Actionaid Nigeria, CITAD Donate to the Fight Against COVID-19 in FCT

As part of their contribution towards prevention and spread of the Coronavirus pandemic which has killed two persons in Nigeria, leaving over 170 others infected, the Centre for Information  Technology And Development (CITAD) and  Actionaid Nigeria(AAN), have collaborated to train community facilitators and provided protection materials for vulnerable communities  in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), to fight the epidemic.

Behavioral Change and Communication materials with messages on COVID 19 were also distributed to representatives of the communities.

Actionaid is an international  non-profit governmental organization that works with communities to reduce poverty, promote human rights and justice worldwide.

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) on the other hand, is committed to the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development and promotion of good governance.

Since the outbreak of the virus in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, the virus has spread to other countries, with global cases now surpassing 750,000 and global death toll rising to  over 36,000.

The donated  items which consisted of Public Address  Systems, hand sanitizers, hand gloves, face mask, posters and banners, were handed  to 12 local communities in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari and Kuje area councils in the FCT to curtail spread of the virus.

Fred from Actionaid Nigeria presenting a Public Address System to the village chief at Leleyi Gwari community in Kwali Area Council of the FCT on Monday, in Abuja.

The beneficiary communities, Dakwa, Gwalada, Gofidna, Jiwa Tsoho, Tungan Ashere, Tungan Nasara, Leleyi Gwari, Kilankwa and Leleyi Basaa, Gauge and Kayache and Pasepa, each received a public address system and large quantities of the  other items for  prevention against the coronavirus.

At Leleyi Gwari community in Kwali Area Council, Fred explains to some members of the community how to use the materials distributed.

Community facilitators in the respective communities were educated on the COVID-19, how it can be transmitted and measures for it’s prevention and spread, to help sensitize other members of the communities.

Actionaid Nigeria Local Rights Programme Advisor, Hajara Adamu-Opaluwa explaining how to use the materials distributed to some members of the Dakwa community.

Behavioral Change and Communication materials with messages on COVID 19 were also distributed to community members.

Hajara Adamu-Opaluwa distributing posters and banners to one of the community facilitators.

Receiving the items donated on behalf of the communities, the village chiefs appreciated the kind gesture and applauded all the programmes  being implemented in their cimmunuties by CITAD and Actionaid Nigeria to make live better for the communities.

The chief of Dakwa community receives some of the items distributed.

This intervention, as the  Actionaid Nigeria’s Country Director, Ene Obi noted yesterday while briefing on efforts made so far by the nonprofit organization towards combating the virus, focused on prevention and control of the spread of covid-19 in communities where Actionaid Nigeria has been offering humanitarian services.

Actionaid Nigeria Country Director, Ene Obi

She explained that  ActionAid Nigeria ’s response has been under its Local Rights Programme which started midweek of March 2020 through working with CITAD and Community facilitators in the 4 Area Councils of Abuja Municipal, Kuje, Bwari and Kwali.

She noted that AAN and CITAD developed messages on how to stay safe from the Corona virus which  were produced in English and translated into local languages (Hausa and Gbagyi) for easy comprehension by the communities where AAN work.

“We have distributed megaphones/public address systems and few demonstrations on the use of sanitizers.  Behavioral Change and Communication materials with messages on COVID 19 were distributed to community members.  Community facilitators placed posters with messages in strategic places in the communities.”

“At the moment focus of the intervention is on prevention and control of the spread of covid-19 in communities where we work. Communities benefitting include Dakwa, Tungar Ashere, Tungar Nasara, Gwalada, Gofidna and Jiwa Tsoho in AMAC, Pasepa and Kuchi Buiyi in Bwari, Gaube, Kayace and Tukpeki in Kuje while Leleyi Bassa, Kilankwa and Leleyi Gwari in Kwali Area council

“In addition, a WhatsApp group have been created where community facilitators will be sharing update on the situation of Coronavirus in their respective communities’” she stated.

The AAN  Country Director disclosed that the organization has opened  discussion  with other 11 LRP Partners across 11 states and other AAN projects in the country to “adopt and replicate this approach in their respective communities where AAN is implementing the LRP intervention.”

According to her, an undisclosed amount of strategic funds have also been released from AAN to different projects partners in different states “especially on how it will affect women from our Women’s Rights Unit.”
We are proposing many other ways of working in different states as AAN has set up a 9-member Committee on COVID-19 drawing up a strategy now on sourcing for funds and seeking innovative ways of working in the environment. AAN will fashion a way to work with our target groups especially (the poor and the most vulnerable – women, children, young people and people with disability). More plans will unfold in the next week,” she further hinted.

