Being a Text of Press Briefing on Hate Speech for the Month of June Addressed By Isah Garba, Senior Programmes Officer (Peace and Conflicts), Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) On July 27, 2016, Kano

Introduction

Dear distinguished members of the press. I welcome you to the second of our monthly media briefing on hate speech. We will recall that CITAD has with support of our partners, notably the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) of DFID and the MacArthur Foundation been undertaking the monitoring and countering of hate speech online as part of the effort to preempt and prevent outbreak of violence that is ignited through the spread of hate and dangerous speech in the society.  Starting from last month, we commenced a month media briefing so as to draw attention to key and salient issues that we observe in the month.

This month we are particularly worried that with the increasing acrimonious campaign that is rolling up over the bye election for the member representing Minjibir constituency in the Kano State. We think it is necessary for all stakeholders to come to agreement on what needs to be done to prevent the reoccurrence of violence that terminated the first attempt at the bye election some weeks back.

The Results from July Monitoring Activates
Between June and July of this year; our monitors have documented 779 hate speech items. This brings the total of generated hate speech monitored to 1490 these are categorized as follows:
1. Access to resource related hate speech 82 items
2. Biafran agitation – 192 items
3. Terror recruitment – 27 items
4. Election related 25 items
5. Religious – 618 items
6. Ethnicity – 570 items

 

Observations

Two facts need to be drawn from this. One is that in July we recorded more hate speech than in June. This means that hate speech is increasing in the country. Secondly as we observed last month, this month also the bulk of the items are relate to ethnicity or religion. We also see the oversimplification of comet process such as rural banditry which is reduced to a conflict between herders and farmers, but which in the spread of hate either speech is cast as the attempt by Muslims to kill non-Muslim people especially in the south east.

 

With respect to our immediate environment there is repeated use of the Mu hadu a Minjibir and ‘Dan halalar ka fasa” both of which are threats of violence as different political factions prepare for the bye election.  

 

The languages that people are using are clearly language that even the most rapid inflammatory print newspaper would not use. This means that the anonymity and the sense of freedom of the social media is a fact in the generation and circulation of hate speech. Yet as our data, shown over 80% of the items are English. This means that the people are school educated.

An analysis shows that there are four keys underlying the spread of hate speech in the country. These include:

1. The perception that the Government headed by a Hausa Fulani Muslim north is discriminating against the Igbos
2. The counter perception that sections of the country were not happy with the outcome of the election and continuing the election contest by making it difficult  for the government to settle
3. The fact that some propel who do not want the anti-corruption to be agenda of the government and will want do everything to scuttle it
4. The increased economic hardship that has resulted following the collapse of national earnings and some decision of the government

In this situation, government has a responsibility to speak out to its citizens to try to explain things so that some with some others interest do not use the absence of credible information from government to manipulate opinion of the people. We note that in our broad categories of hate and dangerous speech, rumour is a key component. Rumour strives in the void where information is lacking or in the context of opacity where government officials horde information. In the items that we have captured we see number of rumours, some which could easily lead to confusion. Government has the onerous duty to make sure that rumour is not given free reigns by absent of substantive information from its officials.

 

Recommendations 

KANO POLITICS

1. Politicians should not make the Minjibir election as avenue for revenging or paying back the grievances they have against each other
2. Politicians should make sure they preach for free and fair electoral participation  to their supporters
3. The candidates contesting the elections and their parties should emulate from the presidential candidates of the 2015 election particularly the then president for on knowing that he lost the election called to congratulate his opponent who won. This simple but difficult action not only makes him a hero in the eyes of the democrats but also saved the country from possible disintegration and blood birth.
4. The Sojojin  Baka of all sections of the both intra and inter parties who serve as stimulants to the key actors in the process should know that  as they speak on the air it goes directly to heterogeneous audience that may have different perception and interpretation and finally act differently. In view of this they should guard their utterances and speak in the way that will not promote violence. Rather as they advocate for votes for those they promote they should also advocate for peace as the people they support can only be in office if there is peace, the election can only be conclusive and declared if peacefully conducted and concluded.
5. The security operatives in the state should be more vigilant and have their ears to the ground to snipe any possible violence and address early warning signs to avoid violence occurrence. In addition they should keep pace with what is going in the media and other political scenes so as to call order any person or group that is about to derail.
6. The electoral  commission should try as much as it can keep to the tenet of the commission in conducting the election and sensitize it adhoc staff on the need to be objective in all the process and the dangers attached to acting contrary
7. The general public especially those in the constituency, should learn from the sad experience of cancelled April election and fear  the possibility of them not having a representative in the house should this by election went violence and declared inconclusive by INEC should INEC keep to its words that if the election is not successfully concluded the constituency will remain without a representative, to avid that they should coordinate themselves and not allow any external person to mar the future of their constituency.
8. The Media on the other hand should keep to the ethic of the profession as they report political activities or run political programmes especially the live programmes

Government 

Since the last press conference, we have not seen government taking serious steps to address some the underlying factors that are leading to the spread of hate speech. In this connection, we would like to repeat the same call that we made earlier, that is:

1. The Federal Government should step efforts promoting inclusive dialogues with a view to arriving at national consensus on national issues
2. The Federal Government should hasten to roll out programmes that will address the hardship that citizens are experiencing which are providing the fertile space for the generation and circulation of hate speech
3. Governments at all levels should promote inclusivity in access to decision making processes and to the benefits of governance programmes
4. Governments should promote transparency and openness in the conduct of government and its officials so that citizens are carried along
5. Governments should provide adequate information on all decisions taken so that the true circumstances of such decisions are understood by all

Religious and Ethnic Leaders

 

