NORTHEAST EDUCATION, BOOKS CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION (NEBECE)

The Northeast Education, Books Conference and Exhibition (NEBECE) is a programme designed by CITAD in partnership with the Northeast Development Commission (NEDC) and Modibbo Adama University of Technology,  (MAUTECH) Yola, to revamp the status of education in the northeast region, the objective of the programme is to, interrogate educational development in the northeast with the view to coming out with postulations on how the myriad of the bedevilling problems of education in region can be addressed. It is expected that the conference will come out with two key outcomes: a policy brief on education in the region and a book from the papers to be presented.

The Theme of the conference is: Education in The Northeast In The Context Of Reconstruction, Rebuilding And Resettlement In The Region. THE CONFERENCE IS COMING BETWEEN 6 AND 8 NOVEMBER, 2019 IN MAUTECH, Yola Research As a knowledge-driven organization, our projects are normally proceeded by a research, to profile us with better understanding of the issues involved. A number of the outcomes of these researches are available for our website. Areas of our research interest and understanding include:

  1. Digital Marginalization and Inclusion
  2. Internet Policy
  3. Hate speech and harmful context online
  4. Corruption and accountability in governance
  5. Insurgency and peace building
  6. Quality of Education
  7. The University system and the decline of intellectual culture
  8. Conflicts and Corruption
  9. Digital Rights
  10. Technology and Society

 

CITAD Backs NCC Decision to Review Licensing Process

By Yakubu Salisu, Kano

Centre for Information Technology, (CITAD) has expressed support for decision of the national telecommunication regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to review its licensing processes and conditions after nearly 20 years ago.

The Executive Director of the Centre, Y. Z. Yaú, in a press statement said 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”.

According to him, since that review, a lot of major technological developments have occurred, making some of the provision obsolete and thrusting new issues that they 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-19 lockdown has taught the world is that the future is increasingly 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”.

Ya’u noted that, 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 half of Nigerians 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.

Boko Haram: CITAD presents book to address corruption in counter-insurgency operations in Northeast

 

The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has presented a book to the stakeholder in the counter insurgency fight and general public to enlighten them on the effects of corruption on the insecurity in the Northeast, in its efforts to contrinute to ending the over decade-long insurgency.

Presenting the book titled:  “The Compromised State, How corruption Sustains insecurity in Nigeria and Context and Content in Hate Speech Discourse in Nigeria”, at the Ummah Center, University of Maiduguri, on Monday, Dr. Hassana Waziri said:  “The book is to enlighten stakeholders including the Borno government, Northeast Governors , Federal Government and also intimate the International Non- Governmental Organisations (INGOs), among others, that other challenges apart from attacks  are responsible for the prolonged Boko Haram insurgency”.

Dr Hassana Waziri from the Department of Political Science, who is also one of the authors of the book, said:  “There are issues exacerbating the lack of ability to contain the insurgency, which corruption is one of them. We looked at how corruption is fuelling the insurgency despite the efforts done by the stakeholders. So, they have to retrace their steps and restrategize in order to do way with some of these corrupt practices”

“In all sectors there are issues of corruption. For example, the Executive Governor of Borno State in most cases, go out himself to distribute food items to the IDPs, which is suspicious. This is on the government side. There is outcry from indigenous people who have the capacity to partner the NGOs that they do not partner with them, as they know their community better. The CSO too sometimes consider their personal or organisation’s interest rather than the interest of the beneficiaries”, Dr Waziri added.

The University don further said “some of the tradtional rulers who were engaged to see that the assistance get to the beneficiaries, give their families and relations , stressing that sometimes  even the common man who is not an IDP, claimed to be an IDP and collect what is neaant for them and  sometimes even traditional rulers are being short changed. So, corruption is in all sectors”.

Dr Waziri, therefore, recommended the book to all stakeholders so that they read, be aware and enlightened so that they can retrace their steps and restrategize to deal with corruption with a view to ending Boko Haram insurgency.

For a better society

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 las 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 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 

YZ. Yaú, June 22, 2021

Executive Director 

 

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

AN UNDEMOCRATIC AND UNACCEPTABLE ACTION

AN UNDEMOCRATIC AND UNACCEPTABLE ACTION

Text of Press Conference by the Executive Director of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Y. Z. Ya’u, on the government announcement suspending operations of Twitter in Nigeria, added on Saturday, June 5, 2021 at Kano

 

I will like to welcome you to this press conference and please accept our apology for the rather short notice we gave you. This is due to the subject of the matter and the urgency with which it deserves response.

