Lack of coordination amongst key stakeholders and poor implementation of legal frameworks, combined with entrenched gender discriminatory norms has hampered government and civil society efforts to address Gender Based Violence. These efforts have been further compromised by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic has seen the diversion of priorities and resources and resulted in a surge of reports of gender-based violence. For Survivors of domestic and sexual violence, the internet can quickly become a scary place to interact. Concerns about privacy invasion, stalking, harassment, impersonation, non-consensual intimate image sharing and other threats can leave people like they have no choice but to avoid online entirely. In such case, it is vital to protect online activities and understand the ways in which technology may compromise your safety.

The lockdown has also compromised access to life-saving services and justice at a time when these are needed most. Many one-stop centres and domestic abuse shelters have been forced to close or provide limited services. Strict movement restrictions have meant that survivors are unable to access centres and shelters, having to rely on hotlines to receive any kind of support. With the inadequate internet facilities and lack of data in rural areas in Nigeria, that has led to rural women and girls suffering more during the pandemic because their voices cannot be heard on the social media. Such cases, seeking for help will be difficult for them as they are stalked with their abuser. Although some Nigerians, who have access to internet used the advantage of social platforms to make their voices heard and to seek justice. Hashtags were created and relevant authorities were tagged,

Within the context of COVID 19, several factors are lending themselves to a heightened risk of violence for women and girls in Nigeria and technology facilitated abuse has been given little attention in government initiative aimed at tackling domestic violence. This prompted CITAD to carry this research to find out how Lockdown has impacted Domestic and Gender Based Violence in Nigeria in the content of unequal access to and use of technology and a use both facilitates and gratifies the use of violence and violence-against women sanctioning message. CITAD conducted Focus Group Discussions with Journalists, CSOs, Students and women in General. Also Conducted Key Informant Interview, organized Web Seminar, twitter chat and a desktop research. The submission was however derived from the findings.

Therefore, CITAD posits that government both federal and states need to review the laws related to Gender Based Violence and also ensure to recent events and implementable as well as consider the articulation and implementation of a national gender digital inclusion agenda that will facilitate the bridging the gender digital divide and make easy for women to appropriate technology and use it as part of the tools in the fight against gender violence and the silencing of women in the society. .

2.CONTENT AND CONTEXT

Gender Based Violence is violence directed against a person because of their gender; although GBV cuts across the male and female gender, history has shown that it is most prevalent against women and girls and it is rooted in power inequalities between men and women. In some communities in Nigeria, it is a welcome behaviour for men to beat up women and they have no say when it comes to sex. In both work and home settings, there has been violence against women, girls and children. The ineffective implementation of Nigerian laws has led to increase in GBV because the Nigerian constitution does not discriminate against anyone but these days the rights of women and people living with disabilities (PWDs) are not considered[3]. Also, the failure of some states to domesticate laws such as the Child Rights Acts has been an impediment in prosecuting cases of violence against children; so far, 21 states have domesticated the Child Right Act in Nigeria. In those states some progress has been made in prosecution of abusers and further policies are put in place to further aid the prosecution of cases such as the case in Ekiti State where an accused abuser is not released on bail until the case is prosecuted fully by the court of law. However, in those states with no Child Rights Act passed, prosecuting of such cases has been greatly inhibited. The same can be said of the Violence Against People Prohibition Act (VAPP) which was enacted in 2015 to tackle the increase of GBV by prohibiting and criminalising GBV. The VAPP has been domesticated only in four states in Nigeria. The belief of families of victims of GBV to settle cases of GBV out of court so as not to soil the family name has overtime fueled the culture of silence by victims as perpetrators of these acts go free while scouting for their next victims.

The COVID 19 was declared a global pandemic in December 2019 and various regulations were put in place so as to curb its spread. In Nigeria, lockdown in some states were put in place from March 2020 till date.

On 27th February, 2020, the first case, the national index was reported in Lagos of an Italian who was working in a company in the country. A few days later a number of cases were reported in Abuja which included two high profile patients who have contacts with the highly place government officials. this made government to step up contact tracking and when further tests were conducted three governors, among other government officials tested positive, by this time the numbers in Lagos and Ogun state were relatively large and government had to close these two states along with the Federal capital territory, these measures were not effective and the virus continued to spread in those state as well as in other states of the federal. Following this, on Sunday, 29th March, 2020, the President of federal government directed residents of Lagos and Ogun States as well as the Federal Capital Territory to stay at home for an initial period of fourteen days starting from Monday, 30th March 2020/ this was the beginning of the lockdown, although at this stage it was limited to these areas. A legal instrument, the Quarantine Order was signed by the President on 30th March

Basically, this order (Quarantine Act, COVID-19 Regulation No 1) required all people excluding those on essential services to remain at home 24 hours and

1. All businesses were closed down
2. Not intercity or interest travels
3. All borders were closed
4. All public service, including the courts were closed

This order was originally meant to last for a period of two weeks. However, by 13th April, 2020 when the president made his second Address, “Many State Governments also introduced similar restrictions” and the president through Quarantine Act, COVID-19 Regulation No 2 announced on April 13 extended the original order by another 14 days with effect from Tuesday, April 14.

1. Selected businesses and offices can open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.;
2. There will be an overnight curfew from 8 pm to 6 a.m. This means all movements are will be prohibited during this period except essential services;
3. There will be a ban on non-essential inter-state passenger travels until further notice;
4. There will be partial and controlled interstate movement of goods and services will be allowed to allow for the movement of goods and services from producers to consumers, and
5. We will strictly ensure the mandatory use of face masks or coverings in public in addition to maintaining physical distancing and personal hygiene. Furthermore, the restrictions on social and religious gathers shall remain in place. State Governments, corporate organisations, and philanthropists are encouraged to support the production of cloth masks for citizens.

Just as there has been a rise in global cases of GBV which have affected mostly the female gender, Nigeria has not been an exception as there has also been a spike in GBV cases. This has been aggravated because victims are locked in with their victims and they do not have access to places where they can report this violence. This is further made worse by the fact that women, generally do not have access to information technology that could allow them to report these instances of abuse easily. Access to Internet is constrained for women by among other factor, poverty, poor educational accomplishment, and social inhibitions such as men not wanting women to use social media and fear of the internet by women in part due to prevalence of online gender harassment[4].

It is true that cases of GBV have increased worldwide for the past couple of months and Nigeria has not been an exception. According to the President of FIDA, 72 cases of GBV were recorded in the first two weeks of lockdown and these cases have been on the increase. To collaborate this statistics, a brief prepared by UN Women on behalf of UN system in Nigeria on 4th of May 2020 reports that the number of reported cases in the 6 geopolitical zones of Nigeria have increased between the month of March and April 2020 with the South West leading with an increase from 91 cases to 296 cases, 67 cases to 156 cases in the North Central, 50 cases to 115 cases in the North East, 36 cases to 92 cases in the South East, 52 cases to 87 cases in the North West and 18 cases to 35 cases in the South South.

However, it should be noted that the brief released by the UN system in Nigeria clearly stated that the published data are reported cases, one is left to ponder on the number of cases which were/are not reported. This was glaringly portrayed in the trends on social media in the months of May and June 2020 when women broke the culture of silence and spoke on how they have been sexually abused in the past and called for both the government and individuals to set measures in place to curb violence against women of all ages. These calls for justice for those who are victims of GBV were pushed majorly by the youths on various social media platforms such as Twitter, Face book and Instagram and pockets of peaceful demonstration in some states across the country.

The government has not done enough in setting in place measures which cases can be reported and prosecuted even before the COVID 19 crisis and this shortcoming has become more glaring as GBV has become a shadow epidemic within the COVID 19 epidemic. Some steps had been put in place such as the emergence of the gender desks at police stations however; there is still need for rigorous training in how these cases should be handled from the point of reporting as this directly influences the success or failure of reported cases. There is still a strong culture of silence as victims are blamed for simply being victims and questioned on clothes worn and being in the “wrong” place at the wrong time. This culture of blaming and stigmatising the victim, whilst taking emphasis and the blame off the abuser has shown that much more needs to be done so as to change already established perceptions; and turn tides around. The situation has looked grim for a long time, but right now; hope flickers are at the horizon as more people are speaking out against rape and calling for justice for GBV victims. On social media platforms, the hash tags #WeAreTired #SayNoToRape #NoToGBV #JusticeForUwa #JusticeForTina #JusticeForBarakat #No2Rape #RealMenDontRape. These hash tags were used all by individuals to call the attention of both government and the society to the GBV in the country during the lockdown, Also the media has been active in reporting cases of GBV. Media houses like Premium Times mention published news on rape cases and its ongoing police investigations such as the case of 11 suspects who allegedly raped 12-year-old in Jigawa State. Channels TV; another reckoned media house in Nigeria also reported rape cases across the country. The government taking steps to put in policies in place which will checkmate GBV and the victims daring to speak out even when threatened GBV,

3. METHODOLOGY

The study used a multiple approach of a six-tool art design to generate information and insights on the on the impacts of lockdown on sexual and gender-based violence. As a result of the pandemic, the research was carried out virtually and none of the research activity involved any physical contacts. WhatsApp, Zoom, Twitter and mobile phone calls were used as the platforms for communication throughout the research. The tools included desktop review, online questionnaire administration, focus group discussions, Key Informant Interview (KII), Web Seminar and Twitter Chat. All relevant responses generated from any of the above mechanism were adequately used and, in some cases, integrated into other similar responses.