• They should refrain from using inciting language and caution their followers from using hate speech to voice their grievances

• That religious and community leaders must always condemn hate speech where it is made

• That religious and community leaders should enlighten the public against hate and dangerous speech 

• That at all times, they should promote dialogue and peaceful resolution of conflicts and support the promotion of inclusivity in all governance programmes and activities at all levels

 

Conclusion    

As a community we seem to close our eyes and assume that we do not see and hear hate speech. Yet the online channels that we youth engage with are becoming saturated with hate and dangerous speech.  This has two major implications. One is that youth who are most impressionable and  are still grappling with socialization issues are likely to get the wrong messages from this. Second we know that youth are often the major combatants in conflicts. That they are,kyr most likely to be mobilized for conflicts purposes are also the ones coming into contact with various shade of hate speech which with explicit call to action that includes not just discrimination of but killings also can spell danger to our country. We therefore urge people community leaders and indeed all people of influence to join the campaign against hate speech.

In this connection, we also call on the join to join the campaign by providing venue for enlightening and educating people against hate speech and also by deliberately refusing to provide space for the spread of hate speech and messages in their medium.

Thanks you.

One of the ways we can assess the commitment of the state governments in developing and promoting the state of education in their states is the performance of their indigenes in different National and Regional examinations. If this stands to be a reliable yardstick, then we can loudly say states in the Northeast need to be more committed so that we can begin to see appreciable performance of the indigenes of their states in those examinations.  For example, in the 2015 WAEC May/June result released in the first quarter of this year, Yobe State came last with only 646 (4.37%) candidates obtaining five credits and above including English and Mathematics out of the fourteen thousand, seven hundred and eight-four students, comprising 10, 807 males and 3,977 females, sat for the examination in the state. Apart from the disheartening performance of Yobe state, none of the Northeast states made it to the best 20 performing states in the ranking. This came at a time when Abia state (1st in the ranking) scored 63.94 per cent with 33, 762 of its 52, 801 candidates obtaining five credits and above including English and Mathematics.

Even with this poor performance of states in the Northeast, we can still commend states like Taraba (21st in the ranking) and Borno (25th in the ranking), specially for Borno State that has been bearing brunt of the insurgency more than any other state in the region. Out of the 21,695 that sat for the examination from Borno, 5,347 got five credits and above, including English and Mathematics. For States like Bauchi (31st in the ranking) and Gombe (34th in the ranking) the performance left us with a huge surprise given that these two states are less hit by insurgency but performing so poorly.

 

It is in view of the above situation that we, the undersigned members of the Northeast Education and Social Accountability Cluster wish to renew our call for state of emergency in the education sector of the states in the Northeast. We also urge that this should go beyond just mere declaration, requiring the states to come up with bold initiatives and corresponding funding and the deployment of transparent and accountable mechanisms for the utilization of the funds for the sector.    

 

While making this call, we as CSOs remain committed to continue exploring various strategies for promoting social accountability in the education sector in the Northeast so that resources deployed to the sector could deliver the desired results.

 

Signed:

1. Kabiru Sa`idu Dakata, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Kano. 08064891110
2. Mohammed G. Wuyo, Borno Coalition for Democracy and Progress (BOCODEP), Borno. 08063309633
3. Enoch Raymond, Centre for Environmental Education and Development (CEED), Taraba. 07065550217
4. Rebecca Hassan, Association of People Living with Disability, Gombe. 08036582745
5. Aishatu Margima, Women and Youth Empowerment for Advancement and Health Initiative (WYEAHI), Adamawa. 08025225194
6. Isah Garba, Bauchi Coalition for Improvement of Public Expenditure Management (BACIPEM), Bauchi. 08064867312
7. Halimatu Laminu, Network of Civil Society Organizations, Yobe. 08025561637
8. Dauda Mohammad, Northeast Youth Initiative Forum(NEYIF),  Yobe. 08035548664
9. Asma`u Joda, Centre for Women and Adolescent Empowerment, Adamawa. 08032917070
10. Ibrahim Yusuf, Society and the Future, Gombe. 08061153231

FOR MONTHLY INSPIRATION SERIES ON 16^TH JUNE 2016

On 16^th June 2016, CITAD organised her 6^th monthly Inspiring Leadership Reflection Interactive Series and the Guest of the day was Hajiya Sa’a Ibrahim of Abubakar Rimi Television. Hajiya Sa’a is the first female Managing Director of Abubakar Rimi Television formerly known as City Television (CTV). Here are highlight from the interactive discussion Hajiya Sa’a had with the staff and friends of CITAD present on that day.

Before Hajiya Saa’s inspirational speech, there was a brief introduction by the Executive Director of CITAD Dr. Y.Z. Ya’u who stressed the relevance of the monthly inspirational series. He said at CITAD we look at people who have made sacrifices and made impact in people’s lives and Hajiya Sa’a Ibrahim was one of those people.

Hajiya Saa talked about how she grew up in an extended family setting where everyone had a role to play and everyone played their part diligently and this contributed positively to her outlook in life. She also talked of a popular saying by her mother “There are many ways to Sabongari market” which implies, there is more than one way to achieve a goal. Hajiya lamented on how youth of present days wait to be spoon fed which is a contrast to how she was brought up. This helped her navigate her way in life without favour to get to where she is today. Many youth wait for the government to help them out when they have the capacity to help themselves.

Hajiya Sa’a Ibrahim capped the talk with some words of reflection: – You have to learn to be responsible, – hard work pays, – Stand on the side of truth no matter the circumstances, – identify a role model, – Never allow any to suffer between the family and the career.

