CITAD Takes Public Sensitization on Hate and Dangerous Speech to South East.

By Hamza Ibrahim Chinade.
Apart from monitoring and countering Hate and Dangerous Speeches both online and offline, Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) also sensitize the public on the same concept, it is in continuation of the public enlightenment that CITAD with support from MacArthur Foundation today held a public sensitization on Hate and Dangerous Speech in Owerri, the capital of Imo state. The center has not long ago organized the sensitization in Akwa Ibom state.

Giving opening remarks at the beginning of the sensitization lecture, the project’s coordinator and Senior Programmes Officer Isah Garba gave a background of the project, it’s other components and the role individual members of the society can play in getting rid of Hate and Dangerous Speech, he advised the participants to give with interest, join the campaign against Hate and Dangerous Speech as well educate others about so that according to him societal peace and harmony will reign.
Four sessions were facilitated by different resource persons, the sessions included: Understanding Dangerous Speech, Trends in Hate Speech, Strategies for Countering Hate Speech and Reporting Online Hate Speakers. The presentations have given elaborate explanation on many concepts. Contributing during general discussion session, many participants regretted the effects Hate Speech has especially on different tribal and religious followers, “hate speech is widening hatred along religious lines and is polarizing people along tribal lines”, a participants said. Some of the issues the participants want addressed in order to curb Hate Speech included addressing social inequality and economic imbalances, sensitizing corp members on Hate Speech at their different orientation camps, introducing subjects that promoting national unity in schools and encouraging the students and youths on avoiding Hate Speech. Concerns, observations and recommendations to different stakeholders on the curbing Hate and Dangerous Speech are contained in the communiqué issued at the end of the sensitization. The event was attended by civil society groups, political party representatives, students, women groups, youths organizations, traditional and religious leaders and the media among others. Giving a vote of thanks on behalf of the participants, Prince Chimezie Okoro thanked CITAD for holding the event and appreciated the religious and traditional leaders present at the lecture and advised all the participants to take the sensitization to their various communities.

CITAD Holds Hate Speech Sensitization Workshop in Uyo.

By Hamza Ibrahim Chinade.
The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has today held a sensitization workshop on Hate and Dangerous Speech for members of civil society groups, youths groups, religious and traditional leaders, media, women groups and students associations in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state. CITAD is presently implementing a “Curbing Hate Speech in Nigeria Project” that is supported by MacArthur Foundation, the project involves monitoring, countering and sensitizing people on Hate and Dangerous Speech, similar sensitization workshops have taken place in Katsina, Enugu, Lagos, Bauchi and many other places. Toady’s workshop sensitized the participants on many concepts around the theme “Sensitizing People on Hate and Dangerous Speech” which included Understanding Hate and Dangerous Speech, Strategies for Countering and Reporting Hate and Dangerous Speech, etc

Technology Training on Combating Hate Speech Online Commenced in Abuja.

By Hamza Ibrahim Chinade. 
The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) with support from PeaceTech Lab has commenced a technology training for civil society organizations working in the area of Hate Speech and Peace Building. The training scheduled to last for three days is aimed at equipping the participants with technology tools that can be used to combat hate speech online and champion the cause of peace. The participants will receive hands-on training on technology tools and skills of combating hate speech online from the carefully selected trainers. Day one of the training focused on which tech tools are effective in addressing hate speech online as well as how they are used, different breakout sessions were also facilitated by the trainers around the theme of the workshop

Communiqué Issued at the end of “Youths in Peace Building” Conference organized by Center for Information Technology (CITAD) in Bauchi between 15th and 16th November, 2017. Preamble

