CITAD Ta Gudanar Da Taron Wayar Da Kan Al’umma Kan Amfanin Fasahar Sadarwa Ga Mazauna Yankunan Karkara.

A Æ™oÆ™arin ta na ganin an samarwa da al’ummar da su ke zaune a yankunan karkara, cibiyar bunÆ™asa fasahar sadarwa da cigaban al’umma CITAD, ta gudanar da wani taro na wuni É—aya wanda ya gudana a cibiyar fasahar sadarwa ta Æ™auyen Pasepa a yankin Æ™aramar hukumar Bwari da ke Abuja, ya mayar da hankali ne akan wayar da kan jama’ar Æ™auyen kan amfanin samar da fasahar sadarwa.

Tun da farko cibiyar ta CITAD ce ta ke gudanar da wani aiki mai taken community network project wanda ya ke ƙarƙashin kulawar Association for Progressive Communications (APC) da kuma United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), ta cikin shirin su na Digital Access Programme (DAP).

A lokacin gudanar da taron jami’a mai kula da shafukan sadarwar zamani ta cibiyar CITAD É—in, Harira Abdurrahman Wakili, ta gabatar da jawabi akan muhimmanci tare da alfanun da ke tattare da samar da fasahar sadarwa ga mazauna yankunan karkara.

Harira Wakili ta ce a halin da ake ciki a yanzu harkokin kasuwanci da ilimi da sauran abubuwan da su ka shafi rayuwar al’umma sun koma dandalin intane, wanda kuma akwai buÆ™atar a samarwa da mazaunan yankunan na karkara fasahar zamanin domin su ma a dama da su.

Suhail Sani Abdullahi wanda shi ma jami’i ne a sashen fasaha na cibiyar ta CITAD, cewa ya yi samarwa da al’ummar da su ke zaune a Æ™auyuka fasahar sadarwa zai taimaka Æ™warai da gaske musamman a É“angaren ilimi da kuma tsaro.

Ya ce idan ana batun fasahar sadarwa bai kamata a ce an ware wani bangaren al’umma ba domin hakki ne da ya rataya a wuyan gwamnati ta samar da fasahar sadarwar a dukkanin Æ™auyuka, musamman idan aka yi la’akari da cewa al’ummar da ke zaune a irin waÉ—annan yankunan su ke da mafi yawan kaso na al’ummar Najeriya.

Taron dai ya samu halarcin jama’ar wannan Æ™auye da kuma shugabbanin addini da na al’umma da kuma shugabannin kungiyoyin mata.

A ƙarshe cibiyar ta CITAD ta yi kira ga gwamnati da sauran ƙungiyoyin fararen hula da su zage himma wajen ganin an haɗa hannu guri guda ganin gwamnati ta samar da wata doka da za ta tilastawa kamfanonin sadarwa masu zaman kan su kafa turakunansu a yankunan karkara.

CITAD, Others to Form Coalition to Promote Community Networks, Digital Inclusion

THE Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) and other stakeholders have resolved to form a coalition aimed at popularising community networks as a tool to address digital divide by promoting and popularising digital inclusion in the country, a communiqué at the end of a consultative meeting of civil society organisations on community network hosted by CITAD, has revealed.

YZ Ya’u Executive Director CITAD

The communiqué, signed by Y. Z. Ya’u, CITAD’s Executive Director, at the end of the one-day consultative meeting held virtually via Zoom on Tuesday July 27, 2021, and attended by over 40 CSOs from different parts of the country, noted that CITAD convened the meeting as part of its project on supporting community-led approaches to addressing the digital divide in Nigeria.

The meeting, the communiqué also stated, resolved that stakeholders should commence the sensitisation of their community members about the importance and benefit of community network; conduct sustained advocacy for the national telecommunications regulator to come up with a national policy framework for community networks in the country and support the collective effort to address the multifarious dimensions of the digital divide in the country.

According to the communiqué, the meeting was part of a larger project on community networks coordinated globally by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) with support from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through its Digital Access Programme (DAP).

