CITAD SENSITIZES TUNGAN ASHERE COMMUNITY IN FCT ON COMMUNITY NETWORKS

CITAD SENSITIZES TUNGAN ASHERE COMMUNITY IN FCT ON NETWORK CONNECTION BASED ON LOCAL ENTITY AND THE MARCH OF BARRICADING GAP OF NETWORK CONNECTION TODAY 20th AUGUST, 2021.

On its continued efforts to link communities with networks and have access to affordable networks, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) had today 20th August 2021 sensitized the Tungan Ashere community on community network connection based.

The sensitization campaign is part of a larger activity of the Centre on Supporting Community-led Approaches to Addressing the Digital Divide Nigeria which is being coordinated globally by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) with support from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) through their Digital Access Programme (DAP).

As network problem is becoming rampant in Nigeria, in accessing services such as voice call, text message, and Internet access as a result of the lack of community networks in Nigeria.

The community networks project sensitization program has already been implemented in other communities in the country; Jama’are and Itas in Bauchi, Dakwa in Abuja all are among the communities that are benefiting from the program.

This sensitization program was held at Tugan Ashere Community FCT.

The program started with a definition of community network and its benefits to the communities; these are some of the major contents that were discussed during the by CITAD technical officer Engineer Suhail Sani
among other topics that were discussed include service render by community network, regulatory conditions of the project, and sustainability issues for the community networks.

Also, part of the discussions was the linkages of the communities to open access to networks.

Religious leaders, youth representatives, and traditional rulers were among the participants that attended the sensitization. In the end, participants asked questions and offered contributions.

CITAD, Others to Form Coalition to Promote Community Networks, Digital Inclusion

THE Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) and other stakeholders have resolved to form a coalition aimed at popularising community networks as a tool to address digital divide by promoting and popularising digital inclusion in the country, a communiqué at the end of a consultative meeting of civil society organisations on community network hosted by CITAD, has revealed.

YZ Ya’u Executive Director CITAD

The communiqué, signed by Y. Z. Ya’u, CITAD’s Executive Director, at the end of the one-day consultative meeting held virtually via Zoom on Tuesday July 27, 2021, and attended by over 40 CSOs from different parts of the country, noted that CITAD convened the meeting as part of its project on supporting community-led approaches to addressing the digital divide in Nigeria.

The meeting, the communiqué also stated, resolved that stakeholders should commence the sensitisation of their community members about the importance and benefit of community network; conduct sustained advocacy for the national telecommunications regulator to come up with a national policy framework for community networks in the country and support the collective effort to address the multifarious dimensions of the digital divide in the country.

According to the communiqué, the meeting was part of a larger project on community networks coordinated globally by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) with support from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through its Digital Access Programme (DAP).

Community networks, the communiqué explained, comprise telecommunications infrastructure deployed and operated by local groups to meet their own communication needs as well as communications infrastructure designed and erected to be managed for use by local communities.

These communication needs can be voice, data, etc. and can be point of convergence for community to come together to address their common community problems, the communiqué further stated.

The resolutions were drawn from deliberations and observations of participating stakeholders who explored the possibility of a joint advocacy for the government to develop a policy framework for the community networks after noting that at the present, the country does not have a policy for community networks, a situation that has hampered evolution and growth.

For instance, participants at the meeting observed that there is no policy or regulation to recognise community networks as distinct operators with appropriate conditions for their operations and that at the moment there are over 100 “unserved or underserved communities who are digitally excluded in the country.”

Participants also observed that although there are over 298,823,195 (two hundred and ninety-eight million, eight hundred and twenty-three thousand, one hundred and ninety-five) connected lines out of which 297,536,702 ((two hundred and ninety-seven million, five hundred and thirty-six thousand, seven hundred and two) were said to be active in the country, only about 40% of these are connected to the internet, meaning that internet penetration in the country covers only about 40% of the population.

Participants also noted that most of the blind areas are in either hard-to-reach rural communities or poor communities due largely to the challenge of affordability, a situation which compelled operators not to provide connectivity to them as it would be unprofitable.

While the meeting noted that the NCC is favourably disposed to midwifing the policy framework for community networks, it however observed that there are still many challenges that have to be addressed for community networks to sustainably flourish.

Stressing that community networks will bring opportunities for direct access to education and health care for rural residents, participants considering the existing gaps, therefore resolved to pursue the popularisation of community networks which they believed will serve as catalyst to addressing digital divide, among other challenges.

CITAD: STAKEHOLDERS WANT EXPEDITED ACTION ON NATIONAL COMMUNITY NETWORKS POLICY

By Abdallah el-Kurebe

Participants rise from a civil society consultative meeting on community networks with a call on the federal government to expedite action on the development of national community networks.

Community networks is a telecommunications infrastructure deployed and operated by a local group to meet their own communication needs and also a communications infrastructure, designed and erected to be managed for use by local communities.

“The national regulator should hasten the processes of articulating a National Community Networks Policy for the country,” the participants urged government.