The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) with support from MacArthur Foundation and Presidential Committee on North East Initiative (PCNI) organized a two days Youths in Peace Building Conference in Bauchi between 15th and 16th November 2017. The conference which took place at Chartwell Hotels and Suites Bauchi brought youths working in the area of peace from different organizations and places, the conference also featured the experience sharing of people living with disability from different conflicts so as to serve as lessons. Thirteen paper presentations were entertained from youth groups and civil society organizations working in the area of peace consolidation.
The conference noted the following concerns:
Ø Politicization of religion to achieve political interests which poses threat to peace and the targets are mostly youths.
Ø Sexual harassment of women and girls in the internally displaced camps is on the rise.
Ø Most youths are interested in the financial benefit they may gain from their engagement with CSOs not the impact of their contribution to the society.
Ø Media houses make money allowing hate contents as such they find it difficult to resist temptation to stop them.
Ø Most peace projects are funded by foreign NGOs as such they lack sustainability in the event that the donors withdraw funding.
Ø Lack of parental care breeds thugs and touts who are thrown to the streets and pose threat to peace.
Ø Recruitment of youths into extremist ideology and insurgency seems easy.
Ø Different religious sects only have regard for what scholars from their sects believed and told them.
We therefore recommend that:
The government:
Ø Should provide durable solutions to youths’ problem through skills acquisition and promotion of entrepreneurship in order to change the mindset of the youths from something else to peace.
Ø Should coordinate and support local and non state security actors
Ø Strengthen youths engagement in decision making processes especially in peace building
CSOs:
Ø Should consider forwarding the resolutions of the conference to the relevant stakeholders.
Ø Should encourage volunteerism in peace building.
Ø Should engage in social media campaign against Hate Speech and violent extremism
Ø Should encourage local CBOs capacity on local fundraising to support local initiatives
Ø Strengthen youth peace networks to enhance experience and information sharing.
Ø Sensitize youth on the need to be more patriotic
Ø Equip youths with skills on entrepreneurship and peace building through deliberate efforts.
Ø The conference should be stepped down to relevant stakeholders at the grass root level.
Ø Involve more young people and youth-led organizations in peace building.
Ø Rehabilitate and integrate youths involved in conflict.
Religious and community leaders
Ø Should encourage inter-tribal marriages and religious tolerance to promote peace and unity.
Signed:
Isah Garba
Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD)
Pwakim Jacob
Youths Initiative Against Violence & Human Rights
Fatima Balarabe
Bayero University Students for Peace (BUK S4P)
Blessing Gabriel Kabo
Federal Polytechnic Damaturu Students for Peace
Dauda Mohammed Gombe
North East Youths Initiative Forum (NEYIF)

CITAD Hosts People with Special Needs to Mark International Day of People Living with Disability.

By Hamza Ibrahim Chinade.
The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has marked the 2017 International Day of People Living with Disability with a series of activities to highlight their plight. It could be recalled that the center has been implementing an ActionAid International Nigeria supported project “Strengthening Civic Engagement in Electoral Process (SCEEP)” which aims to engage and build capacity of youths, women and people living with disability in electoral and governance process. CITAD’s activities lined up for the 2017 people living with ability day started with a radio programme where the PWDs were hosted to a one hour live programme on radio to air their concerns in order to seek redress. The people hosted on the radio programme included a visually impaired, crippled and a woman albino.

After the radio programme, CITAD organized a public lecture where people living with disabilities of different categories attended and papers presented. The first paper titled “Digital Inclusion of People Living with Disability” was presented by a visually impaired person, Malam Abdulkarim Ibrahim, a teacher at a special education school in Tudun Maliki in Kano metropolis, he emphasized the need to connect PWDs with technology in order to ease their quest for education and urged the government and society support PWDs to be self reliant. The second paper and the theme for this year “Transformation Towards Sustainable and Resilient Society for All” was presented by another visually impaired person, Prof. Jibrin Diso of Special Education Department, Bayero University Kano.
In their separate remarks, Malam Ahmad Abdullahi Yakasai, Malam Isyaku Garba, Malam Nura Sani Yakasai, Malam Abdullahi Nashe and Alhaji Lawan Ibrahim all solicited governmental and societal support towards eradicating the suffering of people living with disability.
The annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons was proclaimed in 1992, by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3. It aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
Building on many decades of UN’s work in the field of disability, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted in 2006, has further advanced the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other international development frameworks, such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, the New Urban Agenda, and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development. The theme for the 2017 people living with disabilities day celebration is “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient society for all”.