4. LIMITATIONS

A side from the context of the report which made it difficult to engagement stakeholders more intimately, the report suffers some limitations, including:

• There are no known robust observatories for report of data and incidences of gender-based violence in the country. While there are many organizations working and responding to distress calls from victims, these organizations do not keep data over a long period. For example, WRAPA, one of the most consistent and focused organization in the sector, it has only data of reported cases during the lockdown and not logged data for pre-lockdown period. In this way, there is no pre -COVID period to make an empirical judgement and therefore conclusions are drawn mainly from responses and experiences of several organizations working on the issue as well as personal testimony of respondents. As this research has shown technology can be used to gather accurate data about domestic violence and gender harassment given that much of the data obtained here was through the use of technology. This is even more so in the context of COVID-19 which restricts movement and therefore reporting has to be via technology. But this lack of data could also be an indication of the extent to which women have limited access to technology as a consequence of the digital gender divide.
• Our FGDs did not cover the whole country. We sampled only three out of the six geo-political zones of the country.
• The limited time we had did not allow us to wait and get more responses from the online questionnaire and also do more KIIs.
• Also, for the same reason, we could not interview the many organizations working on this issue to interrogate the data they have in their custody. For example, the Inspector General of the Nigeran Police Force, in a report to the President, in May asserted that there was a high rice in rape cases across the country under the lockdown. It will have been useful to have a look at the data the police have.

 5.FINDINGS

5.1 COVID-19 and the Increase in Domestic and Sexual Violence

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019, there has been a spike of domestic and gender-based violence worldwide. Countries with higher GDPs such as Sweden or lower GDPs as Sudan, are not spared the raging havoc left in the wake of COVID-19 across states, cities, towns, and rural areas. Countries with lockdowns, partial or full, are recording spikes in domestic and gender-based violence. In response to this, the United Nations has raised alarm regarding the increase of reported cases directly attributed to forced proximity occasioned by lockdowns[5].

As many media reports have indicated, there has been a rapid increase in domestic and sexual violence against women and girls in Nigeria. This is publicly acknowledged as 92% of our survey respondents said they are aware of the increase in gender violence against women and girls, and 69.1% said they believed the increase as a result of the restrictive measures imposed to curtail COVID-19. In addition to that, all FGD respondents to this study said they have noticed a drastic increase in different forms of violence against women and girls which they heard either by proximity, from traditional media and or social media. The findings also from the Twitter chat, desktop review and web seminar have proven the same. A number of Information released by National Human Right Commission on Twitter on sexual and domestic violence is also disturbing and alarming.

Although there are no available statistics accurately covering all incidents of SGBV in Nigeria, however statistics from different state governments, CSOs organisations have proven the surge.

For instance, Lagos state alone has recorded rising cases of domestic violence during the last Coronavirus lockdown, with figures jumping to 697 cases in less than two months compare to 791 cases recorded in 10 months before the lockdown was imposed; May 2019 and February 2020[6].

In the Web seminar conducted for the purpose of this submission, Rhoda Tyden the National President of Women Lawyers Federation of Nigeria commonly known as FIDA lamented that the increase is very high as indicated from the reports she received daily from their 33 branches across the country. According to her, after the first two weeks of the lockdown, 70 cases of GBV were recorded and this number has continued to be on the increase. FIDA receives new cases on daily basis where women are violated sexually, psychologically, including economic deprivation. “One of the things that have aggravated the GBV is the regulation which was put in place to curb the spread of COVID 19 because victims are locked in with their abusers daily” the president said, describing the increase as impacts of the pandemics. WRAPA also recorded 40 cases over the period from February to May with February being outside the lockdown period. The figure below give show the data from WRAPA mapped over the period. As can be seen the data show case of increasing cases of domestic violence over the lockdown period.

Since the lockdown in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, ActionAid Nigeria and her partners have documented a total of 253 cases of Gender-Based Violence in Bauchi, Cross River, Enugu, Kebbi and Kwara States,” Ms Ene Obi said, adding “we have never been more alarmed about the cases of Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria than in recent times. Girls, Women, young and old now live in fear as they are no longer safe even in their own homes[7].

Immediately after the Uwa case occurred and got so much public attention, many more sordid cases had been reported. There had been the case of 18-year-old Barakat Bello in Ibadan who was also raped to death, the 12-year-old girl in Jigawa raped by 12 men including a 67-year old man, the 13-year-old Elizabeth Ochanya Ogbanje who was a victim of her guardian’s criminal tendency. The Daily Trust edition of June 6, 2020 stated that 65 cases of rape had been reported between January and the first week of June 2020.[8]

In our Twitter chat, Niri Goyit the Project Coordinator of North Women’s Voice and Leadership Project, ActionAid Nigeria, explained that the FCT branch of FIDA use to have about 40 cases of domestic cases per month, but this has risen to 60 incidences per month during the lockdown.

ASH Foundation with partners in Bauchi state use to manage about 10 cases per month but handled 37 cases of rape and domestic violence in the month of May alone while the In Nigeria, Domestic Violence Referral Centre in Lagos reported about a 35% increase.”[9]

One KII respondent lamented that there is surge increase of SGBV where perpetrators are family members or acquittance. People now had no values for their immediate family. Before now, family members would go to all length to protect their families against perpetrators. Today there are scenarios of father raping his own daughter, brothers raping sisters, old men raping babies of months. this is something that society needs to critically look at the contemporary rape scenarios and why it is becoming so prevalent these days. In line with this opinion thus, our survey respondents think that 70.1% of sexual and domestic violence are husband, brothers, family members, fathers, and neighbours are mostly the perpetrators of violence against women and girls.

In the web seminar, Lauratu Abdulsalam of ACT/British Council lamented that women and men are passing through this difficult time and GBV increases during the time of an emergency situation. She reported that between March and April 2020, GBV cases has increased from 60 to 228. The cases have drastically increased because of the total lockdown, and the cases in states with strict lockdown have more increment as compared to states with lesser lockdown.

Dr. Abiola Akiode-Afolabi highlighted that in Lagos, Ogun, and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, since the lockdown, the most common gender-based violence reports recorded include spousal violence, landlord-tenant violence, neighbor-to-neighbor violence, parent-children abuse, homeowner-house help violence, boyfriend-girlfriend violence, violence on widows, police-sex worker violence, police-citizen violence, visitor-caught-in-lock-down child rape.[10]

At least 85.1% of our survey respondents said they personally knew from one to ten cases that they knew had occurred during lockdown.

5.2 Impacts of Technology on the Victims during Lockdown

In its response to this study, WRAPA has reported a significant level of increase in the incidence of reported and unreported GBV in the context of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. At its headquarters in FCT, WRAPA receives an average of seven (7) direct calls from victims on the organizations three dedicated helplines. Eight to ten (8-10) daily incidence reports are also registered on the WhatsApp platforms. At neighborhood, family or acquaintance levels, WRAPA staff do receive on their personal telephone numbers GBV incidence reporting calls. What this means is that if women and girls have better access to technology, especially the internet and mobile connectivity, they the reports would be lager than is being recorded. This is because often, victims are denied access to means of communication by the perpetrators of acts of violent against the women, including seizure of telephone handsets for those who have but often many of the poor women do not own handsets and do not even have the skills to use them. Women are routinely threatened that if they use the social media to report acts, they would suffer more.

Using technology such as online platforms was adopted by many GBV response teams to enable victims have access to reporting violation of their rights; many reports received were done either via phone calls and through social media as victims who have access and digital skills reached these teams. The NHRC, NAPTIP, Ministry of Justice as well use social media platforms to inform new developments, make awareness raising and advocacies. In particular, the official handle of the commission @NHRCTweets and especially the gender handle @NHRCGender has exposed so many cases of SGBV against women and girls that occurred under the lockdown period on Twitter. Correspondingly, lots of online advocacies, conferences, awareness raising, cries by private organizations, individuals, women and youth groups as well as concerned citizens etc were organized and taken up to social media with several handles calling the attention of key stakeholders to take action against the spike in gender violence. In addition, The Lagos team, set up to carry out physical interventions, has moved online, using phones, social media, 24/7 web chat to reach people in abusive situations who need help, and exceptional cases, the team goes out to rescue children who may have been abused, and women who need assistance in abusive relationships[11].

This has proven that the use of technology such as online platforms has been properly deployed by some government agencies and nongovernmental response team and have greatly helped in providing response to victims. Promoting greater access to technology and skills for women and girls to use technology will greatly improve reporting, which his essential for addressing the problem.

However, access and connectivity have also hindered a lot of victims to make such reports. Many women in the urban and semi urban areas do not have the smartphones and other device to enable them make a report, while the unavailability of connectivity, affordability as well as lack of digital skills has contributed greatly in preventing victims to report cases especially in the rural areas. Many women and girls from the rural communities would not be found on especially Twitter where most of the campaigns and advocacies are taken place. In essence, the existing gender digital gap has been reinforced by the pandemic as well as the lockdown measures.

Reports also from our findings have indicated how abusers kept monitoring and spying the devices of their victims as well as seizure of mobile phones to deny them access to reporting. This has further posed another form of online gender violence and deprivation of digital access. In essence, the lockdown has both increased both physical and online gender-based violence.

5.3 Factors Contributing to the Spike in Sexual, Domestic and Online GBV under Lockdown

In Delta State, during an interview with the Chairperson of FIDA, Barr. Stella Mejulu, she explained that in the last week of March, four weeks into the lockdown, she went to court over a case of homicide where a woman was murdered. She also noted that rape and molestation of minors involving high profile older men and patricide were also on the rise[12].

Using technology such as online platforms was adopted by many GBV response teams to enable victims have access to reporting violation of their rights; many reports received were done either via phone calls and through social media as victims who have access and digital skills reached these teams. The NHRC, NAPTIP, Ministry of Justice as well use social media platforms to inform new developments, make awareness raising and advocacies. In particular, the official handle of the commission @NHRCTweets and especially the gender handle @NHRCGender has exposed so many cases of SGBV against women and girls that occurred under the lockdown period on Twitter. Correspondingly, lots of online advocacies, conferences, awareness raising, cries by private organisations, individuals, women and youth groups as well as concerned citizens etc were organised and taken up to social media with several handles calling the attention of key stakeholders to take action against the spike in gender violence. In addition, The Lagos team, set up to carry out physical interventions, has moved online, using phones, social media, 24/7 web chat to reach people in abusive situations who need help, and exceptional cases, the team goes out to rescue children who may have been abused, and women who need assistance in abusive relationships[13].