The session was closed after a question and answer session and some CITAD publications were handed to Hajiya Sa’a Ibrahim.

COURTSEY: CITAD MEDIA UNIT

As part of the capacity building mechanisms of its staff and interns, the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has an initiative of organizing a monthly Inspiring Leadership Reflection Session which normally hosts people of robust experience to have a direct interaction with the staff and interns so that they learn from their challenges, failures and successes.

This month, the organization featured Alhaji Sagiru Muhammad MD Intersysyem Institute of Information Technology as guest Speaker for the month. The Executive Director of CITAD Engr. YZ Ya’u in his opening remark observed that the monthly event is meant to serve as experience sharing as well as learning ground for the staff and interns, emphasizing that people like Alh. Sagir Muhammad dedicated their lives to the community services especially for his involvement in IT issues in the community. YZ acknowledged the efforts and contributions of Alh Sagir Muhammad in CITAD activities especially during Annual ICT Quiz among others.

Alhaji Sagir Muhammad who has been into IT businesses for the past 27 years started the lecture with an explanation on leadership, leadership styles and quality of leadership. He then gave the history of his background and how he develops interest in IT.
While motivating the participants he said that passion, determination and commitment are the stepping stones to every success individual. He urged the youths to be innovative, patient, determine and believe in themselves. He said that sometimes at back he involves into politics where he participated in political activities since from PRP during the second republic and for recent served under Alh. Muhammad Sani Abacha as a campaign coordinator. “I am into politics not to make money but as the way to serve the mercies”. Alh Sagir said
The session which lasted for more than three hours has broadly discussed vital issues and allowed the participants to ask questions, comments and make observations. Then Malam Ahmad Abdullahi Yakasai made the vote of thanks and presented some of the CITAD’s publications to the guest speaker.

REPORT ON GIRLS IN ICT DAY Celebration

Report by Hauwa Dauda Atta

 

On the 28th of April 2016, CITAD organised an awareness programme to mark the International Girls in ICT day. The event, held at the NISTF Hall, Kano saw in attendance dignitaries from different works of life. Present were Hajiya Aisha Debola Aminu (Country Director, New Faces New Voices), Hajiya Zainab Abdulkadir Yakasai (Coordinator Consultancy, School of Technology, Kano State Polytechnic), Fatima A. Ibrahim of CITAD, and Asiya H. Abubakar (Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative). The participants were girls from different community-based associations as well as scholarship triaenrns from CITAD.

 

The event started at 11:00am with opening prayer by Asmau Abubakar, and a welcome speech after that by Asmau Abubakar. Next was the brief about Centre for Information Technology and development (CITAD) and about International Girls in ICT day given by Hauwa Dauda Atta of CITAD, where she highlighted the role, vision and mission of CITAD and how it helps the gender inclusion in work places and also how it helps women in the society. She stated the importance of the International girls in ICT day celebration as it helps create awareness to the community on the importance if empowering the girl child to go into technology. The next speaker was Aisha Umar of CITAD who gave a presentation on what ICT is, and the importance of ICT to the society. The final speaker of the day was one of the Special Guest in person of Hajiya Zainab Abdulkadir Yakasai who spoke on opportunities for girls in ICT. Firstly she spoke about her journey as a woman in technology and the challenges she faced and then she elaborated on a list of opportunities for girls who would want to join the technological sphere. Hajiya Fatima A. Ibrahim who also spoke emphasised on the need for girls to boldly go into ICT. She talked on how the world was going global and that women should not be left behind.

 

Next was an interactive session with Harira Wakili leading the session where participants present asked some questions relating to the presentations made and they fed their curiosity. During this session, Hajiya Aisha Debola Aminu said she was impressed with the initiative of International Girls in ICT day, but at the same time not happy with the number of girls present at the event which she expected to be more.

 

The final part of the day was an experience sharing session where Malama Jamila with a diploma in Public Admin is a practicing videographer and photographer. She told the participants about how she fortunately found herself in the profession when she was picked to train as a photographer. After her training she did not stop there, she furthered her education in videography and made sure she practiced. The event ended with closing remarks by Hauwa Dauda Atta and closing prayers by a volunteer.

By Hamza Ibrahim , Media Officer, CITAD

The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has embarked on a weeklong chain of activities aimed advocating for Fast, Affordable, Safe and Transparent Internet access for all in Africa, the advocacy was tagged #FASTAFrica. Activities commenced last Sunday with a press conference on the need to have in place swift and cheap internet in Nigeria, a one hour live radio programme on Monday to sensitize people on the same topic, twitter conference on Tuesday, production of advocacy kits on Wednesday, advocacy visits to the Internet Service Providers ISPs on Thursday and finally engaging relevant stakeholders today Saturday May 7th at the Center for Democratic Research and Training also known as Mambayya House Kano for deliberation on providing speedy, safe and affordable internet in Nigeria.

Giving an opening remark on behalf of the Executive Director, Abdulganiyyu Rufai (Programme Officer Peace) said the objective of the #SwiftandCheapNet campaign is to highlight the need to work with all stakeholders to ensure that the speed of internet is improved, safety mainstreamed in its use, cost is reduced and the level of affordability is enhanced such that more people if not all can be able to access the internet in the country.

Also commenting the chairman of the occasion, Dr. Abdulwahab Lawan who is the Dean Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Bayero University Kano said convening the forum is a welcome development especially at a time when consumers access internet that is not speedy, not reliable and not affordable adding that if education is a right, access to internet must also be a right. Dr. Abdulwahab then said that to ensure speedy, safe, reliable and affordable internet, the government must create an enabling environment while the Internet Service Providers must also be proactive, NGOs like CITAD must not relent in their advocacy for speedy and affordable internet access for all and broadband policy access should be implemented.

