May 28, 2021

As Nigeria marks this year’s International Children’s Day celebration, the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), has marked the occasion with less privileged children in neglected communities in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria.

Left(from behind) CITAD FCT State Coordinator for Youth Digital Engagement, Mubarak Ekute and CITAD Programme Officer, Yesmin Salako(far right) in group photograph with some of the children who celebrated the International Children’s Day in Gofidna community in Abuja on Thursday.

The International Children’s Day, which was commemorated on Thursday nationwide, was celebrated with support from Actionaid Nigeria in Gofidna, Gwalada and Dakwa communities all in Abuja Municipal Area Council(AMAC) of the FCT under the Local Rights Programme of the organization.

Highlight of the event was an interactive session with children in the communities during the event. The children spoke about their dreams and aspiration for the future after which they were educated on the importance of education for a bright future.

Speaking during the session, CITAD Programme Officer, Yesmin Salako advised the school children to take their studies very seriously because it is pathway for greatness.

“You must focus on your education and read hard because you are the future leaders of tomorrow,” she advised.

CITAD FCT State Coordinator for Youth Digital Engagement, Mubarak Ekute during the interactive session with the children who celebrated the International Children’s Day in Gofidna community in Abuja on Thursday.

In an interview with journalists, Salako frowned against gender discrimination against the girl child who in some cases are denied their rights to education.

She urged parents to ensure both male and female children are given equal access to education.

“Students should face their studies because education is key to a successful future.

Parents also should ensure both their male and female children have equal access to education. They should not discriminate between the girlchild and the boy child because they are all the same. They should all be given equal rights and children’s rights should not be violated,” she said.

The programme officer said every child deserved to live a happy life and be merry and have a sense of belonging especially at such an occasion.

According to her, Actionaid Nigeria and CITAD considered the neglected communities the right place to mark the Children’s Day celebration to give the less privileged children a sense of belonging.

CITAD Programme Officer, Yesmin Salako addressing the children in Gofidna community during an the event to mark the 2021 International Children Day Celebration on Thursday in Abuja.

“We are a non governmental and development organization that work to better the lives of people who have been deprived. So our coming into this community is to celebrate with children who don’t feel the joy of the Day because their parents are poor can not afford to celebrate with them like their counterparts in the city who are being taken out by their parents for shopping, to eateries and to have fun at amusement parks. We have come here to fill in the vacuum, to celebrate with them and make them feel loved and happy, ” she stated.

Salako said CITAD and Actionaid Nigeria have intervened in several ways to ensure the communities fight for their rights and ensured government construct schools in their communities like in Tungan Ashere, where a block of classrooms have been constructed for the community.

She pledged that CITAD will continue to do its best to ensure that the rights of children are protected and they are also given the best so that they can have a good future.

On his part, CITAD FCT State Coordinator for Youth Digital Engagement , Mubarak Ekute noted that while the children of the rich and those of average status have access to abundant resources and development, children in these communities are less privileged.

“They don’t have this kind of opportunity. They are left behind. In a day like this, they will feel lonely, left out and neglected so for us, this is the right place to mark the celebration,” he said.

Advising the children on the need to go to school, he emphasized that they must work hard in school to become great in future.

“Make sure at all times that school is the number one priority. If you don’t go to school, you will be the least in the society and not be relevant. It is very important to go to school and learn. You must also respect your parents and elders,” he advised the children.

He also advised the children to always remember to wash their hands regularly with soap as part of the measured to cut down the risk of Covid-19 infection and other diseases.

Also in a separate interview with journalists after the event, Ekute said the organizations have contributed in so many ways to the education of children in the neglected communities especially in the areas of ICT.

“We have deployed ICT centres in some of these communities and people from the neighboring communities are also coming to acquire computer skills.

The world has now become a global village. With ICT you can bring education closer to the people since they don’t have access to some of those materials.”

Speaking on the theme of this year’s celebration tagged: “Unite to Reverse the Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Children,” he said the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the poor state of the educational institution, health sectors, insecurity, and other sectors of life, which has a lots of negative impacts on our children.”