Yesterday, the Federal Government, through its Minister of Information, Mr. Lai Mohammed announced the suspension of the operations of Twitter in Nigeria. This suspension followed the action of Twitter in deleting a tweet by President Mohammed Buhari which the platform concluded had violated its community standards.

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) expresses shock with such an ill-advised action by the Government. We are surprised that the president could allowed himself to be wrongly advised. The quality of advice that he received shows an extremely level of ignorance of the working of Over the top (OTTs) in the world.

First, Twitter does not need to be in Nigeria for its business to strive. By suspending its operation in the country the government is not hurting the interests of Twitter but rather jeopardising the jobs of the Nigerian staff of Twitter and more fundamentally, derogating the right of Nigerians to freedom of expression which is guaranteed in both our constitution and in the Africa Peoples and Human Rights which Nigeria is a signatory to, among other covenants of human rights.

The platforms of OTTs are important component of the internet, access to which the UN has decided as constituting a fourth generation of rights that all citizens should enjoy. By shutting down access to Twitter for the millions of Nigerians, the government has totally curtailed the rights of Nigerians to this service.

Second, it shows the lack of understanding of the state of technology in the world. Many countries have unsuccessfully tried to block social media access for their citizens, but the increasing number of by-pass technologies means that such an action is fruitless and rather a drain on useful resource that could be used to support educating citizens on how to use the internet.

Third, when government argues that Twitter was selective in punishing misuse of its platform, it betrays a lack of understanding of the issues at hand. Twitter like, any other OTTs, has its community standards. Violating any of these standards elicits punishment which ranges from deletion to suspension and to even outright ban on the platform. One of the standards is that no message that is threatening violence against other people should be allowed on the platform. Clearly the President message was a threat to violence. It does not matter that he was responding to a violent situation. That other people had in the past made similar messages and were not so punished is not an argument for two wrongs do not make a right.

It only illustrates the fourth nativity of the government. When the Government or the President noticed that some people were spreading messages inciting or inviting violence, what they ought to do was to flag this off with Twitter. Once a message is flagged the relevant OTT (in this case Twitter) is duty bound to respond to it by taking action. When it is dissatisfied with the action taken, it can appeal the case and in the case of Facebook, it has a global Independent Board of Oversight which deals with controversial appeals and whose decisions or rulings are binding on the OTT.

The other aspect of the naivety of the government response is that it does not understand the nature of hate speech for which it has over a long period been pushing for a legislation. One of the key attributes of hate speech for it to catalyse into violence is that it should have a powerful speaker. That powerful speaker can earn his or her status on the basis of statutory power (such as a President) or love such as celebrity or cultural assets such respected community leaders or even religious capital in the case of religious leaders. What a powerful speaker does is that he makes the audience to commit the call to action embedded in his or her message. They could act the call to action either because they fear the speaker or love her or him or has institution of violence that could do his or her bidding. In the Nigerian context, clearly President Buhari is a powerful speaker who earned his status because of the office he occupies but also, additionally, because he has political and probably, ethnic followers. His message has a clear call to action which is to incite violence against his target. It is clear that his message, given his position as President has the potential to catalyse violence. It is entirely different from a riffraff ranting on twitter.

However, all these are by the way, the substantive issue for us is that we see in the act of the president a vicious intolerance of dissenting views. What Twitter had done was a mild criticism of the President but the president responded with an over kill. Clearly if President Buhari where the President of USA when twitter banned President Trump, he probably could have ordered the army to take over the company and dragged its management and owners to prison.

This intolerance of dissenting views is dangerous to democracy and unacceptable. It also is unnecessary and uncalled for given the situation that Nigeria is in, a situation that requires building bridges through effective communication rather than one of responding in kind.

We also fear that this act is preamble to the long ambition of the government to control access to the social media in the country. Over the last six years, it has tried to do this through legislation unsuccessfully and now it wants use the response by Twitter to start a piece meal effort. This is acceptable, undemocratic and unconstitutional.

We call on the government to withdraw its suspension and allow Twitter to carry out its legitimate business unhindered. The government should allow Nigerians unhindered access to the platform. What the Government ought to do is to begin to educate and enlighten citizens on how to use the social media and not how to prevent them from using it.

We join millions of other well-meaning and patriotic Nigerians in demanding an immediate restoration of access to Twitter and a proactive safeguard against similar action to other OTTs. We call on the National Assembly to declare the act of the president as illegal and unconstitutional and proceed to provide a legal clarify by enacting a law that prohibits presidents or any other authority from blocking any internet platform. As an organization dedicated to the use of information technology to promote development and good governance, we are prepared to help in the campaign for better use of the internet but even more, we are ready to help Nigerians reclaim their right to access to twitter, among other OTT platforms by building their capacity on by bypass technologies.