CITAD and Fantsuam Foundation Request to Pilot TV White Spaces to Provide Internet Access to Rural Communities.

By Hamza Ibrahim Chinade.
The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) in collaboration with Fantsuam Foundation has presented a request to the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) seeking to undertake a pilot of the abundant Television White Spaces in order to provide affordable broadband in the under-served communities in Nigeria. The request was presented by Y.Z Ya’u and John Dada highlighted the unlimited benefits and advantages of the TV White Spaces especially in helping to provide internet connection to particularly rural communities efficiently and at low cost, a situation that will promote internet access for development. TV White Space is the unused spectrum in the UHF television bands and is in the 600 MHz frequency range and enables wireless signals to travel over hills and through buildings and trees. By providing internet access using unlicensed spectrum (TVWS) and inexpensive wireless equipment, youths can access e-Learning government programmes,without having to go the cities. Receiving the request, NCC Kano Zonal Director Malam Adamu Amshi assured the two organizations NCC’s support to the initiative and promised to look at and forward to the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta for consideration.

Things Can Be Difficult But They Are Not Necessarily Impossible-Prof. Jega

By Hamza Ibrahim Chinade.

The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has for over a year been holding a youths mentorship programme titled “Inspiring Leadership Reflection Interactive Series (ILERIS) where people that have remarkable achievements in their different endeavors and professions are invited to share their experience with the participating youths so that the youths draw inspiration and direction from the struggle of the invited resource persons. It could be recalled that previously the programme has featured Chairman of Daily Trust newspaper, Malam Kabiru Yusuf, Director General of Progressive Governors Forum, Malam Salihu Lukman, Commissioner of Agriculture in Kano state, Hon. Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna and many others. This month, ILERIS hosts the immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Attahiru Muhammad Jega, OFR.

In his opening remarks, the Executive Director of the organization, Malam Y.Z Ya’u said the composition of the participants for the youths development programme centers around the staff of the organization who are mostly below thirty five years, members of Peace Clubs and Students for Peace in tertiary institutions across Kano state, other youths groups and organizations as well as members of the civil society in Kano. Emphasizing the relevance of the monthly lecture and the need for the participants to learn from the experience of the guest speaker, Ya’u said “we think that we want to change the mentality, people these days think about the best cars in town, the best house in town, but we think that the best ideas are things that we should exploit”.
The guest speaker, Prof. Attahiru Muhammad Jega began his interaction with the participants with a logical and insightful narrative of his life history, where he was born, schools he attended and positions he held before comprehensively dwelling on his struggle in the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) from late 1980s to mid 1990s. While in ASUU, Prof. Jega strived hard to prevent the university system from total collapse amidst pressure and even threat from the then military regime. Hard work and determination pay as Jega is now happy to recall that in 1992 the military government realized that what ASUU was demanding was the right thing and therefore negotiated agreement with ASUU to revive the university system and it was under that agreement that the Tertiary Education Tax Fund was established, now known as TETFUND.

Recalling his days in ASUU, Jega admitted that he has learned a lot from the struggle, “ideas are important and nobody has monopoly of ideas, and it is the superiority of the ideas that are important, it’s important for discussions, it’s important for debate, it’s important for dialogue and at the end of it the best idea should be looked for and then utilized” said Jega. Cautioning the participants on the proper utilization of ideas, the guest speaker maintained that ideas may turn out to be useless if they are not put to good use, “don’t waste ideas, generate them and put to good use” he added. The monthly lecture series was full of good quotes and phrases that the participants really find interesting, advising the youths, Prof. Jega emphasized that networking is very important, and you start networking from the student days, it’s not too late to start networking but the earlier the better, “we have been very active in students union movements, we have been very active in building what we called bridges across the Niger, and whatever success we had in ASUU it’s because we were able to build a pan-Nigerian alliance where people accepted ideas of bringing positive changes to the university system and provided support in terms of how we could resolutely push those ideas.
Solidifying enthusiasm and zeal in the youths to realize their potentials through commitment, hard work, determination and resolve, Prof. Jega threw another quote “things can be difficult but they are not necessarily impossible”, he extensively explained what the quote entails with examples as the participating youths keep applauding him. The last segment of the monthly Inspiring Leadership Reflection Interactive Series (ILERIS) was comments and questions session after which publications of the organization was presented to the guest by Projects Coordinator Malam Isyaku Garba and vote of thanks was offered by Senior Programmes Officer Malma Isa Garba.