The one-day meeting, held virtually on July 27 2021 and attended by over 40 CSOs from different parts of Nigeria, was convened by the Centre for Information Technology and Development, CITAD.

The meeting was to, among other things, sensitize the civil society organizations on the importance of community networks as a tool for addressing the digital divide, as well as explore the possibility of a joint advocacy for the government to develop a policy framework for the community networks.

A communique issued at the end of the meeting and signed by the executive director of the centre, Mr YZ Yau on Wednesday, noted “that at the present, the country does not have policy for community networks, a situation that has hampered their evolution and growth.”

Read part of the communique below:

The meeting featured four presentations as follows:

  1. Concept and Benefits of Community Network
  2. Community Network in Practice: Experience from of Fauntsuam Foundation
  3. Community Networks in Africa
  4. The Policy Vacuum with Respect to Community Networks in Nigeria

Observations

Participants observed that:

  1. There is no policy or regulation to recognize community networks as distinct operators with appropriate conditions for their operations
  2. That at the moment there are over 100 unserved or underserved communities who are digitally excluded in the country
  3. That although there are over 298,823,195 connected lines out of which 297,536,702 were said to be active in the country, only about 40% of these are connected to the internet, meaning that internet penetration in the country covers only about 40% of the population.
  4. That most of the blind areas are in either hard to reach, rural communities or poor communities where affordability is a problem, hence the market mechanism is not able to provide connectivity to them since it would be unprofitable.
  5. That although the Nigerian Communication Commission is favourably disposed to midwifing the policy framework for community networks, there are still many challenges that have to be addressed for community networks to flourish and be sustainable in the country
  6. Community network will bring opportunities for direct access to education and health care for rural residents

Recommendations

Participants, believing that community networks have immense benefits in addition to providing veritable tool for bridging the digital divide In the country, recommend that:

  1. The national regulator should hasten the processes of articulating a National Community Networks Policy for the country
  2. That NCC should formal regulations allowing the use of TVWS technologies to address access challenges have yet to be issued
  3. That community networks should be categorized as a different layer of operators and be given license exempt
  4. That community networks should be considered as start –ups and be eligible to national support systems for start ups
  5. Efforts should be made in expanding high speed network and network infrastructure to underserved rural communities
  6. Government through USPF, NCC and NITDA should facilitate the setting up of community networks centres at rural and hard to reach areas
  7. That government should support an initiative that offers free or subsidized spectrums to local communities

Resolution

The participants unanimously resolved to form a CSO Coalition on Community Networks with the following objectives:

  1. Popularize community networks as catalyst tool for addressing digital divide and promoting digital inclusion in the country
  2. Sensitizing their community members about the importance and benefit of community network
  3. To conduct sustained advocacy for the national telecommunications regulator to come up with a national policy framework for community networks in the country
  4. Support effort by all stakeholders to address the multifarious dimensions of the digital divide in Nigeria.

 

COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF A ONE-DAY CIVIL SOCIETY CONSULTATIVE MEETING ON COMMUNITY NETWORKS CONVENED BY CENTRE FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT (CITAD)

The Centre for Information technology and development (CITAD) as part of its project on Supporting Community-led Approaches to Addressing the Digital Divide in Nigeria which is part of larger project on community networks coordinated globally by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) with support from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through its Digital Access Programme (DAP), convened a once day consultative meeting of Civil Society Organizations on Community Networks. Community networks is a telecommunications infrastructure deployed and operated by a local group to meet their own communication needs and also a communications infrastructure, designed and erected to be managed for use by local communities. This communication needs can be voice, data, etc. and can be point of convergence for community to come together to address their common community problems.

The meeting, attended by over 40 CSOs from different parts of the country was held online using zoom on July 27 was meant to sensitize them on the importance of community networks as a tool for addressing the digital divide. Additionally, it was meant to explore the possibility of a joint advocacy for the government to develop a policy framework for the community networks, noting that at the present, the country does not have a policy for community networks t, a situation that has hampered their evolution and growth. 

The meeting featured four presentations as follows:

  1. Concept and Benefits of Community Network
  2. Community Network in Practice: Experience from of Fauntsuam Foundation
  3. Community Networks in Africa
  4. The Policy Vacuum with Respect to Community Networks in Nigeria

Observations

Participants observed that:

  1. There is no policy or regulation to recognize community networks as distinct operators with appropriate conditions for their operations 
  2. That at the moment there are over 100 unserved or underserved communities who are digitally excluded in the country
  3. That although there are over 298,823,195 connected lines out of which 297,536,702 were said to be active in the country, only about 40% of these are connected to the internet, meaning that internet penetration in the country covers only about 40% of the population.
  4. That most of the blind areas are in either hard to reach, rural communities or poor communities where affordability is a problem, hence the market mechanism is not able to provide connectivity to them since it would be unprofitable. 
  5. That although the Nigerian Communication Commission is favourably disposed to midwifing the policy framework for community networks, there are still many challenges that have to be addressed for community networks to flourish and be sustainable in the country
  6. Community network will bring opportunities for direct access to education and health care for rural residents

