CITAD SENSITIZES STUDENTS ON GBV, DANGERS OF DRUGS ABUSE IN KANO

CITAD Sensitizes Students On GBV, Dangers of Drugs Abuse in Kano

 

INFOMEDIA – A Non-Governmental Organization, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has organized a sensitization programme to enlighten students on Gender Based Violence and the dangers of drugs abuse and their negative effects on the society in Kano as part of activities to mark the International Youths Day.

 

The sensitization campaign with a theme “Youths Sensitization on Substance Abuse and Gender-Based Violence” took place at GSS Kofar Nassarawa and GGSS Shekara both in Kano metropolis.

 

Recall that August 12th was set aside every year by the United Nations to celebrate young people, look at the challenges confronting them and proffer sustainable solutions to solve them.

 

The theme for this year’s International Youth Day (IYD) is “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health.”

 

Mal. Ibrahim Nuhu, the Program Coordinator of the Centre, says the Centre is sensitizing schools students in Kano state against substance abuse and gender-based violence in commemoration of International Youths Day. Nuhu said that they decided to create awareness in secondary schools in order to educate them on the dangers involved of engaging self in any form of drugs abuse.

 

He noted that knowing the volatile nature and the portend consequences of substance abuse and gender-based violence on the youths and the general public provide the impetus for the centre to contribute by educating the students to avoid the devil acts.

 

According to him, the training will go a long way in helping the students to resist the temptation of going into drugs abuse as well as understanding the form, types and nature of gender-based violence in order to report cases of abuse in their respective claime.

 

He said that drug abuse and gender-based violence had affected many youths and the society negatively, hence the need for effective measures to eradicate the menace.

 

On her part, Haj. Zainab Ado Ma,aji, the Director of Government Girls Senior Secondary School Shekara, represented by Mal. Sahabi Yusuf, senior master in charge of special duties, advised parents and guardians to always monitor the movement of their children in order not to be influenced by bad friends. She said part of the school authority’s effort to suppress any act of gender-based violence in the school, it sets up a committee of Guardian and Counseling for the girl childs to report any act of violence by students and staff of the school.

CITAD Advocates for Community Network

 

In it bid to bridge gap of internet accessibility and connectivity, an organization known as Centre for Information Technology and Development, CITAD, has stressed the need for setting up of community networks in unserved and underserved communities in Nigeria in order to promote digital inclusion in the country.

The Coordinator, School of Community Network, Haruna Adamu Hadejia Stated this while briefing Journalist ,during Experience Sharing Meeting with Community Networks Micro Organizations in the state on the project supported by Association for Progressive Communications, APC through United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, FCDO.

He said the community network centers was piloted in the seven communities, which includes two centers in Jama’are and Itas-Gadau in rural part of Bauchi State, one centre in Kafanchan, Kaduna State and four others in Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

“This is part of a global project to catalyze the flourishing of community networks as a means of connecting the unconnected”

“The objectives of the project are segmented at three levels as follows: To provide Business management and technical capacity development programmes to communities and their organizations for local people to start and maintain efficient networks”

“Similarly, it is to address both accessibility and affordability gaps since most underserved communities are poor and unprofitable to the market, we need to develop low cost access models that are viable, sustainable and affordable to the poor.

Haruna Adamu maintained that the meeting will improve awareness of local, marginalised communities with regard to both potential dividends and harms generated by digital technologies through greater access to information on opportunities and risks hinders the adoption of inclusive digital access for development in many underserved communities and provision of digital literacy skills and knowledge to manage the above challenges.

“The project focuses on selected locally managed community networks in three regions, Africa, Asia and Latin America, to strengthen their impact, reach and sustainability.

“This group of community networks will form the core of a peer community that can connect and broaden support for community-based connectivity initiatives, nationally, regionally and internationally.

“The project will achieve its objectives through peer learning and exchange, awareness raising, technical assistance, capacity building for the development of scalable, innovative and sustainable networks, policy and regulatory advocacy and community mobilisation.

“However, CITAD with support from APC in 2020 implement a project on supporting Community Led-Approach to Addressing the Digital Divide in Nigeria by establishing community networks centers across the country which aim is to work with the existing centers and also build their capacity to support policy implications.

“The micro organizations can be divided into three. One category composed of those that are already experimenting with community networks. These are the Fantsuam Foundation, based in Kafanchan, a rural area of Kaduna State and the ISOC Community network which is located in Zaria, an academic and urban centre of Kaduna state. The second category are where is no network but there is a community digital centres. These are: Zoboda Women Traders Co-operative Society the third category are those in which there is internet which is relatively poor. In all but six communities, affordability is low as these are rural poor communities,” Hadejia stated.