Discussants at the event shared their various experiences on the efficiency of internet especially in other countries and in Nigeria citing that the country is left behind in terms efficient and affordable internet demanding that the Internet Service Providers sit up and render quality service to internet users. Hajiya Hauwa Ali of Northwest University lamented how she was forced to stop using a sim card of one of the telecommunication companies and service providers as a result of continuous deduction of her money without the internet service she is forced to pay for.

Finally, the session unanimously agreed to form a coalition that will also pursue the advocacy for speedy, affordable, safe and transparent internet access in Nigeria, and it was tagged ‘Nigeria Internet Users Forum’, and the forum hopes to create presence on Facebook and Twitter,  five coordinators were selected from the media, CSOs, academicians, students, women groups. The event was attended by academics, ISPs, IT Professionals, CSOs, the Media, youth groups, students bodies among others.

Text of Press Conference by Y. Z. Ya’u, Executive Director, Centre for Information Technology and Development delivered on Sunday, 1st May, 2016 at the NSIFT Complex, Kano on the occasion of the Launching of the Campaign #SwiftandCheapNet

INTRODUCTION

I, on behalf of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), welcome you to this press conference, which is aimed at launching our campaign, #SwiftandCheapNet. The campaign is part of an Africa wide campaign code named #FASTAfrica, standing for Fast, Affordable, Safe and Transparent internet for All in Africa. It is a campaign initiated first by the World Wide Web Foundation’s Web We Want and Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) and involving over 30 groups across Africa. CITAD is one of these groups.

The objective of the campaign is to highlight the need to work with all stakeholders to ensure that the speed of internet is improved safety mainstreamed in its use, cost is reduced and the level of affordability is enhanced such that more people, if not all, are able to access and use the internet in the country.

Nigerians access internet that is not only slow but also costly, thus making it difficult for many people to afford it. Internet service providers in the country often hardly keep to any quality of service agreements. This is because there has not been demonstrated capacity on the part of the regulatory to ensure enforcement of such agreements. The regulator itself is not proactive because there has not been sufficient demand from the public for faster and more affordable internet access in the country. This is the result of the fact that the public has poor understanding of the pricing of internet access as well on the working of grievance mechanisms in the sector.

We intend to, during the week long campaign (1-7, May), raise public awareness through a series of public enlightenment programmes that will mobilize the public to demand for faster and more affordable internet access and to engage providers and the regulatory agencies on the need to initiate processes that will improve the speed of internet access and make it cheaper in the country.

THE INTERNET SITUATION IN NIGERIA

It is globally agreed that the internet today is a key tool for development. Whether as an individual or a collective as community, state or nation, it is a key to social-economic transformation. The discourse to recognize access to internet as new category of human rights has reached advance stage.  Given that education is not possible without the internet today, it is too obvious that if education remains a right, the tool to the acquisition of that right must also remain a right.

Given this, it is important for Nigerians to have access to internet that is fast and cheap, hence the hashtag of our campaign, #SwfitandCheapNet. If not, we stand the danger of being left behind. Already the country is coming to the SDGs with huge deficit of the MDGs and therefore it has to cover up this lost ground and move toward achieving the SDGs. In doing this, it must deploy all the arsenals available at its disposal and fast and affordable internet is key.

Current statistics show that by February this year, there are over 214,234,052 connected lines in the country, of which 210,202,453 are GSM. Out of this, active lines were 148,620,359, among which 146,288,370 are GSM. The teledensity stood at 106.16, meaning that every Nigerian out to have at least one active line.  In the same vain, the internet subscription data show that there are there are 93,600,505 internet subscribers on the platforms of the four GSM services providers. This was down from 97,824,017 in November 2015.

Given the fantastic growth of the gsm which has become the major means through which most Nigerians access the internet, it may be tempting to read this as evidence that indeed many Nigerians are able to afford and use the internet. This is far from the true. We know that given the poor quality of services that Nigerians receive from their service providers, many are forced to have three or four lines. In fact, dual sim and quadruple sims are the most common sought after of cellphones in the country.

Data from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) show that Internet penetration for Nigeria in fact stood at 42.68%, meaning that the vast majority of Nigerians do have access to the internet.  Although there is G3 network across many areas of the country, we know that majority Nigerians rely on slow speed from GSM service providers, a situation that discourage many from using the internet. Broadband is still a luxury, limited to just 10% of the internet population (actually 15,740 subscriptions by 2014). Indeed the National Broadband Plan has proposed to move this to 30% by the year 2017. Even if this has been achieved, that means many will still be left with slow speed of Nigerians.

Slow speed has many implications, one of which was recently seen during the JAMB CBT examination. As candidates are auto-timed to respond to questions, a slow internet means that that even before student is able to load the question, his or her time was off and therefore scores zero for that question. This was one of the factors for the mass failure seen this year.

But slow spend has also implication in cost of use of the internet. As service is slow, your data get exhausted without getting the information you wish to upload or download. In fact, many cannot upload video or download same. Without streaming, the use of the internet as a platform for delivery learning is constrained. The single most important inhibitor to the roll out of e-learning in the country is the cost of bandwidth. Instead, so many schools that have VSAT donated to have seen these dishes become decorative material as neither the schools nor their parent ministries are able to pay the bandwidth for the schools to continue to access and use internet.

Affordability is measured by the cost of access. While in general affordability is relative, it can be contextualized within the cost of living of the society and this allow for cross-community comparison. One indicator of affordability is the comparative price of fixed broadband price as percentage of household disposable income. The ITU set a cap of 5% of disposable income as affordable. Whereas the price in Ireland for example is 0.37% of the disposable income, in Nigeria, it is 35.06%, meaning that to afford fixed broadband in Nigeria, one has to spend 35% of their household income. This shows that the low level of affordability of internet in the country.