Meanwhile, the Local Rights Programme Advisor for  Actionaid Nigeria, Hajara Adamu-Opaluwa, who represented  Actionaid Nigeria at the event, educated  the  community facilitators across the 14 communities in FCT of which the above listed communities are inclusive, about the dangers of COVID-19  and the need  to take communal and individual precautionary measures to stay safe.

She explained to them, how the protection materials and other items donated can be used to prevent infection and spread of the COVID-19.

Earlier,  CITAD Programme Officer,  Salmat Abdulwaheed, noted that it is very important to sensitize local communities about  the new COVID-19 as many of them are not even aware of the existence of the dangerous virus.

She said while some are aware of the disease, they do not believe the extent of the threat and danger it potend to their existence and the necessary precautions or measures to prevent the infection and spread.

“We are here today on a sensitization campaign and to distribute these gift items  because it is very important for these people  who mostly, do not have acess to television and other means of communication to know what is going on presently around the globe like their counterparts in the urban areas.

“We are working together with stakeholders in these community, the Chiefs and community facilitators to ensure these communities are sentized about COVID-19 to receive all the necessary information in order to minimize the spread of the virus among members of the communities who are very vulnerable. “

“We also  want to inculcate  the practice of good hygiene among the community dwellers for their general well being,” said  Abdulwaheed.

She said with the support of Actionaid Nigeria, the facilitator from the communities were trained and educated about COVID-19 to help sensitize other members of the communities and distribute the protection materials to them.

“We ensure that we provide them with information that will keep them updated and alert  so that they can relay the information to the communities,” she emphasized.

Press Statement on NCDC’s Irresponsiveness to Questions/Concerns of Nigerians on the COVID-19 Pandemic Released on Wednesday 1st April, 2020

It is apparent that measures capable of preventing further spread and containing the pandemic COVID-19 in the country are put in place. This is obvious taking into cognizance how “stay at home order” was imposed on some cities. And it is commendable how development partners, civil society organization, institutions, etc are all contributing to the Prevent the Virus Campaign in their various ways, means and capacities.

But, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) after deploying 15 monitors to assess the response mechanism of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for two days is highly concerned by the manner in which the centre manages information request from Nigerians on the pandemic or Nigerians wanting to give information to the centre on the pandemic particularly using the Twitter handle of the centre and it’s phone lines for SMS and WhatsApp. The three mediums are not serving Nigerians since their concerns/questions are either completely not responded to or in rare cases responses are received hours or days after one sends request. Of the multiple requests our monitors sent to the centre using the three mediums, the centre only responded to one after seven hours, all other over forty-five (45) requests/questions/concerns raised by our monitors were ignored. It appeared that NCDC uses it’s Twitter handle only for giving statistics but not serious and prompt engagement with Nigerians on the pandemic, this is bad and will be a setback for the crusade against the COVID-19.

A similar disturbing experience is the manner in which the Kano State Committee on Infectious Disease handled a report from Kano State Hisbah Board, some people brought a dead body of a traveler who died on his way back from Abuja. Hisbah proactively refused to take the body and decided to contact the committee before taking any action on the corpse, but the committee has not responded despite being reminded for the period of more than five hours. After waiting for many hours and the committee could not show up for their examine the corpse, the deceased was buried.

Recommendations

  1. The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) should be responsive to questions/concerns/tip-ups from Nigerians particularly at this time of National emergency.
  2. NCDC should avoid either ignoring or delaying questions and concerns of Nigerians on the COVID-19
  3. NCDC must understand that population of Nigerians on social media platforms is significant and engaging with them will strengthen efforts at preventing the virus.

Signed:
Kamilu Isah Ahmad
Social Media/Campaigns Officer,
Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD).

CITAD call on the FGN and State Governments to roll out comprehensive palliative measures to address the food needs of vulnerable groups

Since the outbreak of Corovirus in December 2019 in China, thousands of people are being dying with number of cases rising every day. As of yesterday the 29th of March, 2020 the number of cases in the world stands at 704,095 with 33,509 death recorded all over the world with Italy being with highest number of death cases followed by Spain. Even in the most developed countries in the world, the likes of the United States of America United Kingdom, French, Germany etc. hospitals and health worker are over stretched due to the number of cases that are increasing every day.