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

CITAD calls for provision of community networks to enhance digital inclusion

 

The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), has called on the government at all levels to provides for community networks in various localities to enhance digital inclusion for all in the country.

 

The call was made by the Executive Director of the center, Y. Z Ya’u on Tuesday during a press conference tagged ‘The need for policy directions on community networks’, which held at the center’s board room in Kano.

 

He said the centre finds it necessary to made the recommendation for the community networks as a result of the effects of the recent lockdown brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

He added that many communities could not access their schools and healthcare services despite the opportunities online due to poor or absence of networks.

 

He opined that the commercial telecoms companies in the country could not invest in rural areas because there is no market there, urging that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) should provide for free community networks to bridge the gap and enhance inclusion.

 

“In its report of 2019, the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) identified 114 connectivity gaps in the country as either underserved or 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,” the director has said.

 

He added that “Although the telecommunication sector in Nigeria is one of the 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,” he added.

 

The centre recommended that the NCC should come up with an appropriate policy that will encourage the flourishing of community networks in the country as means to hasten digital inclusion in Nigeria, adding that it should be license-free.

 

It also called on the USPF to support community networks initiatives across the country as part of its intervention to promote faster inclusion progress.

CITAD Launches CIGIYA Android Application

The centre for information technology and development CITAD has launched Cigiya android application that will easily track lost items using Android phones application in Kano.

Addressing Newsmen the technical officer centre for information technology and development CITAD, Engineer Kamalu Umar CITAD is working towards using ICT for the development of the community in the state and the nation as a whole.

According to Kamalu Umar the new CIGIYA mobile application is available on google play store.

He said the application, which is the first of its kind is a lost and found application that will facilitate the searching of lost items by people and help transport associations, media houses and other relevant organization to generate a database of lost item.

CITAD Tasks FG to Make Nigeria An ICT Producing Country

Engineer Umar said this will enable individuals to use the application to search for possible found items and the location they were submitted.

He pointed out that one of the reasons for launching the application is that most of the transports association having parks have a number of unclaimed lost items as a result of uncertainty of where the items are submitted.

According to the technical officer most of the announcement being made in the media houses does not reach some people who lost their items as the announcement may happened when they are not on the tune and it is normally within short days.

Therefore the new CIGIYA application is a permanent database of lost items will be available online and people can search it any time by item type, date range or car park or stations.

The data base will simply be generated by the representative of agreed park, media house or unions.

The application will contain name of the item, unique ID, date it was lost, park or location where it was submitted and picture (actual picture may be replaced by sample picture or just the name in case of items with bare identification).

It also contains the contact number of the park for further information. ”said Kamalu Umar

Engineer Kamalu Umar further told newsmen that CITAD has already consulted some transport unions which include Tricycle Operators Association of Kano State (TOAKAN) and Tsaya da Kafarka Taxi Association, Kano.

It also has plans to collaborate with the media houses, security outfits and other relevant stakeholders and The application is designed to have simple interface both for data entry and item searching.

The centre for information technology added that the CIGIYA App. will be very effective solution for facilitating and enhancing searching for lost items as well as reducing the occupied space by the lost items in the transport parks, unions offices and media houses.

Press Release by the Centre for Information Technology and Development on Recent Confirmed COVID-19 Case in Kano

As the number of confirmed cases increases day by day in the country, states started taking precautionary measures to stop it from spreading into their states where there is no confirmed case.  Kano state on the 23rd of March closed all its borders with other states, denied people entry and exit in and out of the state and asked its workers to stay at home for fourteen days. Consequently, due to the number of cases that are being reported in the country every day, the state decided to increase the number of days of stay at home by its workers by another 14 days. In the same vain, the state government declared that all social gathering which include cinemas, viewing centers, and joints in the state are ordered suspended until further notice. Ceremonial gatherings were also banned in the state and religious were advised leaders to adhere to the advice given by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), most especially social distancing, but all these went to the deaf ears of the people in the state as people continue with their normal activities without taking any precautions. This is the reason why last week, CITAD issued a report of assessment of compliance to this preventive measures and drew addressed of stakeholders to the danger and consequences of these actions in which it called on the concerned authorities to take tougher majors in containing the spread of the virus in the state looking at how quickly the virus was spreading in the country.