He harped on the need to step up efforts towards the development of the country’s health and education system for better learning and greater future for the country.

“A better system full of opportunities will lead to a better future for our children and by extension the future of the nation at large. COVID 19 has taught us a better lesson that education cannot be only achieved in the classroom alone.

“Investment in technology is also investing in the future of the country. As we celebrate our children today, we must recommit and redouble our efforts and come up with the best framework that will suit the development of our children and also fast-track learning and our health system to build back a better Nigeria,” he said.

Ekute appealed to the general public and government to ensure that all children have a better life.

It was the most happiest moment for the children as they were served light refreshments which ushered them into the celebration proper as they dined and wined with representatives of the organizations and the communities.

Zainab Ismail, 10-year-old, says she felt very happy that people from the city came to celebrate the event with them.

The Basic 5 pupil of the LEA Primary School, Gofidna, who hopes to become a doctor in future said she will work harder to achieve her dreams.

Another child, Abdullahi Musliu, 12 , said she felt delighted that they were given the opportunity to join the rest of the children across the country to celebrate the International Children’s Day.

“I am very happy and so joyful and I thank Actionaid and CITAD for remembering us in this community,” the JSS 1 student aspiring to be a teacher said.

Representatives of the communities who were present at the occasion thanked Actionaid Nigeria and CITAD for bringing the celebration to their community.

“We sincerely appreciate and thank Actionaid Nigeria and CITAD for always working to protect our interest in this community. Without them, we will not be where we are today. We are happy and grateful that this event is happening in our community. On behalf of the children, we say we are happy and glad to mark this important day with the rest of the country,” one of the community Champions in Gofidna community, Al Mustapha Tekura told journalists.

By Yunusa Zakari Yaú

As part of its effort in the search for a solution to the problem of cattle rustling across most of the Northern states, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) established the Cattle Rustling Information System (CATRIS) in 2015.

The system is to provide documentation as well as a real-time alert system to relevant officials and agencies on reports of cattle theft so that immediate steps could be taken to rescue them and apprehend the rustlers. It was formally unveiled to stakeholders, consisting of law enforcement officers, community leaders, traditional and religious leaders, civil society groups and media on April 26, 2016, in Kano.

The impetus to the initiative was a project on using social media to promote peace that CITAD was implementing with support from MacArthur Foundation.

While the project focused on using social media for sensitization, campaign and advocacy, we realized that social media could be used for other purposes. One of the purposes that came to our mind was from the observation that there was little data about the incidences of cattle rustling in the country. Strategizing on how to do that led to the broadening of our goal, which became the use of technology to combat cattle rustling in the country.

Every technology solution is a proposition unless tested. In testing the use of digital technology to combat cattle rustling, we decided that an interactive and modular approach was important to allow for debugging, learning and adaptation.

Digital mapping of forests

Therefore, the first step for us was to digitally map the forests so that we could have a better understanding of the terrain. We held a data mapping party with Google Developers students from Bayero University and got a digital map of the Kamuku forest as a pilot, with the intention to follow up for the other forests.

This provided us with the material upon which the next stage was built. That is the electronic map using Ushashidi that was both online and interactive. We then deployed an app which allowed people to send information via USSD code. The idea of using USSD code is that at the time not many people had android phones.

With this, anyone having an ordinary cellphone could report incidences of cattle rustling to the platform. The information immediately gets to the database and is then made available to partner law enforcement officers and community leaders for escalation. The distribution of reports and incidences was shown on the dashboard. Because the data is geo-referenced, and users have access to the online map of the forests as well as the dashboard, they immediately know where a report was coming from and have an idea of the likely routes the rustlers could take and therefore plan and deploy action to apprehend them.

Community involvement

Critical at this stage is the partnership of both law enforcement agencies and the communities. The law enforcement agencies could provide support to confront the rustlers. On the other hand, the community leaders were to help in mobilising members of their communities who are needed in fighting things like this.

