Ugo Aliogo

The Coordinator of Nigerian School of Community Networks(NSCN) Haruna Adamu Hadejia, has called on the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, to ensure full implementation of the draft National Policy on Community Networks.

Hadejia, who disclosed this yesterday in Lagos at a media briefing enjoined the Galaxy Backbone Plc to provide communities with access to its backbone for them to use as their community networks getaways.

He urged the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) to support the upgrading of the many communities’ digital centres they set up in the country to serve as basis of community networks for communities that desirous and passionate to set up such in their communities.

He  appealed to the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) to develop guidelines and regulations for the operation of community networks in the country and to allow communities to access and use TV White Space (TVWS) for the purposes of setting up community networks

He further explained that NITDA needs to work with communities at grassroots level to drive digital literacy which is critical for the effective utilization of digital technology and which is the foundation upon which the digital transformation agenda of the country would rest.

He urged Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to sustain evidence-based advocacy for the establishment of CNs across the country.

Hadejia called on the private sector operators to as, part of their corporate social responsibility to support communities to set up community networks.

According to him, “We call on all other stakeholders, including political office holders to support communities to go digital as critical contribution to community development. We also call on the private sector operators to see community networks as complimentary, but not competitors. Community networks have failed to take roots in Nigeria because we do not have a national policy to guide their emergence and provide a supportive environment for communities to leverage various opportunities to bridge the connectivity gaps.

“Community networks are telecommunication infrastructure designed, deployed and managed by communities to meet their communication need. Globally these community networks are helping many countries such as in Kenya, South Africa, Brazil and Mexico to address the internal dimensions of their digital divide.

“The Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) has said there are 114 communities where GSM signals are either weak or not at all. These are called underserved and unserved communities. These communities could, if there is a policy that would provide clear rules for interconnectivity, frequency and spectrum allocation and use, etc, could mobilize their own resources and create their communication infrastructure to address their need.

“The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has in the last eight months, been engaging the policy makers especially the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, the telecommunication regulators, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other stakeholders in the country such as NITDA, USPF and Galaxy Backbone with the aim of arriving at a consensus on developing a national policy for community networks. They all agreed on its desirability, noting that community networks will help greatly in accelerating efforts of government to address the digital divide and to prime the country to achieve its digital transformation agenda.”

By Rabiu Musa

HOTPEN – The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has presented prizes to winners in the 3rd round of its ‘Report a Project Competition’.

The Centre said the champions were honored to encouraged them continue contributing their best for the sustainable growth and development of the society.

The program, according to the Centre is in support from MacArthur Foundation and is targeted at encouraging students from tertiary institutions to report abandoned or poorly executed projects in their respective communities.

In his remarks, the Executive Director of the Centre Dr. Y.Z Ya’u said the project was in line with the pursuit for a collective action to demand accountability from the government at all levels.

The Executive Director who was represented by the Centre’s Campaigns and Communications Officer, Mal. Ali Sabo explained that the idea is an accelerated step to holding governments accountable for its actions in the spirit of transparency as a critical element of good governance and improving citizens’ livelihood.

The winner of the competition, Mr. Taneem Garga, from Plateau state was presented with a Computer, while the first runner-up Ishaq Abdullahi Shehu from Kano Municipal got Huawei Nova and the second runner-up Ridwan Garba from Gwale local L.G, Kano state was presented with Huawei Y6 Pro.