In Nigeria, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) yesterday on its twitter account at 9:39pm announced that the country has recorded another 14 new cases in the country, taking the number of confirmed cases to 111 and 1 fatality (may her soul rest in peace) and tracking 6000 persons of interest (people that came in contact with covid-19 patients). These number has raised a lot of questions among Nigeria due to the insufficient testing centres in the country.

Among the best strategies use by the affected countries to contain the spread of the disease is self-isolation and lockdown of cities which halts every economic activities in the affected areas. Countries all over the world are introducing social support programmes that will ease the hardship of the less privileged in the society and the terrible condition they will enter during this period. For example, America has already budgeted 2trillion dollars to be shared among the poor in the country on its efforts to support the poor people in the country. Yesterday President Muhammad Buhari has addressed the nation for the second term since the outbreak of covid-19 in December. Many people were expecting the president to announce such kind of gesture to the poor people who majority of them depend on daily income to feed themselves and their family but there was no such announcement.

It is based on this the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) call on Government at all level to come up with programmes that will ease the suffering of citizens and at the same time the well to do individuals in the country to support the needy in the their own ways as the country heads to total lockdown.

IWD: 200 Women Trained on Employability Skills in Kano

As part of activities to mark the International Women’s Day, Centre for Information Technology (CITAD), in partnership with Jobberman, Nigeria largest online platform on Wednesday in Kano, trained two hundred young women on Employability Skills.

The Program Implementation Officer, Precious Imuwahen Ajoonu, (Jobberman) said the platform intends to reach out to 5 million young people particularly job seekers so as to train them on Employability Skills and match them with dignified jobs in the next five years.

She said, the choice to train women in kano and by extension the North is connected to the fact that people in the region are under-served.

According to her, the training which focuses on how to write a CV, Cover letters, how to prepare for interviews as well as how to negotiate for salaries as it has been observed that many women are ready to accept whatever is been offered them without considering what value they are bringing to the table, would help women project themselves in a more standard way.

She said, women, who are the backbone of every society needs to be given more chances to occupy prominent positions in the boardrooms so as to bring on board, special skills in their areas of specialization for the growth of the work-force.

Ajoonu further stated that the training will continue in other selected states in the region so as to equip more women with virtually everything needed to acquire their desired jobs.

She charged the participants to pursue their dreams and believe in themselves just as records have shown women whom have excelled greatly in different fields of life just like their male counterparts.

Speaking on the occasion, the program officer, Gender and Internet Advocacy CITAD, Maryam Ado Haruna, stated that the Centre has empowered women in the past on various skills and acquisition programs in a bid to cover up the huge gab between the men and women in the Northern part of the country when it comes to earning a living and productivity.

She said the collaboration is hoped to make more impacts as the both CITAD and Jobberman share similar objectives which would enable them reach out to more women in the society and empower them with needed skills to survive in any field of work they find themselves.

Furthermore, Maryam stated that writing of CV itself is a business one can build a career on and that with such a training, one can begin to write CVs for people to earn a living.

IWD: 200 Women Trained on Employability Skills in Kano

CITAD in Collaboration with Jobberman Trained 200 Women in Kano on Professional CV Writing in Commemoration of the International Women’s Day – By Fatima Babakura

In an effort to celebrate the International Women’s Day, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) in Collaboration with the Jobberman Nigeria organised “Employability Training for 200 Women in Northern Nigeria.” The essence of the training was to empower 200 women in the northern part of Nigeria and to help participants become job-ready through intensive pre-employment training they needed to thrive in any workplace.  The one-day school which held on 11th March 2020 at Grand Central Hotel, Kano offered intensive training on various topics regarding employability.

In her introduction, the Program Implementation Officer of Jobberman, Precious Imuwahen Ajoonu said the platform intends to reach out to 5 million young people particularly job seekers so as to train them on Employability Skills and match them with dignified jobs in the next five years. She said, the choice to train women in kano and by extension the North is connected to the fact that people in the region are under-served.She added that women are the backbone of every society and therefore needs to be given more chances to occupy prominent positions in the boardrooms so as to bring on board, special skills in their areas of specialization for the growth of the workforce. Ajoonu further stated the training will continue in other selected in the region so as to equip more women with virtually everything needed to acquire their desired jobs.

In her welcoming address, the Programme Officer Gender and Internet Advocacy, Maryam Ado Haruna explained that stated that the Centre has empowered women in the past on various skills and acquisition programs in a bid to cover up the huge gab between the men and women in the northern part of the country when it comes to earning a living.

She added that the collaboration is hoped to make more impacts as the both CITAD and Jobberman share similar objectives which would enable them reach out to more women in the society and empower them with needed skills to survive in any field of work they find themselves.