5.4 Factors Contributing to the Spike in Sexual and Domestic and Online GBV under Lockdown

As suggested by many media reports as well as responses gathered from this study, domestic violence against women has increased to a great extent because the lockdown makes it impossible for them to seek help or alternative safe space which keeps the perpetrators and victims under the same roof for many days. These abuses are not only physical but it comes as emotional, digital, socio-economical and psychological trauma due to verbal abuses among others.

Respondents opiniated that financial factor has affected the increment in domestic violence, because the lockdown has affected the financial lives of millions of people in Nigeria. Sources of incomes for many family heads who rely mostly on menial jobs or daily earnings have been blocked by the restrictions. Thus, husbands relieve their frustrations on their wives and children whom they live with. Anger and hunger have therefore played critical role in the spike as abusive partners, husbands, brothers etc. become aggressive and violent at the slightest provocation. In essence, poverty has played a key role in the increase of GBV during the lockdown and as well financial dependency of women on men to provide them with food and other basic needs have become a provocation and trigger of violence against the women and even their children.

The government in another way has aided the spike in GBV as the promised palliatives could not reach the needy who could have been relieved from hunger. In fact, to so many people, the palliatives are either a mere statement or could be benefited by only those close to the government or politicians. Of course, distribution of palliatives by both state and federal government had taken place even though accountability to the money spent could not be established. However, millions of people in need have not benefitted.

The FIDA National President, Dr. Rhoda was of the view that GBV in its entirety is rooted in power inequality between men and women. In some communities, it is a welcome behaviour for men to beat up women and in some communities, the women have no say when it comes to sex. Violence against women is from prehistoric time and even in work settings or home settings, there has been violence against women, girls and children. According to Dr. Rhoda, ineffective implementation of our laws has led to increase in GBV because the Nigerian constitution does not discriminate against anyone.

In a similar view, the National Coordinator of West African Network of Peace Builders (WANEP), Bridget Osakwe during our seminar charted her discussion from the perspective of COVID 19 as violence itself; it produces fear, death, lockdown and hunger. It all means it increases societal vulnerability. Domestic violence is a reflection of deeper disregard we have in our society. It is important to examine the cultures or habit that is haunting us. Pre-existing tension has been in homes and has exasperated the violence and managing communication in family will produce a better society.

In addition, lack of proper implementation of laws and or polices that ensure proper implementation has provided the perpetrators with impunity and which encourages them to repeat their criminal acts or even encourage new perpetrators to carry out their act since they knew the punishment is either light or would not even exist.

Online GBV is also in the increase, this is because the digital space has become more and more congested as many people return to the internet to either source for information, carry out their official works and meetings, as well as for entertainment purposes. It is highlighted thus that many people spend a lot of time online and thus online bully and harassment against women has increased.

One important point made by an FGD respondent is that there are certain unrevealing factors that are not put in consideration. In Nigeria, mental health or psychological state of couples are almost not considered in marriage although it has affected a lot of people and has resulted in many sad stories over time even before the pandemic. And thus, Mental health has been greatly impacted by the pandemic and caused a hype in the number of male spouses that resort to violence on their wives and children whom they live with, which in many cases, result into emotional harm for the victims.

Drawing from the existing benefits internet offers in terms of counselling and guidance however, there are evidences on how internet and social media have become important avenues to seek advice, support etc for people especially women. There are several social media platforms especially on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp platforms where certain discussions, seeking helps, counselling or advices from experts and other participants in groups take place. These include seeking advices on marital/relationships problems, parenting as well as dealing with emotional crisis. “Northern Hibiscus” for instance is an example of an Instagram platform “Relationships and Marriage Tips,” “Relationships Advice” both on Facebook, Tafarkin Tsira on WhatsApp are instances of social media platforms that offer advises to women in various aspect of their lives. Similar efforts should be made by government and other private or nongovernmental groups where women can log in and seek emotional support and advice.

5.5 Access to Helplines and Shelters

A number of government agencies including NAPTIP, NHRC, security agencies as well as many NGOs including WRAPA, FHI 360 FIDA, LACVAW, FMWA, Ash Foundation, and other NGO and Development Partner have Helplines available and NLC Women Wing and Police Force have gender desks. This study has also found out that all the lines have and are still registering significant increase in the number of GBV related assistance calls from or for trapped victims.

Shelters are also available and being operated by government and NGOs. However, and compared to the service demand levels in the numbers and capacity of shelters are grossly inadequate.

However, due to lack of structural social service systems in place in Nigeria, access to hotlines, shelters, civil society groups, and non-government organizations specialized in providing support and legal expertise is far and in between, or non-existent. Reports on gender-based violence have more than doubled (2) and all the increase in GBV we witness now may not reflect the actual image of the spike as more than 50% of GBV are not been reported (4). Some victims either do not or are denied access to relevant authorities or simply refused to report it to cover up the matter for fear of stereotype and culture of stigmatisation of survivals of violence issues. Reluctance to report GBV by the victims or their families could also be related to threats by abusers who threaten to kill or hurt those who speak up. Only 32.7% of our survey respondents said they are sure the cases they knew were reported.

Only 23.6% of our survey respondents said they are aware there are helplines by either government or CSOs, while 83.6% said they don’t know the contacts of the helplines. A great number of the responses from our FGD respondents also explained that helplines by government are not functional and they’re no shelters available.

“The GBV hotlines are public, other numbers aren’t, I can’t personally attest to the availability of other important hotlines” expressed a respondent. “I have not seen any of the helplines actually, so I can’t say.” It was established from the findings that the helplines are not publicly known especially to the group of people who are vulnerable of being victimized of GBV.

As many women are not aware of the helplines, there many others who don’t have access because some women don’t have phones or any other means to make the call. Thus, affordability is playing a critical role in denying women access to these helplines. “Women in my area don’t have phone to call even their family and relatives. They prepare to go police station or vigilante office rather than to call help line” mentioned a KII respondent.

Lack of GBV helplines to get help is a big challenge. And when women get access to intervention phone lines, they find it difficult to speak on the phone because their abuser is only an earshot away, leaving many women to suffer in silence. Although Whatsapp is one of the cheapest communication tools to reach out for help, high cost of data (Nigeria affordability  index according to the World Web Foundation report of 2019 was 61.13% and ranked 19 out 28 countries[14]), and internet access make it difficult for abused women to seek help in communities where these are absent. Theoretically as mobile technology has achieved full covered of the country, it can be said that potential everyone has access to the internet, but accessibility is limited by many factors including in ability to for major players to make landing in rural communities. on the other hand actually use is constrained by low educational accomplishment, especially among women and poverty which in the country is often said to have a feminine face.

Report from the survey has also shown that victims are ostracized by both family members and community members. However, despite the fact that many victims in both rural and semi-urban communities do not have internet access, the internet and social media in particular has provided lot of solidarity and support for victims. The helplines were publicly circulating on various online platforms as well as several advocacies and awareness raising on the need to contact response team when victimized of SGBV. This has yielded a better result of increase reporting of cases. This has therefore proven that there is great potential on contribution technology can offer in addressing SGBV in both Covid-19 and post Covid-19 context.

5.6 Restrictive Measures and Movement of GBV Victims

Can women victims of domestic violence be exempted from restrictive measures to stay at home in isolation if they face domestic violence?

41.8% of the survey responses is yes 45.5% of the total responses was no, while 12.7% said they have no idea. This study has also gathered from most of the FGDs and KII respondents that it was never part of lockdown directives by both state and federal governments to put into consideration the emergency of sexual and domestic violence, neither were there any statement by government officials issued to address the needs of women facing domestic violence under lockdowns. Similarly, government did not list SGBV respondents as one of providers of essential services. This affected their ability to provide adequate services to survivors.

Security operatives are also not cooperative, most of them don’t understand or make room for GBV emergency cases. The lack of movement has forced victims to stay in their abused environments, which increased their abuse as the perpetrators also knew that they had nowhere to run to.

According to WRAPA, under these circumstances, it is more practical and beneficial to declare GBV response rendering activities as essential services by recognised government and nongovernmental organizations. This will mean granting exemptions for the staff of these organizations.

In many cases, victims stay and continue to experience more abuse of their right. Sometimes they are either rescued by other people, evacuated by law enforcement agents according to 59.2% of our survey respondents.

 

5.7 Access to Justice

“If there are mobile courts for Covid-19 directives offenders, why can’t we also have mobile courts for GBV perpetrators? These would have hastened prosecution of many GBV perpetrators nationwide” decried a respondent.

“But how could women under lockdown have access to such courts because the mobile court are only for does that violate the lockdown directives?” cried another?

The lockdown has made it difficult for women to easily and quickly reach the police. The walking distance to the police station and delayed response from the police is a big challenge. Without money to pay the police and without proper legal and literacy support, reporting a case and filing paperwork at the police station is also a cumbersome affair for the average woman.  A woman’s state of mind at that point and a possible battling feeling of self-worth makes her even more vulnerable at the police station.

Women’s access to justice has been the challenge during the lockdown as Courts have been closed. Police have also been working with CSOs to respond to cases of GBV but the absence of the Court has limited their operations. However, 40% of the survey respondents said victims have access to court during lockdown.

Niri Goyit explained that as a result, there is a backlog of cases waiting to be actioned by the courts and this has delayed justice for victims.