Both speed and affordability are shaped by available internet infrastructure in the country and the proactiveness of the regulatory agencies.  With respect to the infrastructure, government is still to demonstrate commitment to ensure that Nigerians have access to high speed internet. While there are several submarine cables that have landed in the country, the inland connection has not been well developed. Fiber links are limited to a few citizens. The National Broadband plan has remained more of a beautiful document than one that is rigorously being implemented. The infrastructure profile of the country can be seen from the ITU computed ICT development Index (IDI) which for 2013 ranked Nigeria as number 133 out of 186 countries, a slight improve and from 2012 when the country was No 135. Even within the African continent, Nigeria was ranked number 14, below countries such Senegal, Ghana South Africa, Mauritius, etc.

On the part of service providers, they complained about the high costs of right of way resulting in the high cost of leasing transmission infrastructure; long delays in the processing of permits; multiple taxation at Federal, State, and Local Government levels and having to deal with multiple regulatory bodies; damage to existing fiber infrastructure as a result of cable theft, road works and other operations; and the lack of reliable, clean grid electricity supply. These are in their view in the domain of government to address.

On the side of regulatory agency, the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) has responsible to regulate the sector. It is only recent that it has awakened up to its responsibility. But even as we notice an appreciable level of proactive regulatory oversight, more has to be done. Enforcement of quality standards, effective dispute resolution mechanisms and customer protection services have to be rigorously pursued.

DEMANDS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Given the state of internet service in the country, we would like to make the following recommendations and calls.

Governments

• Address obstacles for the expansion and deployment of network rings by the ISPs
• Review and implement the National Broadband Plan Network
• Ensure that the bridging affordability principle embedded in the establishment of the Universal Service Provision Fund is driven through diligent auditing of programmes, projects and initiative undertaken by the agency
• Improve power supply as key factor in determining the cost of service by service providers
• Ensure that all internet-related laws and policies are clear, transparent and in line with the principles contained in the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms

Regulatory Agencies

• Ensure that all ISPs operate within the law and within acceptable limits of Quality of Service agreement
• Engage in proactive oversight to ensure compliance with quality of service agreement
• Engage government with a view to addressing obstacles to network expansion and rollout of addition networks by service providers
• There is need to license more ISPs over the current 25 to ensure good competition that can drive quality of service
• Direct USPF to drive connection in rural areas than just providing computers. While computers are important, without access to affordable bandwidth, these computers will remain underutilized.

ISPs

• Take active steps to improve speedy and reduce coat of access to their services
• Ensure that they provide transparent quality service agreement that their clients can hold them accountable to
• Expand their network coverage and capacity to reduce congestion that reduce speedy
• Internalize and apply the “Respect, Protect and Remedy” framework to fulfill their duties to uphold internet rights in line with African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedom

The Public

• Join the campaign for fast and affordable internet in the country
• Ensure that you report any degradation from standard quality threshold that you signed with your service providers
• Insist on compensation to loss of service or poor quality that you get from your ISPs
• Support and promote the adaptation of the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms by our governments
• Educate others about their rights and freedoms relating to the internet

CONCLUSION

We hope that the media will amplify e message contained in this press conference that all stakeholders need to work to ensure that we have fast and cheap internet in the country. We thank you for honoring our invitation and for the support and cooperation you have been giving us. We equally wish to invite you to the Stakeholders Forum on Improving Internet Speed that will hold on 7th May, 2016

In continuation of its monthly leadership inspiring and interactive session for its staff and interns, the Center for Information and Technology and Development (CITAD) has hosted renown and successful trader Alhaji Murtala Bala Maisallah, the CEO of SB Maisallah & Sons Nig. Limited as guest lecturer for this month. Giving an opening remark of behalf of the Executive Director of the center, the senior programs officer Kabiru Sa’idu Dakata said the lecture is being organized monthly in order to boost staff capacity. The guest speaker also said the slogan of ‘nothing good comes easy’ is still operational in every human endeavor, as such determination yields result especially with regards to working in an active organization like CITAD. After taking the participants into his rich profile and responding to questions and comments from the staff, Alhaji Murtala enjoined the staff to embrace research and learning at all cost and every time because of the role they play in their career. The session ended with a presentation of some publications of the organization to the guest.  

Following the recurring fire incidence in Kano markets metropolis, the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has organized a policy intervention lecture with a view to proffering tangible solutions to devastating fire outbreaks. The lecture which was themed ‘’GIS Based Fire Incident Emergency Response: A case study of Kano urban markets’’ draws various stake holders in order to develop a robust framework towards salvaging the markets from fire outbreak.

Giving his welcome remarks, Executive Director of the center Dr. YZ Ya’u noted that fire incidences especially of recent are quite alarming while ways of averting their occurrence can be effectively developed using technology and functional equipment, and geographical information system (GIS) can be utilized to achieve that. YZ Ya’u recounts how some relevant scholarly researches conducted can help prevent fire incidences but were not being used because either they policy makers did know about them or they were simply not interested in applying them. He added that this dialogue had purposely brought the research community, the policy makers, the trader communities and the civil society groups so that a collective strategy could be developed in preventing future occurrences of such devastating fire incidence.

Also commenting, the chairman of the occasion Prof. Mustapha Hassan Bichi of Civil Engineering Department BUK maintained that the lecture came at the right time saying fire incidence is one of the many natural disasters that requires emergency response, and to have a very good response you need to have a good plan, functional necessary tools, and make sure there are adequate trained personnel to execute the plan.