Furthermore, Maryam stated that writing of CV itself is a business one can build a career on and that with such a training, one can begin to write CVs for people to earn a living.

The sessions covered during the training included:

  1. Youth Engagement Overview
  2. CV writing
  3. Cover letter
  4. Job interview
  5. How to identify scams
  6. Jobberman signup

Many participants expressed their appreciation and satisfaction with the training. They expressed that the training has really given them insights on professional CV writing, cover letters and preparations interviews as well as how they can easily identify scam adverts to prevent themselves from falling prey to online fraud. The added that the skills they have learnt are especially important to them because these are skills that are not taught in schools.

In the closing remarks, the CITAD Programme Coordinator, Malam Isah Garba thanked Jobberman for the training the women and partnering with CITAD. He sensitized and urged all the participants to share what they’ve learned with others who did not attend the training and tell them more about the website. He further stated that this is the beginning of a milestone and we hope in solving our goal together.

Commitment and Strategy, Keys to Success in Life – Dr. Yahuza Ishaq Muhammad Jama’are

A successful, impactful and beneficial life is built around commitment and strategy, this affirmation was made by Dr. Yahuza Ishaq Muhammad Jama’are, the Special Adviser to Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Right Hon. Bawa Wase at Inspiring Leadership Reflection Interactive Series (ILERIS) organized by the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) in Jama’are, Jama’are local government of Bauchi state on Thursday. Dr. Yahuza was the guest speaker at the monthly inspiration and mentorship parley for the month of February, 2020. CITAD holds the monthly interactive in it’s quest to have young people become productive and beneficial members of the society through mentoring by successful people through getting the stories of the accomplished personalities told to the youth so that they adjust their approaches and manner of confronting whatever endeavor they choose in life.

Welcoming the guest in his opening remarks, representative of the Executive Director of CITAD, Hamza Ibrahim noted that the monthly youth inspirational and mentorship initiative was started by CITAD in 2016 and it holds in Kano, Jigawa and Jama’are respectively. He added that CITAD believed that accomplished personalities in the society are good resource to shaping young people’s lives, he emphasized that without guidance and direction to the teeming youth, societies will not harness the true potentials of the young people they have, that is why personalities such as Dr. Yahuza are brought on monthly basis so they can inspire the youth with their successes, challenges, struggles, etc, Hamza added.

The guest speaker, Dr. Ishaq who is also Chief Lecturer at College of Education Zuba in Abuja spent an hour and half unpacking his profile taking the participants through his educational, business and community service journey carefully pinpointing the challenges and the strategies to surviving and remarkably turning the challenges into opportunities, his success and accomplishments, unforgettable moments and the secrets to results in all his struggles, etc. As proceeded, the guest paused, took a breath and remarked to the participants, “commitment and strategy are keys to success in life”, explaining the quote, he recalled how he secured five university admissions abroad and one in Nigeria on finishing his secondary school. I got admission to study in Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Kuwait as well as University of Jos in Nigeria immediately I finished secondary school even though I grew up as an orphan, but commitment, determination and strategy to studies greatly aided me, so, whatever you do in life have goal, be focused, develop a strategy, value learning, be versatile, creative and innovative, don’t be defeated by pessimists, keep moving, you will eventually succeed, Dr. Yahuza Ishaq Muhammad Jama’are challenged the participating youth. Completing the story of getting five overseas university and one Nigerian university admissions, the guest said after consultation he chose to go to Kuwait but the early 90s Gulf War stalled his ambition, but he never gave up, he eventually went to University of Jos and upon graduation he was retained as a graduate assistant following academic record while in the university. Dr. Yahuza spoke on several issues relating to education, pursuing business, engaging in farming activities drawing comparison to give a sense of direction to the participants and hints to success and overcoming challenges.

After the guest speaker’s presentation, the participants engaged him in questions and comments session with most of the participants admitting how they have been inspired with the story of the guest speaker. In particular, a participant said as an orphan he shares many things in common with the guest speaker and he has been losing hope, but, the guest speaker’s story has alleviated him of his pessimistic view of pursuing things in life. The guest speaker responded to lots of questions and comments thrown by the participants. Thirty eight (38) young people attended the February edition of the Inspiring Leadership Reflection Interactive Series (ILERIS). The session closed with vote of thanks by Hamza Ibrahim, presentation of CITAD’s publications to the guest, closing prayer and a group photograph.