Responding to this, WRAPA explained that in the first and second phases, of the lockdown in the FCT, Lagos and Ogun State, the courts were not in session. NGOs were limited to documentation and evidence gathering in preparation for when the courts open or alternative means are adopted. On Monday 20, 2020, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, announced in a statement that while ordering the suspension of all court sittings except in matters that are argents, he announced that the courts would be sitting virtually, developing technology to allow for continued access to justice during the lockdown. In the same statement, he added however that certain changes would need to be backed up by the National Assembly and effected by the National Judicial Council (NJC), thus “empowering the institutions of the ACJA, 2015 to commence functioning immediately”[15]. While a bill proposing an amendment to the Constitution to allow for digital trial, this process has not been completed till now as the bill as to in addition to being passed by the two houses of the National Assembly, has to be debated passed by the 36 state houses of Assembly. Unfortunately, these legislative changes have not been done, the result of which is that the statement remained as mere wish. However, Ogun State Judiciary piloted the first virtual court trial on May 7, 2020[16]. It should be added that a similar move in July 2019 to make virtual court session constitutional failed. In principle this would make enhance access to justice, first as people can access the court processes from home and therefore removed the constraints that lockdown has created. The reality however is that unless women and girls have access to and the skills to use technology, its impact on domestic violence will be minimal.

For many women/girls’ victims, from making a phone call, to reporting to the police and to accessing justice from court is something they typically have no idea even prior to this pandemic, nor do they have the financial capacity to process that. And when the pandemic arrived it complicated everything putting them in a position further from justice.

In many cases, government officials contribute to depriving women the justice they deserve especially if the perpetrator is a member, family or friend of the government where they pressurize security agencies to release the perpetrators. Security agencies especially the police have been reported to release or grant bail perpetrators who are member, family or friend of government. A typical example here is the case of Kogi state governor and top officials are piling pressure on the Nigeria Police Force to release Mr Abdulmumini Danga, commissioner for Water Resources in the state who assaulted and raped a lady over a Facebook Post[17].

However, social media has played a critical role in publicizing GBV cases and advocating and demanding for justice. For instance, since the Uwa case occurred and got so much public attention, many more sordid cases had been reported and many CSOs, women and youths’ organizations had kept demanding for justices for victims through online and offline advocacies and demonstrations. The traditional media as well have been contributing a lot to publicizing and setting agendas for discussion on issues of GBV under the lockdown as expressed by Lauratu Abdulsalam who said media has contributed greatly so far in bringing the issue of GBV to the fore front of policy makers in addressing the issue. Interestingly, Lauratu also pointed out that people are genuinely committed to ensure putting an end to this menace and government is also open to discussion with CSOs on how to resolve this problem; this is a good turning point for us. People are calling for behavioural change need to be instituted; the government and leaders need to put their heads together to put an end to GBV; and the VAPP bill needs to be domesticated.

5.8 Government Agencies Responses to SGBV

There is no doubt that justice delayed is justice denied – thus delays in investigative and forensic processes, along with judicial delays do indirectly encourage criminals – and damage the innocent. There are many instances of the haphazard handling of investigation, prosecution and final resolution of crimes[18].

These calls and demands from citizens, and several organisations has made all 36 states government to declare SGBV a state of emergency. Several CSOs and NGOs have been putting pressure also for the adoption of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Bill and Child Right Acts by all state governments.

In responses for the public cry and demand, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), expressed their plan to set up a committee which will to process speedy trial of cases involving rape and girl child molestation. He added that as a people-oriented government that listens to the yearnings and aspirations of its citizen, the Ministry of Justice has identified with call for national response against rape and sexual assault in the country[19].

The NHRC has also been making a lot of effort to ensure that justice have been served to people whose rights have been violated. The commission has been making a lot of commitment to scale up action on awareness on SGBV and rape on its quest to tackle the menace and entrench the culture of respect for human rights in the country. This include among other efforts embarking on a nationwide five-day activism to protest the scourge as announced by Tony Ojukwu, the Executive Secretary of NHRC. The Commission has also created a gender handle on Twitter responsible for advocating against sexual and gender-based violence[20].

NAPTIP has been making similar efforts including calls for ensuring effective adoption of the VAPP and called for the harmonisation of all laws against rape and violence to ensure that sentence against rape was life imprisonment as prescribed by the VAPP Act 2015.

5.9 Impacts on Women’s Access to Health

At the beginning of the outbreak of the pandemic in Nigeria, most health facilities focused their attention on Covid-19, neglecting other important health issues including women reproductive health. 84% of our survey respondents said health services were either closed or suspended.

According to WRAPA, women’s access to health services and facilities has been severely impacted on by the restrictive measures. In fear of being infected in health facilities, pregnant women stayed away from the few operating health facilities. Routine health services were reported suspended in most facilities. Antenatal and immunization operated on a low key in secondary facilities.

Niri Goyit explained that women have been a bit reluctant to visit the hospital because of the whole COVID-19 fear – some feel going to the hospital increases their risk of contracting the virus. In the FCT, there were no reports of hospitals stopping women’s access to reproductive health services. However, some women have reported being delayed at checkpoints in cases of emergencies, while some deliberately refuse to go to hospitals. However, many women from different states including Kano state has reported closure of some health centres. In Kano state alone, 50% of private clinics and hospitals have been closed in fear of Covid-19. This has made the public facilities to be overwhelmed. Even so, there were no adequate health workers in the public hospitals ho refused to work due to lack of Protection Equipment (PPEs). Thus, the failure of government to provide and support the Frontline workers has contributed to the deficiency in health service provision especially for women.

Another important dimension is that most women are daily income earners, their income have been affected by the lockdown. As a result, many women cannot afford to pay for their sexual and reproductive health needs.

Again, the lockdown which restricted movements of vehicles also inhibited women from accessing health services. Many women needed commercial vehicle to convey them to health facilities which are not available.

In essence, a lot of women gave birth at home with lot of complications; plenty died with pregnancy while some lost their babies. Children health has also been affected by the closure of the anti-natal, maternity and post-natal services. Children could not be immunized as well. One respondent explained that “A cousin of mine had to deliver at home despite having history of Eclampsia.”

“A woman I knew gave birth last week, she needs blood, no one in her family was compatible and blood bank is closed. She lost blood plenty and is now on home supplement to regain the blood she lost” explained another.

One respondent KII respondent who is a women health advocate explained that she personally visited some midwives who refused to work and asked them their reasons for that action, they mentioned that they are living in fair and wouldn’t and to exposed themselves to Covid-19 since they are not aware of the health status of the women coming to their facilities.

There is very limited infrastructure for telemedicine services in Nigeria, much of it at pilot levels. The states that have some pilot telemedicine service include Lagos, Cross River and Kano. While in both Lagos and Cross River States, the telemedicine initiatives are government owned. In the case of Kano, it is a civil led initiative, mainly responding to the challenges of COVID-19 which has on the one had made many healthcare service providers to suspend their operations due to lack of insufficient protective materials, which had led to COVID-19 infection among healthcare workers and one the other hand, fear by citizens that they could contract COVID-19 in hospital environments that are testing for COVID-19. The pilot in Kano was put up by the Kano Against COVID-19, a coalition of academics, industry captions, entrepreneurs and professionals with secretariat at CITAD[21]. Overall, these pilots have no impact in responding to the challenges of victims of domestic violence getting medical attention under lockdown.

5.10 Challenges Faced by GBV Response Team

There are a number of challenges faced by GBV response team and even individuals. In some situation it even led to arrest of advocates or defendant of victims like the situation of the Human Right Lawyer, Obono Martins who was held at the Zone 7 Zonal Police Station in Wuse Zone 3, Abuja for defending 3 young women who were raped by a single perpetrator on different occasions. For publicly speaking out against him, the perpetrator collided with the police officials and the detained the three women in a single cell with other male detainees.

Other general challenges include:

1. Restrictions of vehicular movement to reach victims.
2. Passes could not be obtained by staff (and are mostly paid for)
3. Access to homes of some victim is difficult as some victims were not allowed to interface with ‘strangers’
4. Law enforcement responses were slow due to overstretch of their service in enforcing the lockdown.
5. Neighbours shying away from being involved in domestic violence settings invoking right to privacy.
6. Poor collaboration of family members who mostly prefer to cover the incident in fear of stereotype and stimatisation.

6.RECOMMENDATIONS

 

6.1. Technology in the Lives of Women and Girls

Works by CITAD has shown the unequal nature of access to and use of technology by women and girls in compared to men in the country. Specifically, although women constitute a majority of population of the country, they are minority users of technology. Their voice as users and actors has minoritized.  Technology as tool for personal empowerment can used be to tackled domestic violence where it occurs. For this reason, we recommend that we respect to technology:

• That government should articulate and implement a national gender digital inclusion agenda[22]
• Improve access to technology and skills in schools for females
• Address in a holistic manner, the prevalence of gender-based harmful content on the internet
• Ensure the protection of the privacy and rights of women and girls as part of a large agenda for the protection of privacy of users
• Mainstream women voices in policy making around technology issues as their experiences is important in shaping non-discriminatory policies
• Ensure that all have free and unhindered access to the internet so that all can use and benefit from it
• Mainstream feminist internet principles in national internet policies so that structure and built biases that go into design of platforms, tools and even algorithms and which serve to reinforce the digital marginalization of women can would be limited[23]

6.2 Government and CSOs

• The laws at state and federal levels must be domesticated where necessary and enforceable.
• Government both Federal and State should provide essential services and facilities in the form of short-term shelter, hotlines across the country, legal, and trauma counselling services nationwide should be provided as a mandatory social system structure
• Government should increase the turnaround time of testing during lockdown to save more women in abusive homes.
• Hotlines should be free and manned 24/7.
• More shelters need to be built as pointers for victims to escape from their abusers and restart a new life. There is also a need to have more referral systems
• Civil Society Organisations should organize more town hall meetings with religious, traditional, and community leaders as a support system and champions to end GBV.
• The government needs to recognize women and girls and stop treating them as second-class citizens as many have not been included in policymaking and stimulus packages regarding how this can be most effectively put to use.
• The government should designate and strengthen gender desks and family support units within police departments and other departments of government
• The government needs to understand the legitimacy of supporting NGOs, CSOs, and other human rights organizations to have a special task force managing GBV.
• The VAPP Law need to be domesticated in all states
• The Sexual Offenders Register need to be implemented in all states
• There is need for fund raising to procure and distribute food and essential needs to augment families. Thereby reducing the tension that could worsen relationships and increase risk of Gender Based Violence
• Government and CSOs should Network and Collaborate in rendering Gender Based Violence services within the lockdown services
• The government should put in place Multisectoral coordination system of Sexual and Gender Based Violence in all State, thereby to combat and respond to SGBV
• Women Groups should find alternative accommodation to remove their members from an abusive home
• All states should adopt the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team of Lagos state for speedy response, management and resolving of GBV
• Helplines should be provided and interconnected to social media platforms to scale up the reach
• There is need to strengthen the response mechanism to gender-based violence issues.
• There should be continuous review of existing policies and laws on GBV in order to accommodate best practices

6.3 Parents/Family

• We must promote the culture of equal respect for all. Parents need to train the boy child and girl child to understand that violence is not and never an option despite the situation.
• There is need to facilitate modules for sex education for our children from school. Boys and girls must know how to respect and protect themselves.
• Parents should not entrust their female children to the care of supposed friends, relations and neighbours.
• Managing Communication in family may bring an end to domestic violence
• There is need to have Neighborhood/ Community surveillance watch teams working to identify and upscale domestic violence cases

6.4 Security Agencies

• The police force must stop trivializing gender based and domestic violence, molestation, rape, etc.
• Police need to employ more paralegals units in its force and also put an end to police brutality towards all. Jail terms for police offenders would serve as a deterrent.