Community networks, the communiqué explained, comprise telecommunications infrastructure deployed and operated by local groups to meet their own communication needs as well as communications infrastructure designed and erected to be managed for use by local communities.

These communication needs can be voice, data, etc. and can be point of convergence for community to come together to address their common community problems, the communiqué further stated.

The resolutions were drawn from deliberations and observations of participating stakeholders who explored the possibility of a joint advocacy for the government to develop a policy framework for the community networks after noting that at the present, the country does not have a policy for community networks, a situation that has hampered evolution and growth.

For instance, participants at the meeting observed that there is no policy or regulation to recognise community networks as distinct operators with appropriate conditions for their operations and that at the moment there are over 100 “unserved or underserved communities who are digitally excluded in the country.”

Participants also observed that although there are over 298,823,195 (two hundred and ninety-eight million, eight hundred and twenty-three thousand, one hundred and ninety-five) connected lines out of which 297,536,702 ((two hundred and ninety-seven million, five hundred and thirty-six thousand, seven hundred and two) were said to be active in the country, only about 40% of these are connected to the internet, meaning that internet penetration in the country covers only about 40% of the population.

Participants also noted that most of the blind areas are in either hard-to-reach rural communities or poor communities due largely to the challenge of affordability, a situation which compelled operators not to provide connectivity to them as it would be unprofitable.

While the meeting noted that the NCC is favourably disposed to midwifing the policy framework for community networks, it however observed that there are still many challenges that have to be addressed for community networks to sustainably flourish.

Stressing that community networks will bring opportunities for direct access to education and health care for rural residents, participants considering the existing gaps, therefore resolved to pursue the popularisation of community networks which they believed will serve as catalyst to addressing digital divide, among other challenges.

CITAD Benefits From Multi-Million Dollar MacArthur Grant to Promote Vaccine Acceptance

 

THE Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has been awarded a multi-million dollar grant by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to promote vaccine acceptance and access for marginalised groups in northern part of Nigeria.

YZ Ya’u Executive Director CITAD

The grant is part of roughly $80 million (N32,876,134,816.46) in awards announced by MacArthur on Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in support of its Equitable Recovery initiative focused on advancing racial and ethnic justice. The initiative is funded by MacArthur’s social bonds, issued in response to the crises of the pandemic and racial inequity.

“As we emerge from this moment of crisis, we have an opportunity to improve the critical systems that people and places need to thrive. Our systems and structures must be rebuilt,” said MacArthur President, John Palfrey, while announcing the grant. “We are committed to ensuring that our response to the pandemic is focused on supporting the reimagining of systems that create a more just, equitable, and resilient world,” Palfrey added.

The announcement revealed that 45 per cent of the new funding supports work outside of the U.S., including 12 per cent in India, and 14 per cent in Nigeria, where MacArthur has offices.

– Notice –

CITAD is one of the organisations receiving the grants meant to advance the Public Health Equity and COVID-19 Mitigation and Recovery focus area of the Foundation’s initiative.

The grant is to support improving access to resources for immediate health challenges while advancing new policies, models, and structures to support a more equitable and resilient public health sector in the future.

Other of focus the grant is meant to support racial justice field support, with a focus on combatting anti-Blackness, building Black power by supporting Black-led and Black-focused philanthropic organisations; uplifting indigenous communities to enable autonomous pursuit of a recovery guided by their priorities, cultures, and practices; restoring communities and reducing incarceration and housing instability by generating an array of housing solutions that can help to permanently end the use of jails and prisons as housing of last resort.

CITAD ta samu tallafi daga gidauniyar MacArthur game da allurar riga-kafin Korona

A ƙoƙarinta na ganin al’umma sun karɓi riga-kafin allurar riga-kafin cutar Korana a yankin arewacin Najeriya, gidauniyar MacArthur da ke ƙasar Amurka ta baiwa cibiya bunƙasa fasahar sadarwa da cigaban al’umma CITAD, tallafin kuɗi domin cigaba da wayar da kan al’umma wajen karɓar riga-kafin cutar a yankin Arewacin Najeriya.