CITAD to women: Protect yourselves from pornography

By Bashir Mohammed
Kano

Executive Director, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Dr. Yunusa Zakari Yau has called on women to protect themselves from online violence through engagement in decent activities.
Speaking at a one day sensitisation forum organised by CITAD held at Mambayya House in Kano yesterday, Yau said the attitude of using internet to promote nudity, exposes the women to serious abuse in the hands of men who take pleasure in all forms of pornography.
According to him, CITAD had conducted extensive survey on the level of women access to internet and reached the conclusion that men always take advantage of the women through internet sources.
Yau, who was represented by a senior programme officer of the centre, Malam Ahamad Abdullahi Yakasai, however, stated that exposing women to the nitty gritty of internet usage would widen their scope of knowledge and understanding, especially in the academia and stressed that a women could only be disgraced and harassed on the internet once she agrees to expose her feminist treasure.
Speaking in the same vein, an official of the Kano state Hisbah Board, Malam Muhammad Auwal Garba, stressed the need for women to embrace the teachings of Islamic laws particularly in the area of on how to protect their dignity, adding that the glorious Qu’ran had ordained every Muslim to behave in a decent and responsible manner.
According to him, exposing women’s nudity on the website was forbidden in Islam and that a Muslim woman has no cogent reason to flout the laws guiding the conduct of a woman’s dress code, affirming that the advent of modern innovation such as the internet do not preclude one from imbibing the spirit of decency under whatever pretext.

Karanta yadda ake ‘cin zarafin matan Nigeria a Facebook’

Shugaban Facebook, Marck Zukerberg ya ziyarci fadar shugaban da ya ziyarci Najeriya kwanakin bayaHakkin mallakar hotoSUNDAY AGHAEZE
Image captionShugaban Facebook, Marck Zukerberg ya ziyarci fadar shugaban da ya ziyarci Najeriya kwanakin baya

Wani bincike ya nuna cewa mata da dama a arewacin Najeriya su na kaurace wa intanet sakamakon barazana da cin zarafin da suke fuskanta daga ma’abota shafukan sada zumunta, musamman ma Facebook.

Kungiyoyin da ke fafutikar kare hakkin jinsi na kallon lamarin a matsayin wani nau’i na tauye ‘yancin mata, wanda ke bukatar mahukunta su dauki matakan yaki da shi.

Wannan lamari ne ya sa Cibiyar Sasahar Sadarwa da ci gaban al’umma da ke Kano ta shirya wani taro don nazarin rahoton tare da duba hanyoyin magance matsalar.

Social media
Hakkin mallakar hotoGETTY IMAGES
Image captionKungiyoyin da ke fafutikar kare hakkin jinsi na kallon lamarin a matsayin wani nau’i na tauye ‘yancin mata

Ibrahim Isa ya tattauna da Mallam Muhammad Awwal Garba daga hukumar Hisbah ta jihar Kano da Maryam Ado Haruna, jami’a a wannan cibiya ta fasahar sadarwa da aka fi sani da CITAD, inda suka yi masa bayanin yadda girman matsalar take.

Group decries online violence against women in Kano

Group decries online violence against women in Kano

Kano based nongovernmental advocacy group, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has decried the spate of violence against women on the internet, describing it as an infringement to their human rights.

The group in a research document presented on Wednesday identified facebook, Twitter, Instagram and viber as major social media platforms where women are being subjected to various forms of gender based abuses via unsolicited messages, nude images and pornographic videos.