6.5 Media

• Media organizations should produce programs to educate and guide gender Based violence victims on protective measures
• Nationwide sensitization should be held on all mass media to enlighten citizens about GBV
• Media should constantly report cases of Gender Based Violence

6.6 Religious and Traditional Leaders

• There is need for rural communities to be supported and create support systems for unemployed women; these may include access to traditional leaders, women groups, extended family groups, etc.
• Religious and traditional leaders must buy into the fact that there should be zero tolerance to GBV, domestic violence, and all forms of abuse and violence against all gender
• There is a need to review our cultures and religions to align with the laws of our country. The difference between the provisions of our laws and our customs/religions provides perpetrators of GBV opportunities to violate women and also escape being penalized
• There is need to reshape our social values and norms
• The misapplication in the cultural and religious text regarding women need to be revisited

6.7 Individuals

• People need to be educated about secondary trauma and how to effectively manage it.
• It is important for individuals to take more responsibility and see Gender Based Violence as an economic and social issue and we all need to address to be able to allow for a free non-violent environment.
• Women should break the culture of silence and speak out when violated so that perpetrators are prosecuted and penalized
• Behavioural Change need to be instituted in the case of GBV

7. CONCLUSION

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is indeed multi-faceted and has shined light on the preparedness and under preparedness of various sectors of countries all over the world. A lot has been done by various nations to help curb the effects of the virus but there is a lot of gaps which need to be filled regarding GBV. It is now more than ever obvious that all hands need to be on deck and there is need for multi-level stakeholder collaboration. Government alone cannot solve the problems of GBV, in the same vein; the private sector alone cannot resolve the GBV pandemic; this is a truth, not only in Nigeria but all over the world. However, with calls for more observation of human rights all over the world, now more than ever, it is of utmost impetus for this window of opportunity to be seized, differences set aside in order to find a lasting solution to GBV. In Nigeria, there have been several calls for justice, laws, systems and structures to be set in place so as to fight the GBV pandemic; with the hope that generations yet to come will not fight the same fight but ride on the success of interventions and success stories achieved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8. Organizational Background

Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) is a non-governmental and nonprofit organization that is committed to the use of information and communication technologies for development and promotion of good governance. CITAD sees technology as tool to promote sustainable development, good government and peaceful coexistence. It uses ICT to empower youth and women through access to informatin, skills and online mentoring opportunities. The vision of the organization is a knowledge-based democratic society free of hunger with a mission that commits to Using ICTs to empower citizens for a just and knowledge based society that is anchored on sustainable and balanced development

Our areas of work include:

1. Internet rights and gender digital equity
2. Applications of technology in governance and elections
3. Youth development and entrepreneurship
4. Peace building campaign, including Hate speech monitoring.

[1] Ya’u, Y. Z and M. A. Aliyu (2017): Internet for Men?: The Digital Marginalization of Women, CITAD, Kano

[2] CITAD, 2019: Women in a Poisoned Arena – Hate Speech, Online Gender Violence and Elections in Nigeria, CITAD, Kano

[3] CITAD, 2019: A Policy Brief Towards an Inclusive Digital Society, CITAD, Kano

[4] CITAD, 2018: Gender Based Hate Speech: A Policy Brief, CITAD, Kano

[5] The Guardian/Features https://guardian.ng/features/focus/sexual-and-gender-based-violence-hiddem-social-pandemic-under-radar-of-covid-19-lockdown/

[6] Prime News  https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2020/06/03/lagos-records-697-domestic-violence-during-lockdown/

[7] Premium Times https://allafrica.com/stories/202006030177.html

[8] Sahara Reporters http://saharareporters.com/2020/06/02/breaking-kogi-commissioner-who-assaulted-raped-lady-over-facebook-post-being-interrogated

[9] Prime News  https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2020/06/03/lagos-records-697-domestic-violence-during-lockdown

[10] https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/06/12/sexual-gender-based-violence-rising-from-this-low-point/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

[11] This Day https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/06/12/sexual-gender-based-violence-rising-from-this-low-point/

[12] Prime News  https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2020/06/03/lagos-records-697-domestic-violence-during-lockdown/

[13] Business Day, Jun 11, 2020  https://businessday.ng/news/article/committee-to-tackle-sexual-violence-child-abuse-on-the-way-agf/

[14] Alliance for affordable Internet, 2019: Affordability Report 2019, World Web Foundation,  Washington DC: Web Foundation

[15] https://www.premiumtimesng.com/coronavirus/388959-coronavirus-nigerian-courts-to-hold-virtual-proceedings-malami.html

[16] : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfy0uRkqfow

[17] Business Day, Jun 11, 2020  https://businessday.ng/news/article/committee-to-tackle-sexual-violence-child-abuse-on-the-way-agf/

[18] Sahara Reporters http://saharareporters.com/2020/06/02/breaking-kogi-commissioner-who-assaulted-raped-lady-over-facebook-post-being-interrogated

[19] This Day https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/06/12/sexual-gender-based-violence-rising-from-this-low-point/

[20] @NHRCTweets (Twitter)

[21] https://kanoagainstcovid19.com/

[22] For details on this see CITAD, 2018: Towards a Gender Digital Inclusion Agenda for Nigeria, CITAD, Kano, https://www.citad.org/download/towards-a-gender-digital-inclusion-agenda-for-nigeria/

[23] For more details on this, see https://www.apc.org/en/news/intentional-infrastructures-feminist-principles-internet-and-community-networks-0

Quality university education is imperative in matching demand with supply in the prolong Nigeria’s  unemployment crisis,  Professor Ali Muhammad Garba of the Department of Business Administration, Bayero University, Kano, said.

Nigerian universities have been described as lagging behind in producing quality graduates that will compete everywhere in the world and for employment by the private sector.

A lecturer with the Department of Business Administration Bayero University Professor Ali Muhammad Garba stated this while presenting a paper titled the quality of University graduates, Imperative of Matching demand with supply organized by the center of information Technology and development CITAD in its series of Knowledge Production Dialogue.

The dialogue supported by Rosa Luxembourg foundation emphasized on quality education and enabling environment, seeks for a way out for Nigerian graduates to be accepted worldwide as qualitative workforce.

Professor Ali Muhammad Garba who was joined by Ms.Hilda K. Kragha the Chief executive officer, Jobberman, and Professor Pam Sha of NIPSS as moderators and panelists respectively said debates on the quality of Nigerian graduates have taken center stages with several complaints about their poor communication skills among others.

Professor Garba cited an example of how Late President Umaru Musa Yaradua lamented in a National Television that Nigerian university graduates are unemployable compared to graduates produced out by Nigerian Universities in the ’70s and ’80s.

He pointed out that to improve quality education in Nigeria there is an urgent need to have committed scholars like what ASUU has been advocating for as well as monitor changes in areas such as teaching quality, curriculum performance and so on.

He said for Nigerian universities to overcome the challenges there is a serious need for curriculum development and overcoming poor research credibility.

He added that that was the main reasons Academic staff union of universities had overrunning battle with previous administrations including the Babangida administration.

The university don further urged Nigerian Universities to institute a formal mechanism for evaluating the quality or opt for condensed measures provided by UNESCO to suit their purposes and goals.

He said education should not be put to random events or wishes of the operator.

On her part, MS Hilda .K Krgha said  Jobberman is seeking to link five million youth to jobs in the next five years with a focus on Kaduna, Kano, and Lagos within the Agriculture, Digital and Creative sectors.

MS Hilda added that there should be an awareness creation amongst students to sign up on Jobberman’s platform and register for free soft skills training will be useful for them as they complete their studies in the near future.

A cigaba da gudanar da taron ƙarawa juna sani da cibiyar bunkasa fasahar sadarwa ta zamani da ci gaban al’umma CITAD, ta ke yi, cibiyar ta shiryawa daliban jami’a taron ƙarawa juna sani akan sana’o’i da kuma ƙwarewa domin dogaro da kai.

Taron wanda ya gudana a dandalin Zoom ya samu halartar masana daga jami’o’in ƙasar nan daban, inda Farfesa Muhammad Ali Garba daga Jami’ar Bayero da ke Kano, ya gabatar da ƙasida mai taken Babban giɓin sana’o’i da ƙwarewa a tsakankanin ɗaliban jami’a, inda Hilda K Kragha daga cibiyar da ke samar da aiyukan yi ta Jobberman, ta zama mai sanya idanu, sai kuma Farfesa Pam Sha daga cibiyar nazarin manufofi da muhimman bukatu ta kasa (NIPSS) da ke Kuru kusa da Jos, ya zama alkalin taron.