Recommendations

Participants, believing that community networks have immense benefits in addition to providing veritable tool for bridging the digital divide In the country, recommend that:

  1. The national regulator should hasten the processes of articulating a National Community Networks Policy for the country 
  2. That NCC should formal regulations allowing the use of TVWS technologies to address access challenges have yet to be issued
  3. That community networks should be categorized as a different layer of operators and be given license exempt 
  4. That community networks should be considered as start –ups and be eligible to national support systems for start ups 
  5. Efforts should be made in expanding high speed network and network infrastructure to underserved rural communities
  6. Government through USPF, NCC and NITDA should facilitate the setting up of community networks centres at rural and hard to reach areas
  7. That government should support an initiative that offers free or subsidized spectrums to local communities

Resolution 

The participants unanimously resolved to form a CSO Coalition on Community Networks with the following objectives:

  1. Popularize community networks as catalyst tool for addressing digital divide and promoting digital inclusion in the country 
  2. Sensitizing their community members about the importance and benefit of community network 
  3. To conduct sustained advocacy for the national telecommunications regulator to come up with a national policy framework for community networks in the country 
  4. Support effort by all stakeholders to address the multifarious dimensions of the digital divide in Nigeria.

Signed

Y Z. Yaú

Executive Director 

REPORT OF THE COMMENCEMENT LECTURE OF SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ACCOUNTABILITY (SM4A) CONDUCTED ON THE 29TH OF JUNE, 2021 AT CITAD OFFICE

The Centre for Information Technology and Development had on the 29th of June, 2021 held a commencement lecture for its Social Media for Accountability (SM4A) Training which is being supported by the Macarthur Foundation at its Social Media Lab. The lecture was organized to sensitize the first thirty selected participants out of the hundreds applications received who will benefit from the program. At the commencement lecture, Dr. Nura Ibrahim, Head of Department, Information and Media Studies, Bayero University, Kano presented a paper title Youth, Social Media and Making of Accountability Governance in Nigeria while Professor Ismail A. Zango, Director Mambayya served as the chairman of the occasion.

 

In his opening remarks at the commencement lecture, the Executive Director, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Engineer Yunusa Zakari Ya’u who was represented by the organization’s Training Coordinator, Malam Ahmad Abdullahi Yakasai said the reason behind coming up with idea of the Social Media for Accountability Training is to equip and train Youth on how best to use the social media for accountability and to see to the creation of New Nigeria where justice and accountability will prevail. He continued to say that social media provided an avenue for people to inject their voice and many individuals are using social media without tapping its potentials and how best it will benefit them and their country. He urged the selected beneficiaries to utilize the resources that will be provided during the training in order advocate for a better society using their different social media platforms.  

Remarking at the event, the chairman of the event, Professor Zango mentioned that some social media users, influencers and self-styled warriors are using their social media platforms and fringe websites to proliferate misinformation and fake news, for just growing their online followership. Zango also added that youth can use social media to bring about positive changes and reforms in the country. Also social media can be used to hold government officials accountable for their action which in normal circumstances cannot be done. The chairman urged the beneficiating youth to verify any information or news before posting it on social media and post genuine and accurate information on their social media platforms in order to draw the attention of our leaders for accountability. At the end, he cautioned the youth against using the social media for blackmail and sharing of fake news.

 

Presenting his paper at the commencement lecture, Dr. Nura charged the youth to be good ambassadors of their communities. While presenting, Dr. Nura said technology can serve as a powerful tool for public opinion that could compel leaders to be accountable saying that if there is an issue with national interest, youth should take it to the social media, make an issue of it, and demand accountability from the parties concerned.

 

However, Dr. Nura cautioned social media users to discern between credible information from malicious posts, adding that if one stands on the path of truth, he can’t do anything against the truth but for the truth. Giving example with power of social media, Dr. Nura said apart from organising protests, the social media has been used to also hasten the speed of activities relating to governance in different spheres. In 2021, there was a case of crisis in Wukari of Taraba state, with people getting injured and killed. Internet users quickly uploaded the information on Twitter, calling on the Police to come to the community’s aid. Shortly afterwards, the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) responded via Twitter that officers had been deployed, and the issue addressed. 

 

At the end, Dr. Ibrahim said Social media have revolutionized the way people communicate. In Nigeria, youths, who have higher levels of affinity with the social media, are using it to achieve different ends. It holds lots of potential for news, information, entertainment, mobilization, interaction and expression.

Taiyakodin

Taiyakodin (She knows how to code!)is a CITAD program targeted at young girls. This is a build up on both the digital livelihood project and the digital summer institute for young women between the ages of 18 – 30 years, the prgramme teaches then how to programme and develop mobile apps.

ABUJA DIGITAL LIVELIHOOD PROJECT FOR YOUNG WOMEN/YOUTHS

Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) in partnership with Action Aid Nigeria (AAN), organized a digital skills training for men and women in the grass root communities within the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The purpose of the training is to equip youths from hard to reach locations with skills that will enhance their knowledge and experience on computer system and how it can be used to access vast opportunities for community developments. The training includes but not limited to entrepreneurship and business skills to further empower them with tools or material that will further boost business ideas and bring successes and development to their community.