In the report, CITAD highlighted how travelers with the connivance of the security agencies are defying the directives given by the state government to stop all inter states movements at those borders which made the state to be at risk of importing the virus by those coming from other states. To prove that cross border movements is still ongoing in the state, on Saturday the 11th of April, 2020 the state recorded it first covid-19 case. The patient is confirmed to be a retired technocrat who returned to the state from Lagos.

It is on this note that we are calling on the Kano state government to as a matter of urgency and of public safety to:

  1. Direct the closure of all markets in the state as they are places where social distancing cannot apply and traders pay no hid o safety and preventive measures
  2. All religious gatherings including Friday prayers and church services to be suspended with immediate effect
  3. Re-enforce border closure and ensure total compliance
  4. The State Anti-Corruption Agency to deploy its staff to the borders to prevent security personnel from sabotaging the efforts of government by collecting bribes and allowing motorists to enter the state
  5. There is need to investigate how the index case crossed the closed border into Kano and that all found to played a role in this should be punished accordingly

Ali Sabo

Campaigns and Communications Officers

Text of a Press Conference on the 2019 Internet Governance Forum (IGF)

Participate in the 2019 IGF Holding in Berlin, Germany through CITAD’s Remote Hub!

About the Internet Governance Forum

As a platform for discussions, the IGF brings various people and stakeholder groups to the table as equals to exchange information and share good policies and practices relating to the Internet and technologies. While the IGF may not have decision-making mandates, it informs and inspires those who do. It facilitates common understandings and knowledge exchange of how to maximize Internet opportunities and address risks and challenges.

The IGF also gives stakeholders from all countries, including developing countries, the opportunity to engage in the debate on Internet governance and it contributes to capacity building, allowing these stakeholders to build knowledge and skills that will facilitate their participation in existing Internet governance institutions and arrangements. Ultimately the involvement of all stakeholders, from developed as well as developing countries, from governments to international organisations, from the private sector to the civil society, is necessary for advancing dynamic public policies in Internet governance. The IGF serves as a laboratory, a neutral space, where all actors can table an issue for an informed discussion across stakeholders. As an open forum, rather than a membership forum, the IGF is for all people with a stake in the Internet. Since its establishment in 2006, it has gained global prominence among stakeholders as an open, inclusive, and transparent forum for dialogue and collaboration.

The host countries for the past 13 meetings of the IGF are:

– 2006: Athens, Greece;
– 2007: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil;
– 2008: Hyderabad, India;
– 2009: Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt;
– 2010: Vilnius, Lithuania;
– 2011: Nairobi, Kenya;
– 2012: Baku, Azerbaijan;
– 2013: Bali, Indonesia;
– 2014: Istanbul, Turkey;
Р2015: Jọo Pessoa, Brazil;
– 2016: Jalisco, Mexico;
– 2017: Geneva, Switzerland.
– 2018: Paris, France.

The mandate of the IGF is set out in paragraphs 72 to 80 of the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society (the Tunis Agenda):

“We ask the UN Secretary-General, in an open and inclusive process, to convene, by the second quarter of 2006, a meeting of the new forum for multi-stakeholder policy dialogue—called the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). The mandate of the Forum is to:

– Discuss public policy issues related to key elements of Internet governance in order to foster the sustainability, robustness, security, stability and development of the Internet;
– Facilitate discourse between bodies dealing with different cross-cutting international public policies regarding the Internet and discuss issues that do not fall within the scope of any existing body;
– Interface with appropriate inter-governmental organizations and other institutions on matters under their purview;
– Facilitate the exchange of information and best practices, and in this regard make full use of the expertise of the academic, scientific and technical communities;
– Advise all stakeholders in proposing ways and means to accelerate the availability and affordability of the Internet in the developing world;
– Strengthen and enhance the engagement of stakeholders in existing and/or future Internet governance mechanisms, particularly those from developing countries;
– Identify emerging issues, bring them to the attention of the relevant bodies and the general public, and, where appropriate, make recommendations;
– Contribute to capacity building for Internet governance in developing countries, drawing fully on local sources of knowledge and expertise;
– Promote and assess, on an ongoing basis, the embodiment of WSIS principles in Internet governance processes;
– Discuss, inter alia, issues relating to critical Internet resources;
– Help to find solutions to the issues arising from the use and misuse of the Internet, of particular concern to everyday users;
– Publish its proceedings

Centre for Information Technology and Development’s (CITAD) Remote Hub

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) is going to run a remote hub equipped with facilities to enable interested Nigerians to connect with the sessions and proceedings of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF 2019) scheduled to take place from 25th-29th November, 2019 in Estrel Congress center, Sonnenallee, Berlin, Germany.