Tun da farko cibiyar CITAD ta saba gudanar da taron ƙarawa juna sanin a duk wata, wanda ya ke samun tallafin gidauniyar Rosa Luxemburg, wacce babbar manufarta shi ne faɗaɗa tunanin a tsakankanin daliban jami’o’in Najeriya, wanda hakan zai ba su wadataccen ilimin da za su yi amfani da shi wajen dogaro da kai bayan kammala karatu, tare kuma da farfaɗo da ɗabi’ar nan ta yin karatu a tsakankanin matasa.

Hakazalika taron ƙarawa juna sanin ya mayar da hankali kacokam akan giɓin da ke tsakanin ɗaliban jami’a da kuma ƙwarewa akan wata fasaha a lokacin da suka kammala karatunsu, domin masana da masu yin sharhi akan al’amuran yau da kullum sun sha bayyana cewa ɗaliban da jami’o’in ƙasar nan ke yayewa ba su da ƙwarewa a lokacin da su ka fita neman aiki.

A ƙarshen taron masana sun bayyana yadda za a bunƙasa harkar koyarwa a jami’o’in Najeriya wanda hakan zai sanya su yi gogayya da takwarorinsu na ƙasashen d uniya.

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) organized a dialogue with the title: “Critical Skills Gap in Undergraduate Training in Nigerian Universities”, held on Tuesday, 14^th July, 2020.

Panelists at the dialogue are Professor Ali Muhammad Garba of Department of Business Administration, Bayero University, Kano, and Ms. Hilda K. Kragha, Chief Executive Officer of Jobberman, while Professor Pam Sha of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, served as moderator.

The program was organized with support from Rosa Luxemburg Foundation West Africa, with the aim to promote critical thinking among Nigerian students and equip the them with proper knowledge that they can use to excel in labor markets upon graduation.

The seminar which was conducted online focused on the gaps that exist between Nigerian universities’ undergraduate students and the skills needed in the labor market.

The panelists discussed extensively how teaching in Nigerian universities can be improved to compete with those of developed countries.

DATE: 7TH TO 15^TH JULY, 2020

The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) is the main United Nation platform on sustainable development. It has a central role in the follow up and reviews of implementation of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the global level.

All UN Member States as well as representatives from civil society organizations participate in its meetings. The Forum adopts intergovernmental negotiated political declarations at the conclusion of its eight day session.

The High Level Political Forum meets under the auspices of the United Nation Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) annually. In 2020, ECOSOC convened the 2020 session of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development from Tuesday, 7 July, to Thursday, 16 July 2020.

The HLPF was revised due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The HLPF took place virtually, and several thematic discussions on the building back better after the pandemic was added to the schedule.

This year’s HLPF Actionaid and CITAD planned for the inclusion of rural communities in FCT to remotely participate in the high level political forum, Leaving No One Behind! Five ICT Centres in FCT communities: Dakwa, Tungan Ashere, Pasepa, Leleyi Gwari and Gaube participated in the forum virtually from 8^th July to 15^th July. Community Facilitators in the ICT Communities facilitated the forum remotely in their respective communities. The aim is to ensure inclusivity and lifelong learning.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the social distancing guideline, 7 youths participated in each centre (Male and Female). The idea is for the participants to learn. Ask questions from other region experiences on SDGs engagements and also share our own experience in Country.

The VNR Labs provide an informal platform to share best practices and to reflect on the experience with the VNRs, focusing on cross-cutting themes and country experiences.

It is widely recognized that the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda requires a transformation in our societies that can only be achieved through engaging and leveraging the unique roles and resources of all sectors and stakeholders of society.

In continuation of its sensitization program on COVID-19 in Nigeria, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), held its 26th edition of Twitter Chat in the 7th of July 2020.

The guest was Aliyu Dahiru Aliyu, a Researcher and Editor at Humangle Newspaper. He discussed on the topic “COVID19: Countering Misinformation from Religious Perspective” He started by saying, Misinformation from a religious perspective is a deliberate spread of false statements to achieve particular goal. From religious angle it is the same as “lying” or “hypocrisy. He said there are many misinformation being spread by different religious followers in Nigeria but the most popular ones include that Covid-19 is a bioweapons created to attack Muslims and the one saying that facemask has no medical use. The purveyor said it is political manipulation intended to make a puppet out of Nigerians.

In responding to a question on how misinformation change the perception of people toward the disease? He said, explaining the difference between disinformation and misinformation first will help answer the question, he said while the former is intentional spread of false information, the latter is unintentional that may arise due to social trust or lack of digital literacy and critical thinking. Both harm people.

He stated that ordinary follower has a role in tackling religious misinformation, according to him the Prophet of Islam commanded that we shouldn’t be sharing whatever we receive without thorough investigation. An individual has to fact-check claims before forwarding to anyone to avoid misinforming people.

He was asked to what extent misinformation and disinformation jeopardizes the fight against this deadly virus. He respond by saying that “I think misinformation and disinformation has caused many people stop being serious about the pandemic. Many people have said it’s just a flu and others said government is lying to people. Others avoid social distancing measures and continue joining religious gatherings”

In responding to another question which says ‘Islam teaches and promotes truthfulness and even set some rules and regulations before accepting a narration. Who misinform people to achieve certain goals?

He said Islam is a perfect religion, but Muslims are not. Although we all know lying is haram, unless under special condition to protect lives, but it is part of human nature to lie. One can’t escape his innate psychological motives without serious efforts. Muslims too spread lies.

In conclusion he advises the government and other concerned institutions on measures they should take in countering disinformation and disinformation.

He said both the Government and the clerics should work together in saving lives. For the clerics, they should please allow experts to speak on medical issues. When it comes to spiritual exercises, clerics are in better position to speak. But this is pandemic, they should allow epidemiologists to speak.

Also Government should use the clerics in fighting religious misinformation. They are so powerful that no institution can do away with them. Radio jingles and attitudes of the government officials are also influencing people.

Engagement:

Good afternoon all, please welcome @Aliyussufiy, editor at @HumAngle_ who will be discussing on countering disinformation from religious perspective on the fight against Covid19. @YZYau @fareedear @ICTAdvocates @Mairo_Ado @HariraWakili @ChiromaHope @sagiru_ado @kamalkano

Replying to

@ChiromaHope

@a_sabo12 and 8 others

Thank you

Malam

@Aliyussufiy

We will like to know the kind of misinformation being spread by different religious followers in Nigeria.

There are many, but the most popular ones include that Covid-19 is a bioweapon created to attack Muslims and the one saying that face-mask has no medical use. The purveyor said it is political manipulation intended to make a puppet out of Nigerians.

Malam

@Aliyussufiy

, do an ordinary follower have any role to in tackling religious misinformation? If yes, how?

Replying to

@ChiromaHope

@a_sabo12 and 9 others

The Prophet of Islam commanded that we shouldn’t be sharing whatever we receive without thorough investigation. An individual has to fact-check claims before forwarding to anyone to avoid misinforming people.

So what measures do you think government and other concerned institutions should take in countering disinformation and disinformation which is mostly spread by religious leaders looking at how sensitive religion is in the country and the large number of followers they have?

The two should work together in saving lives. For the clerics, they should please allow experts to speak on medical issues. When it comes to spiritual exercises, clerics are in better position to speak. But this is pandemic, they should allow epidemiologists to speak. Please

Government should use the clerics in fighting religious misinformation. They are so powerful that no institution can do away with them. Radio jingles and attitudes of the government officials are also influencing people.

@Aliyussufiy, permit us to take you back a little, can you please explain what disinformation from religious perspective is?

Disinformation is a deliberate spread of false statements to achieve particular goal. From religious angle it is the same as “lying” or “hypocrisy”.

And how did these misinformation change the prospection of people toward the disease?

Let’s explain the difference between disinformation and misinformation first. While the former is intentional spread of false information, the latter is unintentional that may arise due to social trust or lack of digital literacy and critical thinking. Both harm people.

In your experience, sir, to what extent does misinformation and disinformation jeopardize the fight against this deadly virus?

I think misinformation and disinformation has caused many people stop being serious about the pandemic. Many people have said it’s just a flu and others said government is lying to people. Others avoid social distancing measures and continue joining religious gatherings.

@ICTAdvocates

@a_sabo12

@Aliyussufiy

Islam teaches and promotes truthfulness and even set some rules and regulations b/4 accepting a narration. Who misinform people to achieve certain goals?

Islam is a perfect religion, but Muslims are not. Although we all know lying is haram, unless under special condition to protect lives, but it is part of human nature to lie. One can’t escape his innate psychological motives without serious efforts. Muslims too spread lies.

Whoever try to explain it to them they will neither listen nor understand it coz it will against Malams’ opinion. Any approach to eradicate such?

I think critical thinking should be taught from secondary school level. This will instill the habit of questioning in the minds of youth. I believe, even though it will disturb some clerics in the first time, it will curtail the habit of consuming nonsense from pseudo clerics.

Malam Aliyu

@Aliyussufiy, thank you very much for this insightful discussion, on behalf of

@ICTAdvocates

‘s E.D & its entire staff we appreciate you for being with us at this hour & the educative discussion. Thank you once & have a nice day

@ChiromaHope

@ooomiiiii

@teemerh_beekay

Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), held its 27th Twitter chat in the 9th of July 2020. The guest was, Olanrewaju Oyedeji, Coordinator, Digital Literacy Advocacy Club & Editor, TechMirror Magazine, he discussed on The Role of ICT in the Fight against Covid19. He started by answering the question on the meaning of ICT where he said that ICT is an acronym for Information and Communications Technology; it is the use of computers to store, retrieve and transmit information or data. It has transcended from computer to Digital gadgets/sites, Apps and other Computer networks.

According toAyodeji, ICT has now gone on beyond its definition to be a critical part of every global department and sector. So, defining ICT maybe determined on the context we are referring to and the purpose for such definitions. ICT has outgrown the books. On the way ICT can help in the fight against the deadly corona virus. He said, when the Covid-19 came to be, we had many persons who were worried & at the same time thankful that this kind of pandemic happened when the world is inter-connected. When we can say the world is a global village thanks to ICT. It has helped in many ways… For instance, we are talking of awareness created through ICT platforms. We would attest to the fact that Twitter for instance played huge roles in enlightening people on dangers of the virus, how and why to avoid it. We have had use of multimedia visuals spread on whatsapp….