To raise awareness and create a situation of buy-in, we conducted a series of training for community leaders, youth activists and herders in Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna and Bauchi states, taking the participants through on how to use the system and seeking for their input to improve it. Their awareness of the system and how to use it is critical. During the training, we came upon the next iterative issue to work on to make the system work. This was that most herders are not literate and therefore cannot write the short messages to tell that their cattle had been rustled.

To address this problem, we debated and came to the conclusion that we could develop a symbol system of communication so that rather than type text, people could select from a library of symbols. The other option was to use voice. Voice was convenient from the perspective of the user (the reporter) but was problematic for us at the backend for two reasons. The first was linguistic variety among users and then there was the problem of quality of voice signal, whose fidelity was critical in decoding the message. In the end, we never got to resolve this issue.

The last stage was to have SIM cards inserted in the cattle. Once the cattle have SIM implant, they can easily be tracked as they are being moved around by the rustlers. The challenge we faced with this was that we need a service provider to buy in and support experimentation and also get the regulator, the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) to approve for us to carry out the experiment under the proof of concept.

Yunusa Zakari Yaú is the Executive Director of the Centre for Infomation Technology and Development (CITAD)

mujallar-citad-radio-vol-1-issue-4

[gview file=”https://www.citad.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/mujallar-citad-radio-vol-1-issue-4.pdf”]

A don, Dr. Sanah Mu’az, of the Software Engineering Department at Bayero University, Kano, has urged young girls to explore careers in Information Communication Technology (ICT).

Mu’az made the appeal at the 3rd Bauchi Feminist School (BAFIS) workshop for 30 young girls organized by the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) on Monday in Bauchi.

She said that there was a need to encourage girls to develop their potential by tapping into the opportunities in ICT.

“I don’t want the young girls to stay at the back door, they should go forth and explore their potential in the world of information and communication technology.

“Science and technology sector is not meant for men alone. Women should endeavor to be active in the sector too, “she said.

She added that there were many benefits in ICT, which will focus on empowerment of citizens on good governance, sustainable and balanced development.

“The ICT training is an opportunity for girls and young women to see and experience technology in new light,” she said.

She said that the ICT sector is a growing sector for employment in both developed and developing countries.

“There are highly qualified women in technical fields around the world that have significant opportunities available to them,” Mu’az said.

Also speaking, Malam Kamuludeen Umar from the center said that the aim of the workshop was to create an environment that would empower and encourage girls and young women into embracing ICT.

He said that the workshop would also consider careers in the growing field of information and communication technologies (ICTs).

He said the BAFIS is an avenue formed by CITAD to build the capacity of 30 young girls on ICTs in Bauchi.

Umar advised the girls not to relent in their efforts to understand and utilize ICTs in their businesses and other purposes for self-reliance.

Responding, Mrs Khadija Hammani, one of the participants decried the shortfall of women in technology. She added that with capacity building, more women would be encouraged to take up careers ICTs.

“Many girls never even consider a career in ICTs. At the same time, many companies are planning to increase the number of women in the sector”.

She pledged to utilize the knowledge acquired during the ICT capacity building to coordinate and safeguard her business.(NAN)

Mujallar-CITAD-RADIO-Vol-1-issue-4

[gview file=”https://www.citad.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Mujallar-CITAD-RADIO-Vol-1-issue-4.pdf”]

A Civil Society Organisation, Center for  Information  Technology and Development (CITAD) said hate speech and fake news continue to threaten the peace, unity and corporate existence of Nigeria.

CITAD Executive Director,  Yunusa Ya’u made the remarks at a news conference on Thursday in Kano during a book lunch titled “context and content in hate speech discourse in Nigeria and the comprised state” saying a vast number of people believed the messages from social media which is a threat to national security.

Ya’u, noted that the purpose of the presentation of the Books was to validate the research and the major output of drafting a Journalists’ Guide Book on “Unraveling Fake News and Countering Hate Speech in Nigeria.

‘’The spread of hate speech and fake news pose a lot of threat to the quality of public discourse, political system, sound policy outcomes and national cohesion,’’ Yau added.