A total number of five (5) ICT centers were cited in five communities, linking each other in the same Local Government. Each community was requested to provide 10 females and 5 males making fifteen beneficiaries in each community and 45 participants per center as meeting point for all three communities.   OBJECTIVES

  • To bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas.
  • To train community youths on skills that will help develop their literacy in computer applications.
  • To engage community youths in using computer knowledge to enhance and develop their business ideas.
  • To bring all forms of development to the communities using ICT platform for advocacy.

PROJECT SUMMARY

  • ICT for development, prioritising women and working with youths for inclusive IT in the following communities and area councils in the FCT.
    • Bwari Area Council – Pasepa,Kuchibuyi, Guto
    • Kwali Area Council – Kilankwa, Leleyi gwari ,Pai
    • Kuje Area Council – Gaube,Kayache, Tupechi
    • AMAC – Jiwa, Dakwa, Angwagwalada, TungaNasara, Tunga ashere, Gofidna

BAUCHI FEMINIST INTERNET SCHOOL (#BaFIS)

The Bauchi Feminist Internet School was initiated to train gender digital inclusion advocates who would collaborate with CITAD and join the effort towards bridging gender digital inclusion, by training other women and gender advocates on various issues relating to Internet, advocacy visits, media and stakeholders’ engagements as well as online campaigns using various social media platforms. CITAD has so far trained 21 champions from various states in the northern Nigeria.

DIGITAL SUMMER INSTITUTE FOR YOUNG WOMEN

The Digital Summer Institute for Young Women is a joint initiative of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Kano, Nigeria in collaboration with the African Studies Program at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and the Everett Program, an Info Tech Social Entrepreneurial training organization from the University of California, Santa Cruz. This is the second round of the program, the following the first that held in 2017. Started in 2016, it is now in its third year and holds yearly in Kano and Abuja.

The institute is designed to provide ICT training and marketable skills for young women in Nigeria. The curriculum will include training on blogging such as WordPress, the use of graphic apps for events, weddings, etc, digital video and photographic applications, mobile phone/GSM applications for micro-enterprises, and other applications.  The Institute’s objective is to provide real world, practical training in ICT tools that will empower young women work in the ICT industry and to start Micro-enterprises that will add value to their communities.  The long term goal is to boost women’s capacity to participate in and to grow and to diversify the Nigerian economy

 

2018 BAUCHI DIGITAL LIVELIHOOD TRAINING

The Digital Livelihood for Young Women is a Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) initiative. It is designed to provide ICT training and marketable skills for young women. The curriculum includes training on blogging such as WordPress, the use of graphic apps for events, weddings, etc. digital video and photographic applications, mobile phone/GSM applications for micro-enterprises, and other applications. The training is intended to equip young women with practical ICT training and the use of ICT tools that will empower young women to work in the ICT industry and to start up Micro-enterprises that will add value to their communities. The long-term goal is to boost Nigerian women’s capacity to actively participate in and to grow the Nigerian economy and to also change ages – long tradition of women being economically dependent from their parents’ hands to their husbands’ hands. It is implemented by CITAD Bauchi through support from Equal Digital Skills Fund

CITAD Tasks NCC on Special Licensing Consideration For Community Networks

 

PRESS STATEMENT ON THE REVIEW OF TELECOMMUNICATION LICENSING FRAMEWORKS BY NIGERIAN COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

The Telecommunication sector is highly dynamic such that its regulatory framework has to be equally dynamic, to respond to changes in technological development. It is in this connection that the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) welcomes the decision of the national telecommunication regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to review its licensing processes and conditions. The last such review is nearly 20 years ago.

Since that review, a lot of major technological developments have occurred, making some of the provision obsolete and thrusting new issues that there hitherto not anticipate. Among the technological progress for instance, we have moved from 2G through 3G and now heading for the deployment of 5G. We are witnessing the update of artificial intelligence and internet of all things (IoT) both of which are major users of bandwidth. Within the period, internet has moved from a fringe luxury of the rich to an indispensable tool for all. One of the lessons that the COVID lockdown has taught the world is that the future is increasing dependent on online interactions. This is why the United Nations has declared access to the internet a right that no one should be left behind.

Although Nigeria has made tremendous progress over the years, there are still many millions of people who are unconnected and are not using the internet. At the beginning of this year, only about 43% of Nigerians were using the internet.

This means more than have of Nigeria are still unconnected, creating an unwanted digital divide in the country. Cost and infrastructure of access rollout limitations are among the key factors for the persistence of the digital divide in the country. Of course, there are other peculiarities such as the relatively poorer access to the internet by women and people living with disabilities. Infrastructure of access rollout is conditioned by regulations and policy provisions as well as licensing conditions.