Gidauniyar ta MacArthur ta sanar da bayar da tallafin kuɗi kimanin Dalar Amurka miliyan 80 a matsayin taimokonta akan yaƙi da annobar korona da ta addabi duniya.

Shugaban gidauniyar ta MacArthur John Palfrey ya bayyana cewa la’akari da halin da aka fito da kuma yadda annobar ta Korona ta yi tasiri ga abubuwan da su ke alaƙa da rayuwar al’umma kuma suna buƙatar farfaɗowa ya sanya ta bayar da tallafin domin tsarin gidauniyar ta su ne haka.

John Palfrey ya ce gidauniyar ta himmatu wajen ganin bayan wannan annoba ta hanyar bayar da tallafi domin farfaɗo da inda cutar ta yiwa illah, da kuma cigaba da wayar da kan al’umma wajen ganin sun karɓi riga-kafin cutar ta Korona.

Cibiyar CITAD dai na ɗaya daga ƙungiyoyin da su ka samu tallafin akan yaƙi da cutar ta Korona tare da wayar da kan al’umma akan irin alfanun da ke tattare da riga-kafin cutar.

Idan za a iya tunawa dai tuni kwamitin fadar shugaban ƙasa kan yaki da annobar Korona a ƙasar nan ya ware jihohi shida da babban birnin tarayya Abuja a matsayin yankuna mafiya hadari da ake fargabar barkewar cutar zagaye na uku.

Jihohin sun hada da Lagos da Oyo da Rivers da Kaduna da Kano da Plateau da kuma Abuja fadar gwamnatin kasar nan.

Gidauniyar MacArthur ta baiwa CITAD tallafi akan wayar da kan al’umma game da allurar riga-kafin Korona

Cibiya bunƙasa fasahar sadarwa da cigaban al’umma CITAD, ta samu tallafin kuɗi daga gidauniyar MacArthur domin wayar da kan al’umma wajen karɓar allurar riga-kafin cutar Korana a faɗin Arewacin Najeriya.

Gidauniyar ta MacArthur ta sanar da bayar da tallafin kuɗi kimanin Dalar Amurka miliyan 80 a matsayin taimokonta a wajen yaƙi da annobar korona da ta addabi duniya.

Shugaban gidauniyar ta MacArthur John Palfrey ya bayyana cewa la’akari da halin da aka fito da kuma yadda annobar ta Korona ta yi tasiri ga abubuwan da su ke alaƙa da rayuwar al’umma kuma suna buƙatar farfaɗowa ya sanya ta bayar da tallafin domin tsarin gidauniyar ta su ne haka.

 

John Palfrey ya ce gidauniyar ta himmatu wajen ganin bayan wannan annoba ta hanyar bayar da tallafi domin farfaɗo da inda cutar ta yiwa illah, da kuma cigaba da wayar da kan al’umma wajen ganin sun karɓi riga-kafin cutar ta Korona.

Cibiyar CITAD dai na ɗaya daga ƙungiyoyin da su ka samu tallafin akan yaƙi da cutar ta Korona tare da wayar da kan al’umma akan irin alfanun da ke tattare da riga-kafin cutar.

 

Idan za a iya tunawa dai tuni kwamitin fadar shugaban ƙasa kan yaki da annobar Korona a ƙasar nan ya ware jihohi shida da babban birnin tarayya Abuja a matsayin yankuna mafiya hadari da ake fargabar barkewar cutar zagaye na uku.

Jihohin sun hada da Lagos da Oyo da Rivers da Kaduna da Kano da Plateau da kuma Abuja fadar gwamnatin kasar nan.

Kuna iya bibiyarmu ta kafafen sada zumuntarmu a

Facebook
YouTube
Instagram
Telegram
Ko kuma ku aiko mana da gyara ko shawara ta adireshinmu na email – Labarai24@yahoo.com

Turawa Abokai

COVID-19: MACARTHUR FOUNDATION AWARDS CITAD GRANT TO SUPPORT VACCINE ACCEPTANCE, ACCESS

By Abdallah el-Kurebe

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has awarded an “Equitable Recovery” grant, to the Centre for Information Technology and Development, CITAD, to support vaccine acceptance and access for marginalized groups in northern regions in Nigeria.