He continue to explain that in the area of accountability and transparency, we have had ICT helping. We have had many persons who would have otherwise ‘died’ due to Covid-19 getting attention after alarm was raised using platforms powered by ICT, I can go on and on. Tweeted the guest. Take Nigeria for instance, we have seen the NCDC using multimedia platforms to reach Nigerians, it is not strange to see many Nigerians waiting on the Twitter handle of NCDC to see the figures for the day. We see news on lockdown shared here. He further stated that, ICT has helped in Nigeria. It has helped in many ways. Economically, socio-economically, reducing the spread, emotionally and psychologically, participatory solution to the pandemic, reducing civil disobedience and ensuring stability in governance. For instance, let us imagine that we do not have social media platforms for national awareness on the virus, the impact would have been colossal. Nigeria has through active citizens & citizenry engagement managed the virus thus far. Although, there are lapses. Oyedeji Emphasized.

On how can individuals, organizations & govt can leverage on these positive side of ICT & help in curtailing this virus or at least reduce its spread in our communities. The guest said that, we can use our social media platforms to promote awareness that Covid19 is still existing. The danger we have currently is the discussions we have on some platforms that Covid19 has winded up. We have more Nigerians online now and we must leverage on this.

The government must not just leave NCDC to giving us updates on figures & sending messages to phones, we must have the Orientation agency mobilized to the grassroots. Let me point it clear that if we must stop community transmission, we must harp on safety measures, we must begin to use ICT tools to rebrand the message we are passing. It has now gone beyond using facemasks but people understanding the usage. People may not listen to you talk to them on why they should not use borrowed Face masks but they read messages. I keep saying the govt, we now must begin to look at sending messages on Phones through local languages, and we would not assume that everybody understands English. As Covid19 elongates, we have myths about it spreading & we must stop this now at communities, we must.

Corporate organizations have their part to play. Members of staff of corporate organizations who also make up members of communities should be encouraged to be ambassadors of informing people on their whatsapp groups, facebook platforms about need to be proactive @ICTAdvocates

On the way digital solutions can aid Nigeria’s Covid-19 fight. He mentioned that, the fight against Covid19 is not just about curtailing the spread of the virus. Let us not forget importantly that the fight also involves economic stability and survival of people. We have had mobile health solutions currently but will dwell on hunger management. Digital solutions should aim at solving problems around Startups survival, solution that should reduce job loss. For instance, we should fashion ways of using Digital solutions to curb shutting down of companies. Solutions in Edutech, Agrotech and crisis management

In responding to the question that, World has in the past experienced pandemic deadly more than Covid 19 such as Spanish Fluid, but the fear and afraid of Covid 19 supersede more than any pandemic. Can we say that ICT at one angle contributes to this? He answered with Yes and No.

Yes because we have many fake information flying round on social media & this causes tension. It is same as when it was said that salt &water curbs Ebola. No, because you wouldn’t blame Social media for failure in information management round the country @ICTAdvocates. Lack of adequate test kits had created fear in minds of people that even the country cannot take care of them enough, when isolation centres were the issue, people panicked that they may die, when the country begged for ventilators, many Nigerians felt scared.

What I am saying is this; Spanish Flu would have had more fear if there were social media, it is what we can’t run away from. Failure of the system will enable fear anywhere, whether on social media or off it. So, even if there no SM, we would have fear @ICTAdvocates

Worldwide, in USA, Italy & many others, Social media created a necessary fear. Pandemic comes with fear, which is why every country must be more proactive nowadays because we are dealing with multiple information sources. He explained that Information and communication assisted public with regards to Covid19 pandemic in areas of awareness, creating hope for SMEs, getting verified information on policies from the right sources, creating new job opportunities for survival and many more time won’t permit to mention.

On the ways Nigeria can leverage on ICT in its economic recovery from the damage caused by covid-19. He said, Beyond Covid19, any country that will survive must invest in Digitalization. This is the time for Nigeria to have Digital Literates. Those who will understand how to tap into the market that will be created companies moving online. Education, Agriculture, Health, Manufacturing, Logistics, media, food & Beverages, Deliveries, Fintech will leverage more on ICT, we must build our economic recoveries around preparing our citizens for this change. It is not enough to pump money into the economy.

In his recommendations he mentioned:

1) We should use ICT to make our Covid19 easier to understand through local languages.

2) We should prepare for Post-Covid19 understanding that our citizens need to be faster prepared for Digitalization.

More pro-activeness in use of ICT to stop community transmissions.

We should also make messages passed understandable. We should start looking at survival through Digital media by making our citizens Digital literates.

We must manage information better through ICT.

Finally, we must see the reality of Covid19 by not just sending messages on adhering to protocols but ensuring that SMEs are assisted to survive in this time through ICT. We must begin to look at a Digital Nigeria(ns) now& post-Covid, that is our new system. Thanks

In another edition of its Twitter Chat Series, the Centre for Information Technology and Development CITAD hosted the CITAD’s Senior Programme Officer, Malam Isah Garba. The discussant started with a welcoming remark from the CITAD handle, @ICTAdvocates where it expressed its pleasure to host another Twitter chat hosting our own Senior Programmes Officer, Malam Isah Garba who will be discussing on “How CSOs Can Mobilize & Sensitize the Public on #COVID19.”

Subsequently, the CITAD began asking the questions while the senior programme officer responded to each of the questions asked.

When asked on how do we reach out to people at rural setting especially the ones with no IT infrastructures since that social gathering are discouraged, the Senior Programme Officer responded that we need to have a basic understanding of the civil society first, the CSOs is not limited of what many people perceived; they are voluntary organizations cut across of all ramifications of human endeavors. Therefore CSOs can be found anywhere no matter how remote the community may, there are many self help group who volunteer to help the people in their communities. So reaching out to people  in rural communities or where there is no IT facilities is simple, CSOs can use their networks within the CBOs and i doubt if there is rural community without cellular phones so that can also be utilized. Another avenue of reaching out to them is through the use of Radio, which in area like northern Nigeria we have more listeners of radio then readers or user of the internet.

Another question was by Aliyu Dahiru Aliyu where he said “What CSOs are doing to ensure that governmental and non-governmental organisations are accountable when it comes to the distribution of palliatives?” Malam Isah responded that “CSOs work is multidimensional while others work in the area of sensitizations, mobilizations, pallitive support, there are many CSOs working in the area of anticorruption and also promotion of accountability, these CSOs are working in different dimension to ensure that. There are organizations working towards tracking of the palliatives and its distributions while others form part of the team distributing the palliatives as observers and they not only report to their organization but also share the information with the public.”

Aliyu Dahiru Aliyu asked again whether CITAD is using any ICT tool, like tracing apps or any other tool, to help curb the pandemic, the programme officer said that currently, CITAD is not directly using any app in doing that, but as an organization with large networks it partners with others.

“Governments cannot work alone in responding to the crisis on behalf of vulnerable communities; How has the CSO`s helped initiate a more effective response to humanitarian crises and natural disasters like Covid 19” was Mubarak and Malam Isah responded that it is important to note that CSOs mostly have the trust of the communities they work, therefore, the community will trust them and agree with all that they may say on the Pandemic more than what the government agencies may say.

Another question was asked by Aliyu Dahiru Aliyu was that “NNPC implements a tracing application in Nigeria despite warnings that there could be breech of privacy while using the app, did you consider reviewing the app as an ICT development organisation?” He responded That CITAD is an organization that promotes internet security and privacy, therefore we cannot support any App that may breach into the privacy of the citizens, and therefore, if the App has that implication we will advocate its review.

Sagiru Ado asked “CSOs found themselves at critical situation at this trying time where Covid 19 restricts interaction and gathering of people. What strategies CITAD sets in places with no IT connection and network to complement its engagement b/4 the pandemic? The programme officer answered that CITAD is using radio stations in reaching out to its targets and it doubt if there is a community without radio.

Ali Sabo also asked the question whether we can know how Civil Society can mobilize people at grassroots to ensure they stay safe looking at how government is easing the lockdown in the country, and Malam Isah said they can reach out through their networks at the grassroots and also through the use of radio stations. This is one of the significances of network formation in the CSOs work; other organizations can help you reach where you can’t.

Mubarak Ekute asked on how Covid-19 affecting Civil Society worldwide? Responding, Malam Isah said CSOs are part of the world community and the effect of this pandemic is like that of war its effects depends on your area, so CSOs suffer in the areas of the economy, operations and even the ways they reach out to their targets as we said earlier.

Lastly, the Programme Officer was asked about the swiftness of CITAD to execute their operations and office work online due to the pandemic and whether it could be possible with government at both state and federal levels. Malam Isah responded that this is possible all they need is to build the capacity of their staff towards that. And we have now witness this since FEC meeting and other important engagements of the government are done online, therefore it is possible.

At the end of the discussion, Ali Sabo thanked Malam Isah for the wonderful one hour engagement and urged everyone to remember to always practice good personal hygiene.

The CITAD senior programme officer thanked all for the opportunity given to him and hopes for a continuous work of sensitizations in our communities.

@ICTAdvocates

Good afternoon our esteemed audience. It is our pleasure to welcome u once again to another Twitter Chat,today & at this time, we’re hosting our own Senior Programmes Officer, Malam Isah Garba (@isahcitad ) who ‘ll be talking on “How CSOs Can Mobiliz & Sensitize

the Public on #COVID19.