Addressing the press on Wednesday during the research validation meeting organized by the centre at Aminu Kano centre for research and development, mambayya house, CITAD’s training coordinator, Malam Mohammad Abdullahi Yakasai stated that online violence has discouraging effects to women’s participation on the internet space despite its importance to their economic and educational lives.

‘’It was realized that there are too much online violence against women which deny them from benefitting the use of internet like their male counterpart. The research was conducted in order to find the reasons behind that, and the ways that would ensure that women are given proper opportunity so that they will be able to benefit from the use of internet’’ he said.

Maryam Ado Haruna, the programme assistant gender and internet advocacy CITAD described the use of internet as an extension to Human right to freedom of expression urging women to assert their right without fear of intimidation.

‘’Women are marginalized politically, economically and even in the use of internet they are marginalized. It seem internet is just for men not for women in northern Nigeria, even though it is not included in the universal declaration of human rights but there are certain things that show that internet is a right to freedom of expression, you can use the internet to express yourself, you can use the internet as a tool for education but there are certain factors that are carried out by men which make women not to be able to benefit from the resources.

She however cautioned them to be conscious of their privacy and personal security so as to safe guard their profiles from mischief makers prowling the internet.

Hate Speech Inimical to Our Democracy

Hate Speech

By Hassan Ibrahim, Kaduna

As 2019 general elections draw closer, the CENTRE FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (CITAD), has warned that hate and dangerous speeches could be a threat to the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria.

CITAD, at a day public sensitization on hate and dangerous speech in Kaduna, cautioned Nigerians against divisive discussions and rumours calculated to cause confusion and unleash conflict usually spread through the social media.

The Non-Governmental Organisation explained that following the continued spread of hate and dangerous speeches on social and main stream media in Nigeria in particular, it has deemed it fit to raise awareness and enlightenment against the unfortunate plight to avoid the resultant consequences that may arise as a result.

A communique issued at the end of the program said, “Justice, fairness and humanity should prevail in the society while those in authority should live exemplary lives and set good benchmarks for others to emulate.

“Being an advocacy group against hate and dangerous speeches, CITAD organized this public sensitization meeting with participants drawn from CSOs, Media, Students Unions, religious as well as traditional rulers and resolved positive steps of alleviating poverty and stringent economic situations should be taken by those responsible.”

It added that Security agencies should respect the rights of citizens and operate by their positive rules of engagement.

“The need for patriotism and selflessness among all citizens can never be over emphasized in the advocacy against hate and dangerous speeches.

“No religion preaches violence and hatred among people hence, the need for clerics to strictly avoid the use of hate speeches in their preaching.

“As 2019 general elections approaches, politicians should be seen to respect moral and societal ethics through the avoidance of hate and dangerous speeches.

“Constant and synergetic collaborations among the various peace stakeholders in Nigeria should be employed in the fight against hate and dangerous speeches.”

Among dignitaries at the programme were renowned religious clerics in Kaduna state, Sheikh Maraya and Pastor Buru who subsequently admonished Nigerians to live in peace and harmony with one another.

Group Calls For Patriotism And Selflessness to End Hate Speech in Nigeria

By Joseph Edegbo
Kaduna (Nigeria)– Nigerians have been urged to imbibe the spirit of patriotism and selflessness to avoid hate and dangerous speeches in the country.
 
The advise is contained in a communique issued at the end of a one- day Public Sensitization on Hate and Dangerous Speeches organized by the Centre for Information Technology and Development CITAD held in Kaduna, north west of the country.
The Communique also stressed the need for justice and fairness to prevail in the society, while those in authority should live exemplary lives and set good benchmarks for others to follow.
Security Agencies, the Communique recommends, should respect the rights of citizens and operate by their positive rules of engagement.
The participants affirmed that no religion preaches violence and hatred among people hence the need for clerics to strictly avoid the use of hate speeches in their preaching.
They suggested constant and synergetic collaboration among various peace stakeholders in Nigeria and the need for politicians to be seen to respect moral and societal ethics by avoiding any speech that is capable of mobilizing people to acts of violence especially, as the nation approaches the 2019 General elections.
CITAD is an NGO which raises awareness and enlighten the public on the consequences arising from hate and dangerous speeches..
Participants at the forum were drawn from the CSOs, Media, Students Union, religious leaders and traditional rulers.