To accelerate that and lower the cost of access and use and expand affordability for the many, the NCC is called upon to embrace innovative licensing frameworks that could catalyse speedy roll out with cost crushing down. One of the innovative approach is the inclusion of community networks as a special category of licenses, available to communities and non-profits to rollout community level networks that could provide access to internet for communities and provide sites for technical experimentation and promotion of digital literacy.

This is being used successfully in many countries globally, including in Africa in such countries as Kenya, South Africa Malawi, etc. We therefore call on the NCC to use the occasion of the review to mainstream community networks licenses within its licensing framework. We would also like to call on the regulator to review the Framework for the deployment of TV white space (TVWS) to enable its utilization for community networks.

We will however caution that this review should not engage with the issues of licensing and regulating of over the top (OTT) platforms which is being clamored for by some within government as part of the fallout of the misunderstanding between the Government and Twitter.

We urge that it should be left out of the healthy growth of the telecommunication sector which is necessary for bringing the digital divide and for the nurturing the digital economy in Nigeria

Y. Z. Yaú,

Executive Director

Report of One Day Capacity Building on Community Networks For The Jama’are Micro-Organizations Held At CITAD Office Jama’are

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) is implementing a project entitled Supporting Community-led Approaches to Addressing the Digital Divide Nigeria coordinated globally by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) support from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through their Digital Access Programme (DAP).

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

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

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

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

The training was held at CITAD office Jama’are branch on Tuesday 04th May 2021, with 8 attendees from Itas DEX Initiatives, Jama’are Traders Association, Jama’are blowse Association, and Itas youth Association, opening remarks was said by Engineer Suhail CITAD Technical officer, he welcomed each and every one who attended the training he says that the purpose of the training is to aware and shows the benefits of the community networks to the peoples as well as how to start or build their own community networks,

The training slides has 9 modules, and started at 10:00am by Engineer Suhail with the introduction to community networks, what services community networks offers and types of community networks, he gives clear definition of community networks by the Internet Society (ISOC) and services that community networks offer like voice, data E.T.C and ended the section one of the training with discussion about the types of community networks and answering questions from the participants,

Goes to 30 minutes break from 11:30am to 12:00am after the section one of the training has ended

Back to the training Engineer Suhail continuous with the explanation on how to start community networks, what facilities or infrastructures needed in order to start community networks, and explanation on what regulatory conditions required for communities to start their own community networks,

And again goes to 30 minutes breaks from 1:30pm to 2:00pm, after the section two of the training completed

The last section of the training has started from 2:00pm by Engineer Suhail, he explains how the community network link themselves nationally and internationally, and ended the last section of the training by explaining the ways for community networks follows to solve sustainability issues, that is how the community networks continuous sustaining itself even without any support from others organizations like APC.

The whole training finished with the vote of thanks by the Engineer Suhail CITAD technical officer, he thanks everyone for attending the training and he encouraged these micro-organizations members to be very active and spend their time by acquiring new skills so that the project will successfully be achieved and implemented in their area.

 

Report of One Day Capacity Building on Community Networks For Three Micro-Organizations Held At Abuja Dakwa Community Centre FCT

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) is implementing a project entitled Supporting Community-led Approaches to Addressing the Digital Divide Nigeria coordinated globally by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) support from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through their Digital Access Programme (DAP).

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

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

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

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

The training was held at Dakwa Community Centre FCT on Wednesday 28th April 2021, with 13 attendees, from Allah ye ba kowa Association Tungan ashere, Aye Bwaka Gwari Association, and Zaboda women Association Psepa, opening remarks was said by Engineer Suhail CITAD Technical officer, he welcomed each and every one who attended the training he says that the purpose of the training is to aware and shows the benefits of the community networks to the peoples as well as how to start or build their own community networks,

The training slides has 9 modules, and started at 10:00am by Engineer Suhail with the introduction to community networks, what services community networks offers and types of community networks, he gives clear definition of community networks by the Internet Society (ISOC) and services that community networks offer like voice, data E.T.C and ended the section one of the training with discussion about the types of community networks and answering questions from the participants,

Goes to 30 minutes break from 11:30am to 12:00am after the section one of the training has ended

Back to the training Engineer Suhail continuous with the explanation on how to start community networks, what facilities or infrastructures needed in order to start community networks, and explanation on what regulatory conditions required for communities to start their own community networks,

And again goes to 30 minutes breaks from 1:30pm to 2:00pm, after the section two of the training completed

The last section of the training has started from 2:00pm by Engineer Suhail, he explains how the community network link themselves nationally and internationally, and ended the last section of the training by explaining the ways for community networks follows to solve sustainability issues, that is how the community networks continuous sustaining itself even without any support from others organizations like APC.

The whole training finished with the vote of thanks from Malam YZ Ya’u Executive director CITAD, he thanks everyone for attending the training and he encouraged these micro-organizations members to be very active and spend their time by acquiring new skills so that the project will successfully be achieved and implemented in their area.

CITAD TO NCC: PROVIDE POLICY TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY NETWORKS

 

The Centre for Information Technology and Development, CITAD, has called on Nigerian government through the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, to come up with a robust policy that would encourage the flourishing of community networks that would hasten digital inclusion in Nigeria.