He added that some of the crises bedevilling the country can be traced to fake news and hate speech.

He called on the stakeholders to look into the matter as hate speech and fake news which are  spread through the media, saying that  public trust in the media is negatively affected, thus the high level of public distrust and scepticism of the media.”

According to him, “creating a ‘Fact-Check’ platform that is accessible to the public is necessary.

The Executive Director of the Centre for Information Technology and Development CITAD, Mallam Yunusa Z Ya’u has said that the fight against insecurity in Nigeria would not succeed with fighting corruption holistically among various agencies of government

Mallam Ya’u stated this during two book presentations authored by the center titled “The Compromised State: How Corruption Sustains Insecurity in Nigeria” and Context and Content in Hate Speech Discourse in Nigeria”.

He said hate speech and corruption has immensely fuelled the security challenges facing the country presently and that only addressing them will bring peace and security to the nation.

He said as a result of corruption in the security sector, many heads of security agencies want to remain in power for the conflicts to continue.

The Director further recommended that the fight against corruption should not remain within the federal government agencies alone, and that the state government should also be part of the machinery to fight corruption.

While urging leaders, government officials and other relevant stakeholders to read and act on the recommendations made by the books, he also charged them to mobilize the fight against corruption among the citizens.

“Government should strive to fight against corruption among the citizens, not just talking about huge amounts of money all the time. They should change the language they are using when it comes to corruption. There is corruption in the family, among friends and other places.”

He advocates that Civil Society Organizations and the media should also begin to pay attention to local contents so that corruption can be addressed at inception level.

The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), has advice that the federal government should deploy technology and intelligence to track down bandits and insurgents disturbing the country.

The Center said it see no reason why that bandits and insurgents will use intelligence and technology to attack people and kidnap innocent citizens while the country’s security sector cannot use the same way and track them.

Speaking through its Executive Director, Y.Z Ya’u, during a Press Conference in Kano on Wednesday, the center said in today’s world the use of technology and intelligence is necessary by army and intelligence agencies not just bow and arrow approach.

It added that “embracing digital technology is about equipping and reequipping our army and intelligence agencies who have been underequipped now for quite some times.”

CITAD further recommended that drones should be use to locate and eliminate insurgents and bandits, monitoring their movements and activities, and tracking supplies and logistics, in addition to tracking money movement to see how they are funded.

It however urged that government should develop use of technology for counter insurgency plan and strategy, and also develop a full characterization of insurgents use of social media and track down their conversations.

Daraktan Cibiyar Bunƙasa Fasahar Sadarwa da Cigaban Al’umma CITAD, Injinya Yunusa Ya’u ya bayyana cewa cin hanci da rashawa da kuma kalaman ɓatanci ne ƙara rura wutar rikici a Najeriya.

Injiniya Yunusa Ya’u ya bayyana hakan ne a yau Alhamis a lokacin da ya ke gabatar da wasu littafai da cibiyar ta wallafa. Littattafan da su ka haɗa da The Compromised State: How Corruption Sustains Insecurity in Nigeria” da kuma Context and Content in Hate Speech Discourse in Nigeria”

Littafi na farko ya mayar da hankali ne akan yadda cin hanci da rashawa ke ƙara rura wutar rikicin da ke faruwa a Najeriya, sai kuma na biyun wanda ya mayar da hakali akan illar da kalaman batanci kan haifar a cikin al’umma tare da kawo rashin zaman lafiya.

Daraktan ya ce kalaman ɓatanci da cin hanci da rashawa su ne ke ƙara rura wutar rikici a Najeriya, kuma abu ne mai wahala a samu nasara akan yaƙin da ake da ayyukan ta’addanci muddin ba a yaki wadannan abubuwa ba to abu ne mai wahala a samu zaman lafiya da cigaba.

Injinya Yunusa Ya’u ya ce a dalilin cin hanci da rashawa da ya mamaye ɓangaren tsaron kasar nan ya sanya masu riƙe da shugabancin ɓangaren ke fatan ganin an cigaba da samun rashin kwanciyar hankali domin kawai su dawwama akan mulkin gurin.