Report of Sensitization Workshop

CITAD with support from Embassy of the USA, Abuja held a sensitization workshop on Thursday, 14th December, 2018. The workshop was meant to mark the commencement of the project Creative Space for the Development of Young Women Innovators which the Embassy is supporting as well to serve as an orientation programme for the beneficiaries. Held at Mambayya House, Kano State, it was attended by over 97 people including the selected 80 women (candidates). Among the dignitaries were His Excellency Deputy Governor/Commissioner of Education Kano State represented by Prof. Mukhtar Atiku Kurawa (Kano State Polytechnic Rector) and Zahraddeen Mukhtar SMEDAN representative. Isyaku Garba, Project Director who represented the Executive Director CITAD gave the welcome remarks. He mentioned that CITAD was going to train 80 women and girls on ICT and Entrepreneurships. This was one of the projects in Nigeria selected by the Embassy of the United State Office Abuja. He noted that the focus of the project was to support programmes that would involve more women and girls in IT-related opportunities. He added that this sensitization would also serve as an advocacy on the need for all stakeholders to support efforts to promote the inclusion of women and girls in leveraging ICTs for their economic empowerment, a key requirement for addressing unemployment among women and female youth. He called on government at various levels to embark on initiatives and programme that will make ICTs available, accessible and affordable to the citizens and in particular the marginalized groups such as women and PWDs.

 

Prof. Mukhtar A. Kurawa expressed appreciation to the organizers, both CITAD and Embassy of the USA for the initiative, and especially for selecting Kano to be the host state for the beneficiaries. He assured of the readiness of the Kano State Government to support this type of initiative and also added that the Ministry’s door was always opened to assist the participants on the ICT skills.

Alhaji Zahraddeen Mukhtar of SMEDAN spoke on the services available at SMEDAN like Business support and opportunities and promised to offer any assistance that the beneficiaries would require for them to access the services of the agency.

Some of the presentations made at the event are:

  • Business opportunities in the ICT sector for small scale entrepreneurship by Maryam Haruna
  • Requirements and procedure of setting IT-Based businesses Engineer Kamal Umar of Bayero University, Kano
  • e-mentoring for your entrepreneur Ibrahim Nuhu of CITAD.

Participants were availed opportunity to ask questions and seek clarification and also encouraged to follow up even after the event.

 

At the end of the workshop, Training officer Ibrahim Nuhu explained how training was going to be conducted and announced the commencement date as Tuesday 2nd of January, 2018.

Momoh Commends PeaceTech, CITAD For Combating Hate Speech Online

Bauchi – Mr. John Momoh, the Chairman and CEO of Chanel’s Television , has commended PeaceTech Lab and Centre for  Information and Technology Development (CITAD) for their efforts in combating hate speech through the use of technology tools.

He stated this while declaring open a 3 day workshop organized by PeaceTech Lab in collaboration with CITAD and Journalists tagged ‘PeaceTech Exchange for combating hate speech in Nigeria” held at Ventures Park Abuja.

Momoh expressed optimism that the project will go a long way in countering hate speech in Nigeria particularly on social media which has been a major challenge to the country as well as impact on the lives of young people who need a better life.

John MomohJohn Momoh

He thereby cautioned media practitioners in the country to avoid using offensive words that is capable of leading to violence.

He said, “We have been accused several times of not reporting accurately, for example, we should stop using the word Fulani herdsmen in our reportage because other criminals that are not Fulani engage in cattle rustling.”

He said that Nigeria has been divided due to political, ethnic and religious differences instead of using religion and culture to bring people together.

“Hate speech hurt and can destroy country. Lack of understanding, misinterpretation, intolearnce are causes of conflicts. Misguided broadcast also causes problem in the  society.”