The spokesperson of CITAD, Ali Sabo said “the grant is part of roughly $80 million in awards that MacArthur announced on Wednesday in support of the foundation’s Equitable Recovery initiative, centered on advancing racial and ethnic justice. The initiative is funded by MacArthur’s social bonds, issued in response to the crises of the pandemic and racial inequity.”

MacArthur President, John Palfrey said, “As we emerge from this moment of crisis, we have an opportunity to improve the critical systems that people and places need to thrive. Our systems and structures must be rebuilt.

“We are committed to ensuring that our response to the pandemic is focused on supporting the reimagining of systems that create a more just, equitable, and resilient world.”

ASHENEWS reports that CITAD is one of the organizations receiving grants to advance Public Health Equity and COVID-19 Mitigation as well as recovery focus area of the Foundation’s initiative.

Ali, in a statement said the “Public Health Equity and COVID-19 Mitigation and Recovery supports improving access to resources for immediate health challenges while advancing new policies, models, and structures to support a more equitable and resilient public health sector in the future, MacArthur is supporting work in that focus, as well as three other areas:

  • Racial Justice Field Support, with a focus on combatting anti-Blackness, supports building Black power by supporting Black-led and -focused philanthropic organizations. MacArthur also will take a leadership role in positioning reparations and racial healing as issues that philanthropy helps to meaningfully address.
  • Self-determination of Indigenous Peoples supports uplifting Indigenous communities to enable autonomous pursuit of a recovery guided by their priorities, cultures, and practices.
  • An Equitable Housing Demonstration Project supports restoring communities and reducing incarceration and housing instability by generating an array of housing solutions that can help to permanently end the use of jails and prisons as housing of last resort.

“MacArthur identified the areas through a participatory process with a diverse group of external advisors, who informed its strategic approach.

“The participatory process aimed to center the voices of communities that are affected by the Foundation’s decisions and have a stake in the grant making outcomes.

“Almost two-thirds of the awards represent new grantee relationships, and most of the organizations are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led or -serving. The grants also reflect MacArthur’s global reach: 45 percent of the new funding supports work outside of the U.S., including 12 percent in India, and 14 percent in Nigeria, where MacArthur has offices.

Equitable Recovery Initiative

In the fall of 2020, MacArthur established a $125 million Equitable Recovery Initiative. The Foundation deployed $40 million of bond proceeds through 24 grants. Initial grants focused on strengthening voter mobilization and election protection, addressing anti-Black racism, and supporting Native Americans impacted by COVID-19. Grants also supported Black, Latinx, Asian, and Indigenous arts organizations in Chicago, technology and justice, and a fund for social entrepreneurs advancing racial equity.”

CITAD: STAKEHOLDERS WANT EXPEDITED ACTION ON NATIONAL COMMUNITY NETWORKS POLICY

By Abdallah el-Kurebe

Participants rise from a civil society consultative meeting on community networks with a call on the federal government to expedite action on the development of national community networks.

Community networks is a telecommunications infrastructure deployed and operated by a local group to meet their own communication needs and also a communications infrastructure, designed and erected to be managed for use by local communities.

“The national regulator should hasten the processes of articulating a National Community Networks Policy for the country,” the participants urged government.

The one-day meeting, held virtually on July 27 2021 and attended by over 40 CSOs from different parts of Nigeria, was convened by the Centre for Information Technology and Development, CITAD.

The meeting was to, among other things, sensitize the civil society organizations on the importance of community networks as a tool for addressing the digital divide, as well as explore the possibility of a joint advocacy for the government to develop a policy framework for the community networks.

A communique issued at the end of the meeting and signed by the executive director of the centre, Mr YZ Yau on Wednesday, noted “that at the present, the country does not have policy for community networks, a situation that has hampered their evolution and growth.”