The paper presenter, Malam Nura Rabiu of KNUPDA observed that in the last five months Kano has witnessed four devastating market fires which included GSM Market, Kurmi Market, Singer Market and Sabon Gari the most recent and devastating in which 3,800 shops were burnt with properties worth N2 trillion. Nura Rabiu regretted that the loss suffered is touching and therefore requires collective effort as well as deployment of technology such as GIS to prevent future occurrence and provide quick emergency response. He said while southern states have been using GIS technique in terms of crime management and fire disaster, the north which has greatly suffered from fire outbreaks is yet to benefit from the technology. Application of GIS can simply give location of the fire, quick route to the scene, the available fire station around, hydrants to use and also sticking to the three minutes international standard response time, Nura added.

The presenter also noted that distribution of the fire stations within the metropolis has a higher concentration in the core city. However, it is clearly envisaged that the spatial relation between the markets and the fire stations is virtually nonexistent as only Sabon Gari Market is provided with the facility (fire station). He recommended that:

1. Kano state fire service should build a database management system for effective fire incident emergency response and other rescue operations.
2. Where the resources are limited to meet the international standard, fire hydrants should be provided. This covers reactivating the existing ones within the markets (e.g. Sabon Gari Market Plan).
3. Planning authority should consider emergency issues for Market layout design to ensure quick response.
4. Development control measures by the planning Authority should be more proactive so as to ensure compliance with the approved plans.
5. Single Power Source should be provided and be controlled by market management.

Some of the challenges highlighted during the lecture included:

• Barriers created either by the merchants or authorities which easy passage of the fire service vehicles.
• Hydrants are no longer functional.
• Fires are not discovered at the early stage.
• Fire service lack adequate and up to date firefighting equipment.
• Traders lack basic sensitization on fire occurrence and safety measures.
• Some people smoke and drop cigarette filters within the markets.
• Many roads are completely blocked.
• Impunity on the side of KNUPDA by allowing illegal structures.
• Absence of emergency and safety measure within the market vicinity.

Recommendations made during the lecture also included:

• Government should use relevant researches conducted in the past aimed at ending fire outbreak and providing emergency response and safety measures.
• KNUPDA should be impartial in the discharge of its duties, stop illegal structures accordingly.
• Short emergency numbers need to created, made available as well as get well circulated or disseminated.
• Traders need to be sensitized on switching off electrical appliances while closing their shops.
• Sustainable plans must be in place and executed.
• The model/lecture should be designed in native language and particularly Hausa in order to target a number of traders and the populace in general.
• Fire service should have a unit dedicated to strategic positions/locations.
• People must develop attitudinal change.
• Fire service should stick to the three minutes international standard response time to fire outbreak.
• Fire service should also develop a database, not wait for anybody to report fire outbreak but use GIS to monitor and receive alarm of fire incidence.
• There should be collaboration between fire service, planning and development agency, and other related bodies.
• Markets security personnel must be trained and go on daily/routine patrol to ensure prevention of sad occurrence.
• Real nature of the markets need to be studied in order to develop functional solutions.
• The markets need to be decentralized in order to ensure decongestion.
• Politicians, civil servants should stop interfering in the operations of KNUPDA.
• Traders must stop illegal and unnecessary extensions.
• There should be strong laws on illegal extensions.
• Every shop should have a fire extinguisher.
• People need to be security conscious.
• The water board should have a raw water network for firefighting, direct it to appropriate places like the hydrants in the markets.
• Government should provide reservoirs that use natural gravity to get water into appropriate pipes.
• Government should implement the necessary recommendations.

The lecture was attended by academics, civil society groups, traders form various markets, fire service personnel, SEMA, KNUPDA, media and many other guests.

 

 