Mata 36 ne kawai suka yi mukamin Sanata a Najeriya tun daga shekarar 1999 zuwa yanzu – Bincike

Wani rahoto daga kungiyar taimakon kai da kai mai suna Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) ta ce a tarihin majalisar dattijan Najeriya, mata 36 kadai suka taba samun zama sanatoci tun 1999, kamar yadda jaridar The Nation online ta ruwaito. Rahoton CITAD din ya bayyana ne a wani taron horar da manema labarai da ta shirya a birnin Yola da ke jihar Adamawa. Kungiyar ta ce tun daga 1999 majalisar tarayyar ta samu mambobi 654 ne kuma gurbi 618 maza suka cike shi inda matan suka ciki 36.
Mata 36 ne kawai suka yi mukamin Sanata a Najeriya tun daga shekarar 1999 zuwa yanzu – Bincike Source: Facebook An samu sanatocin 654 ne ta hanyar zabe tun bayan fara mulkin damokaradiyya a Najeriya. A kowanne lokacin zabe kuwa ana samun sanatoci 109 da ke wakiltar yankuna daban-daban na kasar nan. Rahoton ya bayyana cewa, a cikin sanatoci 109 na 1999 an samu mata uku ne kacal. A 2003 an samu hudu, a 2007 an samu takwas, a 2011 an samu bakwai, a 2015 an samu 8 sai kuma 2019 an samu shida. KU KARANTA: Matashi dan asalin jihar Kano ya fito da fasahar koyon addinin Musulunci a waya A wani bincike mai zurfi kuwa, an gano cewa zai yuwu yawan sanatocin su gaza kai 36 saboda wasu matan ba sau daya suka lashe zabe ba. Misali ita ce Chief Remi Tinubu wacce ta ci zabe sau uku. Hakazalika a bangaren mazan za a iya samun kasa da 618 don akwai sanatocin da ba karonsu na farko kenan a majalisar dattijan ba. Rahoton CITAD din ya bayyana rashin shigar mata siyasa da kuma tsangwama da kalaman kiyayya da mata masu burin siyasa suke fuskanta. Rahoton ya bayyana cewa, akwai kalaman kiyayya da kuma na nuna banbancin jinsi wanda ake wa mata masu burin siyasa. A kan kwantanta su da karuwai da sauransu. Hakan kuwa na taka rawar gani wajen cire burin siyasa daga zukatan mata kuma yana hana su cin zaben. CITAD wanda ke da babban ofishi a jihar Kano ya horar da ‘yan jaridu ne tare da hadin guiwa NDI da kuma jami’in hukumar, Hamza Ibrahim.

‘Only 36 Women have been in Senate since 1999’ – Report

A report by an indigenous nongovernmental organisation, Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), has said the Nigerian Senate has had only 36 women since 1999 when the current democratic dispensation began.
The CITAD report, unveiled at a training for journalists in the Adamawa State capital, Yola, states that the Senate has had 654 members since 1999, meaning that men have had 618 slots to leave 36 to women, giving a percentage of 5.5% women to 94.5% men.
The 654 total number of senators was deduced from Nigeria’s electoral history within the period under review, in which case elections were conducted in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019 (six times), each of which time 109 senators were elected.
The report which dug further into the archive, notes that out of the 109 senators elected in 1999, only three were women; while in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019; only 4, 8, 7, 8 and 6 women were elected respectively as senators.
A deeper study would however reveal that the number of specific women would be less than 36 because some women did or have done more than one term at the Senate, including Chief Remi Tinubu, who is doing her third term in the Senate, having first been elected in 2011 and re-elected twice: 2015 and then 2019.
Similarly, the number of men, strictly talking of individuals involved, would be less than 618, as many individuals did or have done more than a term at the Senate, including Sen David Mark, who was first elected into the Senate in 1999 and was reelected repeatedly until he opted out in 2019.
The CITAD report attributed the poor outing of women at the Senate to, among other things, gender-related hate speech which put women at a disadvantage.
The report noted that during the period under review, there was a preponderance of Gender Based Hate Speech with derogative words and phrases used to describe women in politics.
According to the report, terms and refrains like prostitute, ashawo, the weaker vessel, her office is in the kitchen, among others, were freely used, discouraging many women from seeking election or affecting the chances of those who dared to aspire.
The training for journalists at which the report by CITAD was unveiled was on hate speech and what journalists could do to mitigate it.
CITAD which has its head office in Kano, held the media training for journalists in Yola with funding from the National Democratic Institute (NDI), according to a Coordinator with CITAD, Hamza Ibrahim.