 

The Centre also urged the Universal Service Provision Fund, USPF, to support community networks initiatives across the country as part of its intervention to promote faster inclusion progress.

 

According to the Executive Director of the centre, Dr. Y. Z. Yau at a press briefing in Kano on Tuesday, “community network should be given license-free spectrum to use; proof of concept permit in connection with community networks should be license free; institutions of higher learning such as universities should embrace and deploy community networks to both meet their community needs and to serve as experimental sites for learning and domestication technology; both the NCC and USPF should establish a unit with the responsibility of coordinating their affairs with respect to community networks”

 

The centre stated that the USIP 2019 report “identified 114 connectivity gaps in the country as either underserved and unserved. It defines underserved area “as an area where less than 50% of the households or individual users have access to a minimum of 1.5 Mbit/s” while it defines unserved communities as “area where less than 10% of households and individual users have either no access to internet or have the most basic access such as EDGE.”

 

“When poor people cannot afford the cost of connectivity or data, connectivity becomes useless as it would not be utilized. Poverty is a key a factor that makes it impossible for many people to use the internet. Many Nigerians are not able to afford regular use of data.

 

“Aside from inability to afford, there is also the fact that lack of satisfaction makes people to stop using the services. In Nigeria, with an apparent monopoly by the four mobile technology service providers, quality of service is not their priority. They treat customers with no respect or regard because they are not penalized for quality of service falling below acceptable global benchmarks.

 

“Monopoly also controls the way people integrate with technology such that people are not able to learn, modify and remodify technology to suit their purpose. There are therefore many reasons why the USPF model needs to be complimented. Moreover, the USPF model is geared towards supporting the market rather than communities and subsidy regimes often end up being more beneficial to the market players than to communities whose affordability it is supposed to raise,” Yau stated.

 

According him, “bridging the digital divide is not possible by treating communities as passive recipients of support or as market to be developed. Rather, the most effective strategy is to engage the communities to identify how they can, with support of from stakeholders, address their peculiar connectivity needs.

 

“This community-driven strategy is the catalysing of the flourishing of community networks. Community networks are providing platforms or channels for people to communicate. This communication could be between individuals, within the community or outside it. The Internet Society defines community networks as “telecommunications infrastructure deployed and operated by a local group to meet their own communication needs.

 

“Community networks take different forms, with some extending access using commercial networks, others building their own source of connection, etc. But because they usually connect the unconnected, they are considered as extending connectivity to the last file,” CITAD further stated.

 

On the situation in Nigeria, the Centre observed that “there are very few community network operating in the country. The two that have most extensive experience are the one in Kafanchan established in 2006 by Fantsuam Foundation, a civil society organization there and one in Ibadan, Ibadan WUG.

 

“The Nigerian Chapter of the Internet Society in partnership with Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria is establishing another in Zaria. There is also commercially driven community network coming on board, the best know is Fiam WiFi in rural areas of Lagos state. The reason why community networks are slow to pick up in Nigeria is because we do not have policies to guide them nor does government provides support to encourage such initiatives.

 

“The regulatory framework at the moment does not provide for community networks as distinct providers of connectivity in the country. Indeed, neither the NCC Act nor the USPF Act have made mention of community networks, consequently there is a lacuna as to how community networks are to be treated. For the moment, the few community networks are providing connectivity to underserve and unserved community by acting as point of farther distribution of connectivity provided by the main commercial players.”

 

The centre therefore recommended the following:

 

The NCC should come up with an appropriate policy that will encourage the flourishing of community networks in the country as a means to hasten digital inclusion in Nigeria

The USPF should support community networks initiatives across the country as part of its intervention to promote faster inclusion progress

Community network should be given license-free spectrum to use

Proof of concept permit in connection with community networks should be license free

Institutions of higher learning such as universities should embrace and deploy community networks to both meet their community needs and to serve as experimental sites for learning and domestication technology

Both the NCC and USPF should establish a unit with the responsibility of coordinating their affairs with respect to community networks

Doing away with some component of spectrum fees in exchange for commitment to rollout in specific unserved/underserved areas as provided in the Strategic Plan of the USPF

Digital Inclusion: CITAD Advocates Development Of Community Networks In Nigeria

 

TEXT OF PRESS BRIEFING ON THE NEED FOR POLICY DIRECTIONS ON COMMUNITY NETWORKS ADDRESSED BY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CITAD, Y. Z. YA’U ON TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021 IN KANO

 

Introduction The Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) is a statutory body established to address gaps in internet accessibility in the country by focusing on supporting initiatives that will drive internet connectivity to underserved and unserved areas in the country. Underserved and unserved areas exist largely because telecommunication market runs to where there is prospects for higher traffic and hence higher profit which poor communities or remote areas are unable to provide.

The logic of the interventions of the USPF which is based on global best practices is that since affordability is relative it is important for government to subsidise the poor to improve both their accessibility and affordability so that they are not left behind and constitute a drag to the use of digital technology to achieve national gaols such as the Sustainable Development Goals.