Recall that a report by the Universal Service Provision Fund, USPF in 2019 identified 114 connectivity gaps in the country as either underserved and unserved hence the need for the community networks

In Leleyi-Gwari, Others, Digital Literacy Changing Narratives For Rural Dwellers

Rakiya A. Muhammad

 

 

For some hard-to-reach communities which lagged in ICTs, bridging the digital literacy divide means they can access critical information and digital media necessary to shape their day-to-day lives.

 

Internet access positively affects agricultural outcomes for women in some rural areas in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. It is boosting computer-based examinations for the students. The youths access information to help improve their knowledge, attend online events, apply for internship programmes, and identify/create products and services.

 

Tunga Asheri is one of these rural areas leveraging on a digital literacy initiative to change their narratives. It now has a primary school for the first time in its decades-long existence.

 

“We posted a picture of where we were using for classes on Facebook, and it attracted the attention of UBEC, which built a school in the community,” Madaki Kashimu, the ICT facilitator in the area.

 

Kasimu is among the first batch of ICT trainees in Tunga Asheri, one of 15 benefitting communities of the ActionAid ICT for Development initiative, aiming to break the digital barriers between rural and urban dwellers.

 

Agricultural activities were her top priority; thus, she was reluctant to give some of her time to a programme that she felt was not worthwhile. Though Hassana gave it a lukewarm reception, many other Leleyi Gwari inhabitants say they were excited about the scheme.

 

URBAN-RURAL GAP

 

The urban-rural gap remains an issue of concern in Nigeria, with several rural communities disadvantaged in the era of digital transformation and creating a considerable hindrance to their success and future.

 

“Large swathes of the rural landscape are still not covered by mobile broadband networks, and fewer households in these areas have access to the Internet. Also worrying, the rollout of communications infrastructure is slowing. Since growth in communications infrastructure deployment was already showing signs of slowing in 2019.”

 

“In Africa, only 28 per cent of households in urban areas had access to the Internet at home, but that was still 4.5 times as high as the percentage in rural areas, which stood at 6.3 per cent.” The Nigeria Digital Economic Report of the World Bank Group provides an insight into the situation in the country:

 

 

In Africa, only 28 percent of households in urban areas had access to the internet at home but that was still 4:5 times as high as the percentage in rural areas, which stood at 6.3 percent- ITU

 

BRIDGING DIGITAL BARRIER IN FCT RURAL COMMUNITIES

 

ActionAid’s ICT for Development initiative aims to bridge the digital barrier between those living in hard-to-reach communities, worked with 15 communities across five area councils Kuje, AMAC, Bwari, Kwali and Abuja FCT.

 

Hajara Adamu, the ActionAid Nigeria Advisor, Partnership and Local Rights programme, explains what informed the scheme. “We noticed that over some time now in most of our communities, access to ICT is a challenge, that prompted ActionAid to start the pilot ICT for Development,” she reveals.

 

“We introduced the programme after interacting with the community and coming up with a need assessment of what they want as a community and aligning it with the SDGs that said we should leave no one behind in terms of development.”

 

Each area council has a centre in a community where other benefitting communities within that area council go for training. In Kwali local government, Leleyi-Gwari is the centre that serves Lele-Basa, Piye, Kilakwa localities.

 

“We did the need assessment in early 2017 and equipping the ICT centres in the 4th quarter of 2017. The training started properly in 2018,” Hajara discloses.

Part of the aim was to make the ICT as simplified as possible for the low literacy level.

 

22-year-old Aisha Mohammed Sarki, a Leleyi-Gwari Local Education Authority (LEA) Community primary school teacher, is a beneficiary. After the training, she introduced computer science in the school to impart the knowledge to the community’s younger generation.

 

“We are thankful for ActionAid/CITAD gesture. The ICT has helped us a lot, especially me. I didn’t have the knowledge, but I am now teaching the pupils computer science with the skills,” an elated Aisha declares.

 

“Before now, I did not know it is possible to plant rice in any area apart from Fadama (a land capable of being irrigated); I didn’t know there were rice varieties you could plant anywhere. I discovered that through the computer,” Hassana states.

 

 

Shuaibu

Another beneficiary of the ICT initiative, 23-year-old Kauna Lasisi, a groundnut farmer, says she mostly does research online with the new skill. “Before the computer training, I did not know that if I need something, I could google and place an order,” she says.

 

“I was looking for a variety of groundnut. We searched the variety online and got it. I sowed it. Right now, it is still growing.” Yusuf Shuaibu, Manager/Facilitator of the ICT centre, who was among the first batch of ICT trainees in Leleyi-Gwari, describes the programme as excellent.

 

“It has touched a lot of lives in the community, especially mine. I didn’t know how to use a computer. It was CITAD who taught me how to use a computer. I can do very well now. I can do a lot,” reveals Shuaibu , 2017 graduate of Niger State College of Education, who grabbed the ICT opportunity as it came.