In his remarks, Yunusa Zakari Ya’u, the Executive Director of CITAD, stressed the need to engage media practitioners and CSOs in peace building by focusing on tracking, monitoring and combating hate speech online.

He said CITAD  has been working with other partners to combat hate speech among young people.

According to him, Nigerians youth are doing wonderful work, hence the need to disabuse  their minds from hate speech on anything capable of causing violence.

Ya’u who described hate speech as catalyst for violence in Nigeria said the use of technology tools in combating  hate become necessary following the damage hate speech has done to the country especially during election.

He said no country can witness peace and development where there is hate speech.

“Hate speech is everywhere in the Sociaty so we need to be Innovative to be able to identify it because if you don’t know it, you cannot counter it.”

Ya’u urged participants to come up with project ideas that will change the situation of conflict in the country thereby reducing hate speech online and in the media.

He said the project is aimed at linking CSOs to easy ways of using technology tools to do their work better by combating hate speech.

Also speaking, Theo Dolan, Director Peacemedia and Peacetech Lab Africa said the aim of the workshop is to train participants on how to use media technology and data in preventing violence and building peace in Nigeria particularly as the 2019 general election draws nearer.

CITAD Trained Journalists, Csos and Students On Internet Security And Safety In Jigawa

Internet has become an indispensable part of our daily life. We need it to communicate study, organize, advocate, carry out financial transaction and engage in community life. Embedded in it are perils that pose threat to our privacy, safety, confidentiality and even endanger us both as individuals and as a nation if we do not know how to navigate and avoid these perils.

In view of this, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) have been organizing workshops to enlighten and educate the general public about the dangers that are associated with internet and how individuals can protect themselves from being harm either financially or their integrity. On the 23rd of November, 2017 the Centre organized similar workshop in Dutse, Jigawa state to Journalists, CSOs and students of tertiary institutions in the state.

The workshop was facilitated by Engineer Kamal Umar of the Training Department, Centre for Information Technology and Development and Hamza Ibrahim, Research and Media Officer of the same centre. In his opening address Engineer Kamal informed the participants that the aim of the workshop is to equipped the participants with necessary and prerequisite knowledge/information on how to stay safe online, know the various techniques used by the hackers, how to identify fake sites, why strong password and also how to shop online if necessary.

Three papers were presented at the workshop; General Online Safety Tips and Internet Safety and Privacy Issues by Engineer Kamal and Understanding Internet Security and Safety by Hamza Ibrahim. The facilitators took the participants deeply in explaining the various threats that are associated with internet such as Hacking, Spread of malicious virus, Internet shutdown, Data corruption, Sites jamming, Data and Documents thefts, Phishing, Email spoofing/spam bots, National security threats. In his explanation, Engineer Umar mentioned that people/countries are no longer using weapons in attacking their enemies rather they turn to cyber war where countries/people are stealing and interfering with other people/countries sensible information and use it to disrupt or harm them, he gave an example with what happened during the last American presidential election where Russia interfered and changed the result to its favorite candidate.

Towards the end of the workshop passwords testing session was conducted, where participants tested their passwords in order to know how strong or how long it will take a hacker to hack their accounts. Some of the participants that bragged their passwords were strong found out that the reverse is the case which made them to change it instantly.

At the end of the workshop questions and comments were entertained. One of the participants asked the facilitators on how someone can make his password strong, in his respond Hamza Ibrahim answered that by using different characters; numbers, block letters, small letters (mixer of different characters) etc. in his comment, Malam Khalifa said he never thought putting password on his devices is very important and necessary but with today’s workshop, he has seen and also known the importance of doing it. Basirka also commented that before he never knew the necessary and important sites to visit on the internet but now he can differentiate between fake and genuine websites and also how to make his password strong.

Finally, a vote of thanks was given by Mr. Ali Sabo, CITAD Coordinator in the state where he thanked the participants for answering the invitations and urged them to put in place what they have learnt at the workshop and to also extend the knowledge and share it with their colleagues, friends and families.