Read part of the communique below:

The meeting featured four presentations as follows:

  1. Concept and Benefits of Community Network
  2. Community Network in Practice: Experience from of Fauntsuam Foundation
  3. Community Networks in Africa
  4. The Policy Vacuum with Respect to Community Networks in Nigeria

Observations

Participants observed that:

  1. There is no policy or regulation to recognize community networks as distinct operators with appropriate conditions for their operations
  2. That at the moment there are over 100 unserved or underserved communities who are digitally excluded in the country
  3. That although there are over 298,823,195 connected lines out of which 297,536,702 were said to be active in the country, only about 40% of these are connected to the internet, meaning that internet penetration in the country covers only about 40% of the population.
  4. That most of the blind areas are in either hard to reach, rural communities or poor communities where affordability is a problem, hence the market mechanism is not able to provide connectivity to them since it would be unprofitable.
  5. That although the Nigerian Communication Commission is favourably disposed to midwifing the policy framework for community networks, there are still many challenges that have to be addressed for community networks to flourish and be sustainable in the country
  6. Community network will bring opportunities for direct access to education and health care for rural residents

Recommendations

Participants, believing that community networks have immense benefits in addition to providing veritable tool for bridging the digital divide In the country, recommend that:

  1. The national regulator should hasten the processes of articulating a National Community Networks Policy for the country
  2. That NCC should formal regulations allowing the use of TVWS technologies to address access challenges have yet to be issued
  3. That community networks should be categorized as a different layer of operators and be given license exempt
  4. That community networks should be considered as start –ups and be eligible to national support systems for start ups
  5. Efforts should be made in expanding high speed network and network infrastructure to underserved rural communities
  6. Government through USPF, NCC and NITDA should facilitate the setting up of community networks centres at rural and hard to reach areas
  7. That government should support an initiative that offers free or subsidized spectrums to local communities

Resolution

The participants unanimously resolved to form a CSO Coalition on Community Networks with the following objectives:

  1. Popularize community networks as catalyst tool for addressing digital divide and promoting digital inclusion in the country
  2. Sensitizing their community members about the importance and benefit of community network
  3. To conduct sustained advocacy for the national telecommunications regulator to come up with a national policy framework for community networks in the country
  4. Support effort by all stakeholders to address the multifarious dimensions of the digital divide in Nigeria.

 

CITAD in MacArthur Foundation`s $80m grant to promote vaccine acceptance

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has awarded the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) a grant to promote access of vaccines for marginalized groups in northern regions in Nigeria.

 

The grant is part of the roughly $80 million in awards MacArthur Foundation announced yesterday in support of the foundation’s Equitable Recovery initiative, centered on advancing racial and ethnic justice which is funded by its social bonds, issued in response to the crises of the pandemic and racial inequity.

 

Announcing the grant, the foundation’s President, John Palfrey said ‘as we emerge from this moment of crisis, we have an opportunity to improve the critical systems that people and places need to thrive. Our systems and structures must be rebuilt.

 

 

‘We are committed to ensuring that our response to the pandemic is focused on supporting the reimagining of systems that create a more just, equitable, and resilient world.’

 

The $80 million grant reflect MacArthur Foundation’s global reach: 45 percent of the new funding supports work outside of the U.S., including 12 percent in India, and 14 percent in Nigeria, where it has offices.

 

It is meant ‘to advance Public Health Equity and COVID-19 Mitigation and Recovery supports improving access to resources for immediate health challenges while advancing new policies, models, and structures to support a more equitable and resilient public health sector in the future, MacArthur is supporting work in that focus, as well as three other areas:

 

• Racial Justice Field Support, with a focus on combatting anti-Blackness, supports building Black power by supporting Black-led and -focused philanthropic organizations. MacArthur also will take a leadership role in positioning reparations and racial healing as issues that philanthropy helps to meaningfully address.

 

• Self-determination of Indigenous Peoples supports uplifting Indigenous communities to enable autonomous pursuit of a recovery guided by their priorities, cultures, and practices.