 

In its report of 2019, the USIP identified 114 connectivity gaps in the country as either underserved and unserved.

It defines underserved area “as an area where less than 50% of the households or individual users have access to a minimum of 1.5 Mbit/s” while it defines unserved communities as “area where less than 10% of households and individual users have either no access to internet or have the most basic access such as EDGE” But affordability is not limited and constrained by lack of accessibility only. When poor people cannot afford the cost of connectivity or data, connectivity becomes useless as it would not be utilized.

Poverty is a key a factor that makes it impossible for many people to use the internet. Many Nigerians are not able to afford regular use of data. Aside from inability to afford, there is also the fact that lack of satisfaction makes people to stop using the services. In Nigeria, with an apparent monopoly by the four mobile technology service providers, quality of service is not their priority.

 

They treat customers with no respect or regard because they are not penalized for quality of service falling below acceptable global benchmarks. Monopoly also controls the way people integrate with technology such that people are not able to learn, modify and remodify technology to suit their purpose.

 

There are therefore many reasons why the USPF model needs to be complimented. Moreover, the USPF model is geared towards supporting the market rather than communities and subsidy regimes often end up being more beneficial to the market players than to communities whose affordability it is supposed to raise.

 

The Concept of Community Network Increasing, both state and not state actors are realising that bridging the digital divide is not possible by treating communities as passive recipients of support or as market to be developed. Rather, the most effective strategy is to engage the communities to identify how they can, with support of from stakeholders, address their peculiar connectivity needs. This community-driven strategy is the catalysing of the flourishing of community networks. Community networks are providing platforms or channels for people to communicate. This communication could be between individuals, within the community or outside it.

The Internet Society defines community networks as “telecommunications infrastructure deployed and operated by a local group to meet their own communication needs”. This communication needs can be voice, data, etc and can be point of convergence for communities to come together to address their common community problems.

 

Community networks take different forms, with some extending access using commercial networks, others building their own source of connection, etc.

 

But because they usually connect the unconnected, they are considered as extending connectivity to the last file. However, because they are bottom up initiatives, rather than top-down, they are more appropriately described as providing connectivity to the first mile. Community network have become major tools for digital inclusion across the world today.

 

This is because they offer the following advantages: · Benefiting end-users and the community networks themselves with cost-oriented approaches; · Providing service that is tailored to the unique needs of the community; · Empowering local people, and thereby encouraging involvement in other grassroots efforts, community affairs, and political processes; · Encouraging digital literacy; · Providing a “stepping stone” for people to become part of the global economy; · Creating new working opportunities; and · Promoting the virtuous cycle by improving both access to and creation of local content and services. In addition, as community networks provide means to connect the connected, they are tools for promoting digital inclusion.

 

Because they are community planned, implemented and managed, they allow for greater control and autonomy over telecommunication infrastructure. As they involve people at grassroots, they allow for experimentation and for people to innovate and demonstrate their creativity. They make people to learn more about technology and to see technology more as a social tool for problem solving than just mere ante fact.

 

They bring many more digital solutions such as eHealth, eLearning, ecommerce, etc to communities that are excluded. Finally, they are more affordable.

 

Many people and organizations believe that owning the network provides self-determination over the prices and the services offered, and it keeps profits local instead of extracting them to external and even global players.

 

In many countries such India, Mexico, Brazil, etc, community networks have sprung up, providing connectivity in complementarity with market players, allowing individuals and communities to domesticate technology and be experimental and innovative on how they deploy and use it.

 

These are impacting positively in addressing the digital divides in those countries.

 

Here in Africa, countries like Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, DRC, to mansion just a few, have developed policies that have supported the flouring of community networks in the countries, thus helping governments in those countries to move faster to achieve university connectivity and the digital inclusion of all of their citizens. The Situation in Nigeria There are very few community network operating in the country.

 

The two that have most extensive experience are the one in Kafanchan established in 2006 by Fantsuam Foundation, a civil society organization there and one in Ibadan, Ibadan WUG. In addition, the Nigerian Chapter of the Internet Society in partnership with Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria is establishing another in Zaria. There is also commercially driven community network coming on board, the best know is Fiam WiFi in rural areas of Lagos State.

 

The reason why community networks are slow to pick up in Nigeria is because we do not have policies to guide them nor does government provides support to encourage such initiatives. The regulatory framework at the moment does not provide for community networks as distinct providers of connectivity in the country. Indeed, neither the NCC Act nor the USPF Act have made mention of community networks, consequently there is a lacuna as to how community networks are to be treated.

 

For the moment, the few community networks are providing connectivity to underserve and unserved community by acting as point of farther distribution of connectivity provided by the main commercial players. For example, Fanstuam Foundation used to redistribute connectivity obtained from Airtel to its community.

 

Fiam WIFI is a licensed value addition firm that provides community networks by creating FIFI hotspots[1].