 

“In the second batch, some of them wrote WAEC. I took them through the process of computer use, something that internet cafes were charging exorbitantly. The cafes charged about N15,000.” He expresses joy “the ICT beneficiaries are engaging in marketing.

 

Some created google accounts for JAMB and personal use; some have Facebook pages. They share their community problems for anyone who cares to help and even for government.”

 

“Also, they use it to report cases as the communities are remote and lack access to the police station; some developed businesses because it was not just about digital or computer training alone, but capacity building on entrepreneurship development.”

 

He adds that online business transactions now occur among neighbouring communities that were part of the ICT training. However, the facilitator laments that during the rainy season, they record low ICT use.

 

“Wet season impact on it because farming is the major source of income for the communities. A father would not allow his son, after returning from school, to come to the centre; he instructs him to go to the farm,” he reveals.

 

On how they are sustaining the centre, he explains: “ActionAid /CITAD advised we develop a business that can generate some money to keep the place running. But here, we do not have one of the most important things-a photocopying machine and printer is not working.”

 

“What I do is to fuel generator with my money, not that the community is paying me, it was ActionAid that was paying me before along the line after a year plus, they said the community would take over but who is here in the community to pay me? Nobody, I make the sacrifice since they are my people.”

 

He lauds ActionAid/CITAD for the efforts in their community. “Even for the third batch, they provided transport fare for those people coming from other communities. They also made fuel provision and data for the ICT training,” Shuaibu discloses.

 

The traditional head of the community, Sarki Yusuf Giya, remarks: “The computer has helped us a lot; many children know how to operate the computer now.” He observes that, with the ICT, the community recorded a lower failure rate at WAEC and JAMB examination.

 

“Hitherto, they didn’t know ICT, so they fail because they would know the answer but do not know how to operate it, but with the coming of ICT centre, none of them is facing that.”

 

Sarki also recalls: “Before now, when they go out to the internet café, they spend more than N2,000 for transportation, browsing, and researching, but now with N200 data they can browse.”

 

 

Teacher, Aisha

 

CONNECTIVITY, ELECTRICITY CHALLENGES

 

“We noticed that almost all the communities do not have strong networks. So, it has been in our plan to pay advocacy to the service providers- the ones that are available in those communities.”

 

She also comments on the electricity problem and sustainability challenges, especially in area councils with no electricity supply. “Most of these communities do not have access to power supply, which means we have to run on a generator.

 

Our initial plan was to install the solar system. Between the time of budget and purchase, there was a substantial difference, so the allotted amount could not cover for the installation of the solar system,” the Advisor reveals.

 

“We believe if there has been a solar system and people can go there without needing to buy fuel at all times, that would have improved in terms of participation and other outcomes that we would have been having in the project.”

 

She, however, points out that the communities should be able to use the ICT programme for their growth. “This is something that they normally go out to spend transportation to go to the nearest town to print, photocopy, register, etc. It is in their communities now, they should properly use it, and they should be able to sustain it.”

 

According to her, from their assessment, the outcomes are not the same across the five centres. “Some centres are excelling more than others, and currently, ActionAid is looking for other collaborators because the project is just like a pilot, as a model to the government on how little it would take to bring development to the hard-to-reach communities.”

 

She expresses happiness they have been able to make some impact in the communities. “We are happy when projects start if we can make an impact in the life of one, that person can bring a ripple effect.

 

In one community, Tunga Asheri, there had never been a primary school for all its existence, but the ICT programme drew the attention of UBEC. Now the community has a school,” the Advisor asserts.

 

“This is what we have been urging through advocacy, and it didn’t work. So, I would say we thank God for where we are, but with time, we would have more success.

 

 

ICT FOR DEVELOPMENT, GOOD GOVERNANCE

 

According to the Sponsorship Officer CITAD, Mubarak Ekute, the centre sees technology as a tool to promote sustainable development, good governance and peaceful coexistence.

 

He adds CITAD uses ICT to empower youth and women through access to information, skills and online mentoring opportunities. The primary aim of the Local Rights Programme (LRP) of CITAD with funding from ActionAid, Ekute explains, is to improve the socio-economic status of poor women, men and children in the rural communities.

 

He adds the programme focused on basic education, ICT For development, women’s rights, health, governance, and human security emergencies. Ekute harps on the need for government to complement the work they are doing in rural communities.

 

“Realising the full benefits of the digital economy requires Nigeria to focus on accelerating improvements in five fundamental pillars of the digital economy; digital infrastructure, platforms, financial services, entrepreneurship and skills,” says Shubham Chaudhuri, the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria.

 

“To ensure that the country is digitally enabled by 2030, investing in infrastructure to bridge the digital divide and creating an enabling regulatory environment for the digital economy to thrive is of paramount important.”