Hakazalika, daraktan ya ƙara da cewa bai kamata al’amarin yaƙi da cin hanci da rashawa ya zama aikin gwamnatin tarayya kaɗai ba, ya dace jihohi su kasance suna taka rawa wajen yaƙi da wannan mummunar ɗabi’ar.

A ƙarshe Injiniya Yunusa Ya’u ya yi kira ga kafafen yaɗa labarai da kungiyoyin sa kai da su mayar da hankali waje fito da abubuwan da za su wayar da kan jama’a akan irin haɗarin da tattare da cin da rashawa tun daga tushe tare da buƙatar gwamnati da ta yi amfani da abin da aka rubuta a cikin littattafan.

Babban daraktan Cibiyar Bunƙasa Fasahar Sadarwa da Cigaban Al’umma CITAD, Mallam Yunusa Ya’u ya bayyana cewa yaƙi da matsalar tsaro da gwamnatin tarayyar Najeriya ta ke yi ba zai taɓa yin nasara ba muddin akwai cin hanci da rashawa a tsakanin ma’aikatu da jami’an gwamanati.

Malam Yunusa Ya’u ya bayyana hakan ne a yau Alhamis a lokacin da ya ke gabatar da wasu littafai da cibiyar ta wallafa. Littattafan da su ka haɗa da The Compromised State: How Corruption Sustains Insecurity in Nigeria” da kuma Context and Content in Hate Speech Discourse in Nigeria”.

Littattafan da aka rubuta su cikin harshen Ingilishi, inda littafi na farko ya mayar da hankali ne akan yadda cin hanci da rashawa ke ƙara rura wutar rikicin da ke faruwa a Najeriya, sai kuma dayan wanda ya mayar da hakali akan illar da kalaman batanci kan haifar a cikin al’umma tare da kawo tashin – tashina.

Babban daraktan ya ce kalaman ɓatanci da cin hanci da rashawa su na ƙara rura wutar rikici a Najeriya, kuma abu ne mai wahala a samu nasara akan yaƙin da ake da ayyukan ta’addanci muddin ba a yaki wadannan abubuwa ba to abu ne mai wahala a samu zaman lafiya da cigaba.

Malam Yunusa Ya’u ya ce a sakamakon cin hanci da rashawa a ɓangaren tsaron kasar nan ya sanya masu riƙe da ɓangaren ke burin ganin an cigaba da samun rashin kwanciyar hankali domin kawai su dawwama akan shugabancin.

Hakazalika, babban daraktan ya ce al’amarin yaƙi da cin hanci da rashawa bai kamata ya zama aikin gwamnatin tarayya kaɗai ba, ya kamata jihohi su kasance suna taka rawa wajen yaƙi da wannan mummunar ɗabi’ar.

Haka kuma ya buƙaci masu riƙe da mukaman gwamnati da kuma jagororin al’umma da su yi ƙoƙari su karanta wadannan littattafai domin hakan zai sanya musu karsashin yaki da cin hanci da rashawa.

A ƙarshe ya yi kira ga kafafen yaɗa labarai da kungiyoyin sa kai da su himmatu wajen zakulo abubuwan da za su wayar da kan al’umma akan haɗarin da tattare da cin da rashawa tun daga tushe.

TOWARDS A GENDER DIGITAL INCLUSION AGENDA FOR NIGERIA _DL

[gview file=”https://www.citad.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/TOWARDS-A-GENDER-DIGITAL-INCLUSION-AGENDA-FOR-NIGERIA-_DL.pdf”]

PROFILE OF FEMALE

[gview file=”https://www.citad.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/PROFILE-OF-FEMALE.pdf”]

Politicians-fake-facebook

[gview file=”https://www.citad.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Politicians-fake-facebook.pdf”]

POLICY BRIEF – DIGITAL INCLUSION Of PWDs

[gview file=”https://www.citad.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/POLICY-BRIEF-DIGITAL-INCLUSION-Of-PWDs.pdf”]