@ isahcitad

Gafterno

Q 1. @ICTAdvocates

Malam Isah Garba (@isahcitad ), it is indeed our pleasure having at this time, we would like to please start by understanding the role civil

society organizations such as @ICTAdvocates and others have played so far in getting the public sensitized on the #COVID19 pandemic

Answer

Good Afternoon Ali and other esteem audience and welcome to this edition of the chat organized by @ICTAdvocates

Q 2. @ChiromaHope

Good afternoon Sir and welcome to the the meeting. Now that social gathering are discouraged. How do we reach out to people at rural setting? Especially the ones with no IT infrastructures.

Answer

@ChiromaHope I think we need to have a basic understanding of the civil society first, the CSOs is not limited of what many ppl percieved they voluntary organizations cut across of ramifications of human endeavurs.

Therefore CSOs can be found any where no matter how remote the community may, the may self help group who volunteer to help the ppl in their communities.

So reaching out to ppl in rural communities or where ther is no IT facilities is simple, CSOs can use their networks within the CBOs and i doubt if there is rural community without celular phones so that can also be utilized

Another avenue of reaching out to them is through the use of Radio, which in area like northrn Nigeria we have more listers of radio then readers or user of the internt

Q 3.      @Aliyussufiy

What CSOs are doing to ensure that governmental and non-governmental organisations are accountable when it comes to the distribution of palliatives?

Answer

CSOs work is multidimensional while others work in the area of sensitizations, mobilizations, pallitive support, there are many CSOs working the area of anticorruption and also promotion of accountability, these CSOs are working in diff dimension to ensure

that.

There are organizations working towards tracking of the palliatives and its distributions while others form part of the team distributing the palliatives as observers and they not only report to their org but

also share the information with the public

Q 4.     @Aliyussufiy

Is @ICTAdvocates using any ICT tool, like tracing apps or any other tool, to help curb the pandemic?

Answer

currently, @ICTAdvocates is not directly using any app in doing that, but as an organization with large networks we do part with others

Q 5.        @mukhtars_s

@isahcitad . Malam, Governments cannot work alone in responding to the crisis on behalf of vulnerable communities; How has the CSO`s helped initiate a more effective response to humanitarian crises and natural disasters like Covid 19?

Answer

it is important to note that CSOs motly have the trust of the communities they work, therefore , the community will trust them and agree with all that they may say on the Pandemic morethan what the govt agencies may say.

Q 6.       @ Aliyussufiy

NNPC implements a tracing application in Nigeria despite warnings that there could be breech of privacy while using the app, did you consider reviewing the app as an ICT development organisation?

Answer

@ICTAdvocates is an organization that promote internet security and privacy, therefore we can not support any App that may breach into the privacy of the citizens, therefore, if the App has that implications we will advocate its review.

7. 7.             @sagiru_ado

CSOs found themselves at critical situation at this trying time where Covid 19 restricts interaction and gathering of ppl. What strategies

@ICTAdvocates set in places with no IT connection and network to complement it’s engagement b/4 the pendamic?

Answer

@ICTAdvocates that is one of the reasons @ICTAdvocates is using

radio stations in reaching out to its targets and i doubt if there is a community without radio

Q 8.            @a_sabo12

Sir can we know how Civil Society can mobilize people at grassroots to ensure they stay safe looking at how govt is easing the lockdown in the country?

Answer

As I said earlier they can reach out through their networks at the grassroots and also through the use of radio stations. This is one of the significances of network formation in the CSOs work, another organizations can help you reach where you cant

Q 9.     @MubarakEkute

@isahcitad How is Covid-19 affecting Civil Society worldwide? How is it Responding?

Answer

CSOs are part of the world community and the effect of this pandemic is like that of war its effects depends on your area, so CSOs suffer in the areas of the economy, operations and even the ways they reach out to their targets as we said earlier

Q  10.            @sagiru_ado

@ICTAdvocates @isahcitad CSOs swift to execute their operations and office work online due to the pendamic, could this be possible

with government at both state and federal levels?

Answer

This is possible all they need is to build the capacity of their staff towards that. And we have now wtness this since FEC meeting and other important engagements of the government are done online, therefore it is possible

Closed

@a_sabo12

Here we come to the end of this session, on behalf of everyone at @ICTAdvocates we thanks our Senior Program officer, @isahcitad for the wonderful one hour engagement. Remember to always practice good personal hygiene. Stay safe

@ isahcitad

Let me join Ali in thank you for your time and commitments, I do hope we will continue with the work of sensitizations in our communities. STAY SAFE

According to world health organization, as at 5^th July, 2020 – the world has recorded over 11.1 million cases of COVID – 19, about 528, 204 deaths and a total of 216 countries were affected by this pandemic and the most alarming part of the report is; 60% of all the cases so far have been reported just in the past month. This is but pointing at the need for all the tenants of this planet to put in more energy and re-strategize in the battle against this deadly virus.

The issue is now beyond just physical distancing, hand washing, face masking and isolating the suspected and confirmed victims but a comprehensive approach to dealing with the pandemic so no window is left open for its further spread. We must leave not even one of these plus others that may sooner or later be discovered; isolation, testing and caring for every case, tracing and quarantining every contact, equipping and training health workers and educating and empowering communities to protect themselves and others.

Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) have since swung into action doing all it could exploring all the available avenues though investing most of its energy in ICT related approaches which is a key component of the organization’s mandate and series of twitter chats is one of them.

This week, we hosted Dr. Hussaini Abdu, a medical practitioner who discussed and attended to questions on XXXXXX topic.

Below is the extract of the chats as lifted from the Twitter platform:

1. Sir, can we know how this pandemic affacet donor agencies especially in Nigeria?

Ans.Covid 19 is an important global challenge and a significant shaper of development in the medium term

The best contribution you can make to social justice is not giving your life to the struggle, but give the REST of your life – Kumi Naidoo

Significant part of Nigeria’s GDP doesn’t pay tax – Emir Sanusi

The xter of governance must therefore change if we have to respond to this situation

We expect that some of them will like to respond to this crises and therefore divert resources for such purposes

Donor resources are drawn from tax payers. Taxes are largely function of the the economy

When the economy is good, people are able to pay tax , and when its slows down it effect the revenue profile

As COVID 19 slows down the economies of the rich and donor donor countries, we expect donor funds to reduce

2. So how are you planning as implementers of the programs to adjust and ensure important interests are not being neglected?

Ans.

We also expect donor priorities to change in receiving countries as they concentrate on public health issues

And second, is to ensure our development or programme agenda reflects the realities of our people

You will agree with the me that our programme approaches must change as physical contacts reduce

1. Is define our development agenda and engage donors on the basis of that.

We should have 2 responses to this this emerging challenges

Like we all know, the pandemic is a major humanitarian crisis. How we respond to the crisis will determine how quick we get out of it and how prepared we are for the post Covid 19 context

There are also immediate response to this challenge, which is about repurposing our projects to enable us work safely and respond to the COVID 19 pandemic

If we engage our donors without understanding our context, then we will be compelled to follow their understanding of our context

We also must be seen supporting the response, particularly the most vulnarable of our communities

3. @hussainiabdu is there need for reforms as regards to NGO funding so we can deal with threats like COVID-19? If yes,  what is your suggestion.

Ans.

If we engage our donors without understanding our context, then we will be compelled to follow their understanding of our context

4. Dr @hussainiabdu, as someone that led many developmental programs & headed many Donor Organizations in Nigeria, apart from health sectors that we already know donors will focus their attention to, which other sectors will also get the attention of donor?

Ans.

These will remain important, but also depends on how we advance the issues

Nigeria is faced with multi dimensional crisis that revolve around our governance capacity and effectiveness

Governance and public accountability is still very important and remain so for donors in Nigeria

Others include peace building efforts and community resilience

Gender and social inclusion is also another area that will remain important

5. @hussainiabdu With the spread of the Covid-19, development aid and donor agencies face new challenges, going by the this short time frame, what are these challenges and the way out?

Ans.

Governance and public accountability is still very important and remain so for donors in Nigeria

Nigeria is faced with multi dimensional crisis that revolve around our governance capacity and effectiveness

Centre for Awareness on Justice and Accountability (CAJA), has revealed that more that half population of female students studying in higher institutions in Kano suffered one form of sexual harassment from male academic and non academic staff.

Executive director of the Centre, Kabiru Saidu Dakata disclosed this during a virtual conferences organized by Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) on sexual harassment in higher institutions.

The three hours discussion held on zoom dissected issues around “Knowledge Production Dialogue Series Between Knowledge Production and Body Abuse: Debating Sexual Harassment in Knowledge Production Centres Confirmation in Kano”.

Kabiru who raised concern over the soaring rate of sexual abuse, revealed that recent survey conducted by the centre across universities, polytechnics and colleges of education in Kano, indicated no less than 51.7 percent of female students have suffered some form of assault, abuse or outright rape in the hands of their academic and non-academic staff of their institutions.

According to him, ” Outcome of the survey indicated 45 percent physical touch or kiss by lecturers, 36 percent vocal request for sex from female students, 10 percent actual sex and 6 percent of rape. We also have percentages for cases of mutual resolution, no evidence to validate allegation and those on investigation”.

Although, the CAJA director affirmed circumstances where female students approach their male lectures for assistance, he regretted how lecturers usually take cheap advantage of students weaknesses to offer sexual commodity in exchange.

He also cited lack of effective channel to report case of sexual, inadequate security to protect students and absence of enabling laws to genuinely punish perpetrators of the heinous act as major predicament why rapists would never repent.

” Sexual assault and sometimes rape will continue in our higher institutions especially in Kano where we had our survey, for reasons I will advance. There is no proper and effective communication channel where student can safely report cases of assault.

” In some cases when the school authorities announced that we have set up a committee to look into an open case. You will realised the committee will take several months to ramp up their investigation and at the end of the day, is either the case is resolved amicably without justice or everything is buried.

” Also we find out that security in our schools is not very effective to secure female students. You will also realise that our legal instrument lack the strength to severely met our punishment against rapists, such that will serve as deterrent”.

Communication officer of CITAD, Ali Sabo stressed that the centre is advocating enabling laws to addressing the increasing trend in sexual assault on female students in Kano.