Dear members of the press. We welcome you to this press conference. THE
ACTORS
Members of the Press, we wish to welcome you to this important press conference. We are hereas members of the North East Social Accountability Cluster with the Centre for InformationTechnology and Development (CITAD) as its anchor. The cluster is established with the specialgoal of mobilizing all stakeholders towards improving Social accountability in the educationsector of the northeast with particular focus on promoting reforms that increase access to, andgovernance within the education sector in North East Nigeria.
PRELUDE
North Eastern part of the country is facing many challenges among which the poor state of education iscritical. The region has the worst education statistics in Nigeria. Male adult literacy rate is low with allstates in the region having lower than national average rates. In fact Yobe and Borno have the lowestnationally with 31.9% and 35.1% respectively. The corresponding figures for female adult literacy are14.9 and 18.0% respectively for the two states. The performances of the states in both NECO and WAEC have been the lowest of the country. A Survey showed that percentage of children between 6 and 16 who have never attended school has high prevalence in the following states: Borno 72 percent, Yobe 58 percent and Bauchi 52 percent. Only about 20% of all school age girls get to attend school. The North East zone of the country has certain peculiarities which are that it is the region with the highest rate of maternal mortality rate as well as at lowest on the poverty index. Such high mortality rate is an indication of the poor status of women. The region is also further adversely affected by conflict and insurgency.
Between July and September last year, CITAD commissioned a survey on the state of education in the sixstates of the northeast. The findings confirmed the comatose state of education in the region. The reportfor each state was presented to key stakeholders in the respective states. As part of the efforts to engageall stakeholders towards a collective agenda for the revamping of the education sector in the region, theCluster in December convened a national stakeholder event to present the reports in Abuja. This wasattended by Ministries of Education from all the states, members of legislature from all the states, othereducation related agencies from the states, parents/ teachers associations and representatives of civilsociety organizations. Following deliberation on the reports, participants agreed to, among other things,call on state governments in the north east to declare state of emergency on education. The Bauchi ExampleIt is in this light that we welcome the announcement of the Bauchi State government for declaring state ofemergency on the education sector and the inauguration of a committee that is saddled with theresponsibility of 1. studying and reviewing the existing policies on education in the state 2. to monitor and evaluate the implementation of these policies; 3. to make appropriate recommendations incidental to the assignment of the committee 4. To co-opt any officer that is relevant to the assignment. This committee has been given eight weeks within which to complete the assignment and submitits report to government for quick and immediate intervention in the sector.We commend the Bauchi State Government for taking this wise decision. This is an actionworthy of commendation and we pray that the outcome of the committee’s exercise will lead toimprovement of the education sector of the state. We will like to urge the Bauchi StateGovernment not to rest its oars by just making pronouncement and leaving it at that. Declarationof State of Emergency without bold initiatives and corresponding funding and the deployment oftransparent and accountable mechanisms for the utilization of the funds will come to nothing. We
equally call on both the Government and the State of Emergency Committee to engage all stakeholders such as civil society organizations, parent, community leaders, etc.
A CALL TO THE OTHER STATES
In the same vain we call on the other states of Adamawa, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe totake the same step as that of Bauchi so as to release the educational sector of the region from the brink of total collapse. This call is necessary at this time considering the fallen standard of education in the region and the need to address that to free the region from other problems thatpoor status of education have given birth to.Signed:
1. Isah Garba, Bauchi Coalition for Improvement of Public Expenditure Management(BACIPEM), Bauchi. 08064867312
2. Kabiru Sa`idu Dakata, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD),Kano. 08064891110
3. Mohammed G. Wuyo, Borno Coalition for Democracy and Progress (BOCODEP),Borno. 08063309633
4. Enoch Raymond, Centre for Environmental Education and Development (CEED),Taraba. 07065550217
5. Rebecca Hassan, Association of People Living with Disability, Gombe. 08036582745
6. Aishatu Margima, Women and Youth Empowerment for Advancement and HealthInitiative (WYEAHI), Adamawa. 08025225194
\7. Halimatu Laminu, Network of Civil Society Organizations, Yobe. 08025561637
8. Dauda Mohammad, Northeast Youth Initiative Forum(NEYIF), Yobe. 08035548664
9. Asma`u Joda, Centre for Women and Adolescent Empowerment, Adamawa.08032917070
10. Ibrahim Yusuf, Society and the Future, Gombe. 08061153231

REPORT OF THE WOMEN APP DEVELOPER JAM ORGANISED BY CITAD DURING THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN DAY IN KANO ON

 

Metrics

How many turned up in total     : 47

Male Attendees                            : 13

Female Attendees                        : 34

 

 

Summary:

Introduction

On Saturday, 14^th March, CITAD as part of its celebration of the International Women’s Day held a one-day training for girls on mobile apps development. The event, code named Women App Developers Jam held at the main training lab of CITAD and was attended by 34 girls from Bayero University, Kano and other nearly institutions.

Topics for the Event:

Introduction to android

History and architecture of Android

Android market share

Building App i: Android Make-up (App Fashionista)

Building App ii: Recipe App

Entrepreneurial Talk

Monetizing App: Google pay and ad mobs

Overall Objective:

As one of the leading organizations advocating for digital inclusion, we intended to bring more women into mobile apps development as their representation in ICT is so low that serious intervention is required. The event was thus to introduce them to android architecture and the potential marketplace for their android apps. As a way of exposing them to entrepreneurial component of App development, we gave them entrepreneurial talk during the event and also exposed them to the best way they can monetize their apps using ad mobs and android pay.

 

Success Highlights:

With this event, we were able to reach out to a reasonable number of female enthusiasts, raised their interest in IT (App development in particular), raised their level from mare technology users to technology inventor, and above all clear away the stereotype that women cannot be technologist /inventors. As an outcome, we were able to develop two Apps in an interactive mentoring style with them. A team of women enthousisast was formed with the aim of creating a forum for mentorship in app development.

Challenges:

One major challenge faced was the background of the attendees, many of them were eager to learn, but they had no previous adequate knowledge that could be built on which made the core part of the programme sounded gibberish to them, making some leave before the end of the programme as such, making the programme not as successful as planned.

 

Key Learning:

One new thing that served as a lesson after the event was that it would always be a good idea to first sample the participants knowing their background in programming before actually going into it, so as to enable facilitators come lower to their understanding.

 

Follow-up Actions:

The two android apps developed during this event would be made available to the participants so that those interested could build on them and improve on them. We also intend to create a forum where participants could ask questions in order to solve problems they encountered during practice. In addition, CITAD is planning to have a more women centered apps development event series in order to further enlighten those interested in apps development.

 

 

CITAD’s head of HR Mr. Ado presenting the guest with some of CITAD work.

 

As part of the capacity building mechanisms of its staff and interns, the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has an initiative of organizing a monthly Inspiring Leadership Reflection Session which normally hosts people of robust experience to have a direct interaction with the staff and interns so that they learn from their challenges, failures and successes.

executive director of CITAD Dr. YZ Ya’u in his opening remark Left and Hajiya Salamatu Garba, the executive director of Women

 

Hajia Asma’u of CITAD asking question during the session

CITAD Senior Programme Officer during the session

This month, the organization featured Hajiya Salamatu Garba, the executive director of Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN), formerly an academic and presently an advocate of youths and women empowerment who took a career in development work for the past twenty three (23) years. Passion, determination and commitment are the stepping stones to every zealous person, youths should be innovative, believe in themselves, be community development oriented, Hajiya Salamatu Garba said among other things.