 

• An Equitable Housing Demonstration Project supports restoring communities and reducing incarceration and housing instability by generating an array of housing solutions that can help to permanently end the use of jails and prisons as housing of last resort.’

 

Almost two-thirds of the awards represent new grantee relationships and most of the organizations are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color-led or -serving.

 

CITAD is one of the organizations receiving grants advancing the Public Health Equity and COVID-19 Mitigation and Recovery focus area of the foundation’s initiative.

 

 

In the fall of 2020, MacArthur established a $125 million Equitable Recovery Initiative.

 

The Foundation deployed $40 million of bond proceeds through 24 grants. Initial grants focused on strengthening voter mobilization and election protection, addressing anti-Black racism, and supporting Native Americans impacted by COVID-19.

 

The grants also supported Black, Latinx, Asian, and Indigenous arts organizations in Chicago, technology and justice, and a fund for social entrepreneurs advancing racial equity.

Kashi 40 Ne Na Ƴan Najeriya Ke Amfani Da Intanet – CITAD

Cibiyar bunƙasa fasahar sadarwa da cigaban al’umma CITAD, ta koka akan yadda gwamnatin tarayyar Najeriya ta gaza haɗa wani adadi mai yawa na al’ummar ƙasar nan da fasahar intanet, wanda hakan zai ba su damar da za a dinga damawa da su a harkokin al’amuran ƙasar nan da ma abin da ya shafi duniya.

Haka kuma CITAD ta ce samar da fasahar intanet ɗin ga ɗimbin al’ummar musamman mazauna yankunan karkara zai taimaka ƙwarai da gaske wajen magance matsalolin da al’ummomin ke fuskanta tare da ba su dama wajen amfana da cigaban zamani a harkar fasahar sadarwa.

Jawabin hakan na ƙunshe ne cikin wata sanarwar bayan taron yini ɗaya na masu ruwa da tsaki na kungiyoyin fararen hula wanda cibiyar ta CITAD ta shirya.

Taron wanda ya gudana a fasahar sadarwa ta Zoom ya mayar da hankali kan yadda za a fahimtar tare da faɗakar da jama’ar ƙasar nan yadda za a samarwa da al’ummar yankunan karkara fasahar zamani domin su amfana da sauyin zamani, wanda hakan ɗaya ne daga cikin manyan ayyukan da cibiyar ta CITAD ta himmatu ƙarƙashin ƙungiyar Association for Progressive Communications (APC), tare da tallafin ofishin ƙasar Birtaniya mai lura da cigaban ƙasashe rainon ƙasar wato United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), ta cikin shirinsu na Digital Access Programme (DAP).

Hakazalika sanarwar bayan taron ta ce adadin mutanen da su ke shafukan intanet sun kai 298,823,195, yayin da mutane 297,536,702 ne kawai su ke amfani da intanet a harkokin su na yau da kullum, wanda hakan ke nuna cewa kaso 40 ne kacal na Æ´an Najeriya ke amfani da intanet.

Sanarwar ta ƙara da cewa mafi yawan al’ummar da su ke zaune a yankunan karkara ba su da damar samun fasahar intanet ɗin sakamakon yadda manyan kamfanunnukan sadarwa ke ƙauracewa sanya turakunansu a yankunan saboda tsammanin rashin samun riba.

A ƙarshe cibiyar ta CITAD ta yi kira da gwamnatin tarayya da sauran ƙungiyoyin fararen hula da su haɗa hannu waje guda domin samar da dokokin da za su tilasta samarwa da yankunan karkara hanyoyin sadarwa domin su ma a dinga damawa da su a ɓangaren cigaban zamani musamman abubuwan da su ka shafi cigaba da magance dukkanin wani ƙalubale.

Only 40% Of Nigerians are Connected to Internet – CITAD

By Hannatu Sulaiman Abba

The Centre for Information technology and development (CITAD) as part of its project on Supporting Community-led Approaches to Addressing the Digital Divide in Nigeria which is part of larger project on community networks coordinated globally by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) with support from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through its Digital Access Programme (DAP), convened a once day consultative meeting of Civil Society Organizations on Community Networks.