 

About four years ago, CITAD and Fanstuam Foundation approached the NCC with a request to be allowed to pilot the use of TV white space for community networks.

 

Eventually, the reply after several weeks was that the NCC had commissioned a firm to investigate and develop a framework for the use of TVWS to provide internet access in the country, hence it cannot grant the request.

 

Eventfully, a draft framework was developed in 2019 and subjected to a limited stakeholder consultation.

 

Although during the stakeholders consultation, in response to a direct question, the NCC assured that “the TVWS spectrum is intended to be free to use without licence on a first-come-first-served basis, but anyone running communication services must have an operating licence from the NCC (just to help them keep track of who is doing what where)”[2].

 

For now, therefore, community network activists are not sure how to leverage the TVWS to provide community connectivity. Additionally, TVSW in Nigeria comes under two different regulatory regimes. National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is in charge of assigning frequencies to broadcasters for their operations, meaning that anyone who wants to deploy TVWS would have to first approach NBC to assign a frequency to it.

 

On the other hand, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is in charge of licensing and regulating communication services and anyone who obtains a frequency from NBC has to obtain operating license from the NCC.

 

The old National Broadband Plan (2013-2018) notes that “Civil society organisations fill important gaps in society, and support the efforts of government and private sector towards meeting agreed objectives” [3]community networks did not feature in the plan. There is no indication that these roles of civil society would be greatly facilitated by policy context that recognises community networks. Similarly, the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030) has nothing to say about community networks. It recognises policy as one of the key pillars of the Strategy and listed 15[4] different relevant policies but none of it has anything to say about community networks.

 

The new National Broadband Plan (2013-2018), like the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, enumerated 14 different polices[5] that are needed to drive the Plan but no mention of policy on community networks.

 

Even the role of that was assigned to civil society organizations in the Old the National Broadband Plan seems to be obliterated in the new Plan.

 

Key documents of the USPF, the body set up to promote digital inclusion also do not speak about community networks. Instead, USPF uses the term Community Resource centres which it promises to establish in “partnership with local entrepreneurs and community-based organizations” the aim of which “is to extend voice, internet and ICT training and other e-services to unserved communities on shared basis and bridge the digital divide in the communities”[6] The cyberspace in Nigeria is characterized by different dimensions of the digital divide.

 

It manifests in gender forms, in differential in access and use between makes and female, it manifests as in age between younger generation who are ICT-savvy and older generations who are unable to adapt to digital work around, between better accessibility in urban areas and poor access in rural areas, etc. certain groups such as people living with disabilities, women in general. Older people and poor people in both urban and rural communities are digitally marginalized due to poor access and poverty that limits their ability to afford ICTs.

 

In addition, there are several areas/communities that are classify as either under-serve or unserved communities. Although the telecommunication sector in Nigeria is considered as one of fastest growing, there are still many people who are left behind. Statistics show that as at “September 2020, Nigeria has 205,252,058 active telephone lines, 107% teledensity, 151,512,122 active internet subscription, and 86,714,978 broadband subscription representing 45.43% of the population”[7]. Rapid penetration according to the research by NCC is inhibited by among other factors poor power supply that affects both telecommunication companies and users, Destruction and Vandalism of Equipment, Over-Taxation, Import Obligations and Long Authorization Processes, Inadequate Roads and Social Facilities, Transmission Infrastructure Challenges. etc[8]

 

Recommendations

 

1. The NCC should come up with an appropriate policy that will encourage the flourishing of community networks in the country as a means to hasten digital inclusion in Nigeria

 

2. The USPF should support community networks initiatives across the country as part of its intervention to promote faster inclusion progress

 

3. Community network should be given license-free spectrum to use 4. Proof of concept permit in connection with community networks should be license free

 

5. Institutions of higher learning such as universities should embrace and deploy community networks to both meet their community needs and to serve as experimental sites for learning and domestication technology

 

6. Both the NCC and USPF should establish a unit with the responsibility of coordinating their affairs with respect to community networks

 

7. Doing away with some component of spectrum fees in exchange for commitment to rollout in specific unserved/underserved areas as provided in the Strategic Plan of the USPF Conclusion Community networks are tested across the global are seen as major tool to promote digital inclusion. Both the ITU and the Interne Society have invested in experimentation and development of policy framework to support countries to integrate community networks as a tier in the telecommunication sector that would provide community-control, community-managed networks that are more affordable.

 

[1] https://www.fiam.ng/

 

[2] https://medium.com/@dewoleajao/an-update-on-nigerias-broadband-via-tv-white-spaces-story-7941f1c2cc4d

 

[3] The Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2013 – 2018, page 76

 

[4] The National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030), page 22-23

 

[5] The Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020-2025), page 49-52

 

[6] Universal Service Provision Fund Strategic Management Plan 2018 – 2022, page 34

 

[7] Challenges of Technology Penetration in an Infrastructure Deficit Economy (Nigeria Perspective), 2021, page 4

 

[8] Challenges of Technology Penetration in an Infrastructure Deficit Economy (Nigeria Perspective), 2021, page 47-49