Earlier, the executive director of CITAD Dr. YZ Ya’u in his opening remark observed that the monthly event is meant to serve as experience sharing as well as learning ground for the staff and interns, emphasizing that people like Hajiya Salamatu Garba who dedicated their lives to community service are the caliber of personalities who give inspiration and shape young peoples’ lives with the necessary essentials of excelling in their commitments.

The session which lasted for more than three hours has broadly discussed vital issues and allowed the participants to ask questions, comments and make observations, it finally ended with a presentation of publications of the organization to Hajiya Salamatu Garba and group photograph with the resource person.  It could be recalled that a veteran journalist Umar Sa’idu Tudun Wada (UST) was also featured for the same interactive session last month.

Umar Sa’id Tudun Wada addressing participants

E.D of CITAD Dr. YZ addressing Participants Umar Sa’id Tudun Wada

The monthly Inspiring Leadership Reflection and Interaction Series of the Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) this month featured prominent broadcast journalist and consultant Umar Sa’id Tudun Wada. UST as he is popularly known is an icon in the broadcast industry with 35 years experience in both local and international media. He has done remarkably well in his career and that made him stand tall among peers. UST has worked with many public, private and international media organizations which include NTA, ARTV, DW Radio, Voice of America (VOA), lastly as General Manager Freedom Radio Kano for 13 years. The nearly four hours interaction has given the participants chance to listen and ask questions on the achievements and challenges of the broadcaster. His vast experience, triumphs, challenges have no doubt taught and inspired the staff and interns of CITAD. Earlier in his opening remark, Executive Director of the center, Dr. YZ Ya’u noted that the purpose of the monthly session is to further develop the capacity of the staff and interns of the organization by inviting people who have exciting life and leadership experience to share so as the participants learn from them. It could be recalled that last month, historian and educationist Professor Haruna Wakili of BUK was also featured for the same lecture series. This is an important initiative and avenue for practical learning and it will as well improve our capacity and productivity in the organization, said a staff.

CITAD charts a way forward for Nigerian Youth by Hamza Ibrahim, Media Officer, CITAD

The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has formally presented a policy brief entitled ‘’Beyond Winning the Minds: Youth, Peace Building and Entrepreneurship. The brief presentation which took place on Wednesday 10th February 2016 at the American Corner, Murtala Muhammed Library Kano has addressed critical issues regarding youth, peace building and entrepreneurship. It recommended that the government, civil society groups and development partners, philanthropies and foundations take certain actions thereby positively engaging the youth in order to prevent their vulnerability to social vices which hamper societal progress.

Youth are arguably the bedrock of any society, their optimum utilization yields effective and lasting developmental outcomes while neglecting them invites and exposes them to all kinds of problems which normally leads to underdevelopment, too much burden on the governments, unemployment, recruitment base for thuggery, robbery and insurgency. These and other numerous challenges are the reasons why the youth demand a considerable attention from especially our governments, foundations/philanthropies and civil society organizations.

In her presentation entitled ‘’Beyond Winning The Minds: Youth, Peace Building and Entrepreneurship’’, Aisha Ahmad Is’haq of CITAD observed that the budgetary allocation to youth from 2013 to 2015 kept decreasing despite the growing number of youth in the country, this she said shows lack of commitment to the youth and therefore renders them to unwanted acts. However, the youth from their side need to understand that they don’t need to wait for the government to come to their rescue but should instead be as productive and entrepreneurial minded so that the society will be proud of them.

Peace is the driving force of all progress and development, therefore the youth and everyone in the society needs to shun all acts capable of tempering the existence of peace. And the youth normally suffer greatly the consequences of conflicts, the Boko Haram insurgency has claimed thousands of lives of youth which should have been in many sectors of the economy performing various important tasks. Therefore, as youth we should be mindful of the importance of peace in our lives and the role it plays in shaping our lives as well.

Entrepreneurship is also another critical area which youth need to massively venture into because there are unlimited chances and benefits, the government itself functions well with manufacturing industries, textiles, private companies, small scale businesses, agriculture which all are products of sound ideas developed by youth. And now there are many foundations, governments and individuals who are willing to offer take-up and support to youth with sound entrepreneurial ideas.

Aisha Ahmad concluded with appealed to governments at various levels to provide adequate budgetary allocation to education, health, agriculture and youth-related programmes, in particular, meeting the UNESCO, WHO and Moputo Declaration Benchmark, mainstream youth participation in governance including at both executive and legislative wings and also mainstream peace building as component of youth development programmes as well as mainstream entrepreneurship in peace building programme of government.

The Policy Brief presentation session was attended by United Action for Democracy (UAD), Northwest University Young Enterpreneurs Club (NUYEC), Mass Movement for Societal Development (MMSD), Mufarka Youth Association, Youth Mobilization Via Media, Center for Young Peoples Advancement and Community Development (CYPAC), Kano Youth Coalition for Advocacy and Development (KAYCAD), Youth Society for the Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Social Vices (YOSPIS), students from BUK, FUK, SRCOE, FCE Kano, ABU Zaria, Kano Poly and the media (Blueprint Newspaper, Peoples Daily Newspaper, Freedom Radio, Express Radio, Rahama Radio, Cool/Wazobia FM).

’Beyond Winning the Minds: Youth, Peace Building and Entrepreneurship is produced as part of the Peace Campaign that CITAD has implementing with support from MacArthur Foundation. This brings the number of policy briefs produced under the project by CITAD to four. Others include one on cattle rustling, one the Plight of IDPs in the Northeast, while the fourth is on the Government Strategy for ending the insurgency.