This is contained in a communique issued to newsmen at the end of a one day civil society consultative meeting on community network convened by CITAD.

Community networks is a telecommunications infrastructure deployed and operated by a local group to meet their own communication needs and also a communications infrastructure, designed and erected to be managed for use by local communities. This communication needs can be voice, data, etc. and can be point of convergence for community to come together to address their common community problems.

According to, Y. Z. Yaú Executive Director, CITAD,The meeting, attended by over 40 CSOs from different parts of the country was held online using zoom on July 27 was meant to sensitize them on the importance of community networks as a tool for addressing the digital divide.


By Hannatu Sulaiman Abba

The Centre for Information technology and development (CITAD) as part of its project on Supporting Community-led Approaches to Addressing the Digital Divide in Nigeria which is part of larger project on community networks coordinated globally by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) with support from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through its Digital Access Programme (DAP), convened a once day consultative meeting of Civil Society Organizations on Community Networks.

This is contained in a communique issued to newsmen at the end of a one day civil society consultative meeting on community network convened by CITAD.

Community networks is a telecommunications infrastructure deployed and operated by a local group to meet their own communication needs and also a communications infrastructure, designed and erected to be managed for use by local communities. This communication needs can be voice, data, etc. and can be point of convergence for community to come together to address their common community problems.

According to, Y. Z. Yaú Executive Director, CITAD,The meeting, attended by over 40 CSOs from different parts of the country was held online using zoom on July 27 was meant to sensitize them on the importance of community networks as a tool for addressing the digital divide.

Additionally, it was meant to explore the possibility of a joint advocacy for the government to develop a policy framework for the community networks, noting that at the present, the country does not have a policy for community networks t, a situation that has hampered their evolution and growth.
The meeting featured four presentations as follows:

1. Concept and Benefits of Community Network
2. Community Network in Practice: Experience from of Fauntsuam Foundation
3. Community Networks in Africa
4. The Policy Vacuum with Respect to Community Networks in Nigeria

Observations

Participants observed that:

1. There is no policy or regulation to recognize community networks as distinct operators with appropriate conditions for their operations
2. That at the moment there are over 100 unserved or underserved communities who are digitally excluded in the country
3. That although there are over 298,823,195 connected lines out of which 297,536,702 were said to be active in the country, only about 40% of these are connected to the internet, meaning that internet penetration in the country covers only about 40% of the population.
4. That most of the blind areas are in either hard to reach, rural communities or poor communities where affordability is a problem, hence the market mechanism is not able to provide connectivity to them since it would be unprofitable.
5. That although the Nigerian Communication Commission is favourably disposed to midwifing the policy framework for community networks, there are still many challenges that have to be addressed for community networks to flourish and be sustainable in the country
6. Community network will bring opportunities for direct access to education and health care for rural residents

Recommendations

Participants, believing that community networks have immense benefits in addition to providing veritable tool for bridging the digital divide In the country, recommend that:

1. The national regulator should hasten the processes of articulating a National Community Networks Policy for the country
2. That NCC should formal regulations allowing the use of TVWS technologies to address access challenges have yet to be issued
3. That community networks should be categorized as a different layer of operators and be given license exempt
4. That community networks should be considered as start –ups and be eligible to national support systems for start ups
5. Efforts should be made in expanding high speed network and network infrastructure to underserved rural communities
6. Government through USPF, NCC and NITDA should facilitate the setting up of community networks centres at rural and hard to reach areas
7. That government should support an initiative that offers free or subsidized spectrums to local communities

Resolution

The participants unanimously resolved to form a CSO Coalition on Community Networks with the following objectives:

1. Popularize community networks as catalyst tool for addressing digital divide and promoting digital inclusion in the country
2. Sensitizing their community members about the importance and benefit of community network
3. To conduct sustained advocacy for the national telecommunications regulator to come up with a national policy framework for community networks in the country
4. Support effort by all stakeholders to address the multifarious dimensions of the digital divide in Nigeria.