The remote hub is meant to serve the following purposes:

  1. To serve as a medium through which interested Nigerians can follow the IGF 2019 holding in Berlin.
  2. To give Nigerians who are unable to be in Berlin the space to contribute in the discussions by channeling their inputs to the sessions and speakers.
  3. To widen the scope and coverage of the IGF by way of connecting members with live discourse of the forum.
  4. To let the Nigerian public understand the relevance of the Internet Governance Forum and the impact the yearly forum is making.

As an ICT-focused organization and member of several IT unions/associations within and outside the country, CITAD has made all the necessary plans to ensure that it’s remote hub serves the remote participants very well. While the forum takes place in Germany, people here have a direct access to instant discussions, and that is one of the benefits the internet as a whole offers. CITAD has ran similar remote hub last year when the forum took place in France.

The remote hub will give it’s participants steady six hours live access to the main forum in Berlin. Starting on 25th November, the hub is scheduled to open at 10:00am and close at 4:00pm. A schedule of different sessions holding at different times will be presented to each participant and guides and operators have been reserved to support and respond to the participants’ questions and/or need for guidance as forum goes on. A number of sessions will hold as such plans have been made to ensure that when parallel sessions hold concurrently the remote participants can make their choices and be where they want to be. Presented below are the themes and sessions for discussion during the 2019 Internet Governance Forum (IGF).

  • Access (Digital Inclusion)
  • Accessibility (Digital Inclusion)
  • Affordability (Digital Inclusion)
  • Anonymity (Security, Safety, Stability & Resilience)
  • Artificial Intelligence (Digital Inclusion)
  • Big Data (Data Governance)
  • Capacity Building (Security, Safety, Stability & Resilience)
  • Child Online Safety (Security, Safety, Stability & Resilience)
  • Civic Engagement online (Security, Safety, Stability & Resilience)
  • Commons (Digital Inclusion)
  • Community Networks (Digital Inclusion)
  • Cyber Attacks (Security, Safety, Stability & Resilience)
  • Data privacy & protection (Data Governance)
  • Digital Divide (Digital Inclusion)
  • Digital inclusion of women (Digital Inclusion)
  • Digital literacy (Data Governance)
  • Digital Literacy (Digital Inclusion)
  • Digital skills (Digital Inclusion)
  • News Media (Data Governance)
  • Online gender violence (Security, Safety, Stability & Resilience)
  • Outreach (Digital Inclusion)
  • Social Inclusion (Digital Inclusion)
  • Surveillance Capitalism (Data Governance)
  • Trust and Accountability (Security, Safety, Stability & Resilience)
  • Universal Access (Digital Inclusion)
  • Users rights (Data Governance)

Sessions:

  • Dynamic Coalition on Child Online Safety
  • Dynamic Coalition on Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Media on the Internet
  • Dynamic Coalition on Gender and Internet Governance
  • Dynamic Coalition on the Internet of Things
  • Youth Coalition on Internet Governance

Conclusion

The Internet Governance Forum happens only once in a year and there are numerous benefits to be reaped by individuals, organizations, institutions, businesses, etc through connecting themselves with the remote hub CITAD set in place. Therefore, this yearly chance should be strategically utilized by people as they are in long run going to be beneficiaries of the robust discussions taking place in Berlin. Numerous experts and professional from different walks of life are scheduled to speak and engage participants on a number of themes and areas such as the ones listed above. Interested members of the public can reach out to Kamaluddeen Umar via email (kamal@citad.org) so that space can be reserved for them.


Signed:

Engr. Kamaluddeen Umar,
Technical Officer,
Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD)

Text of a Press Conference Addressed by Hamza Ibrahim, Coordinator, Countering Hate Speech Project, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD)

Date: 23rd October, 2019.
Venue: Conference Hall, Matho Crystal Hotel, Yenagoa, Bayelsa state.

Introduction
Hate speech is a major problem that tends to undermine peaceful co-existence among Nigeria’s diverse communities and threatens the political stability of the country. Hate speech is particularly widely spread in the social media. With increasing reach of social media and its high speed of delivery as well as its relative affordability, the danger that hate speech can easily catalyze large scale violence is real. There have already been instances in which hate speech had already occurred before and during the 2019 general election. And as we approach gubernatorial election here in Bayelsa state, it is instrumental that awareness is intensified to ensure that people desist from hate speech and violence against women particularly in the social media space in order to have peaceful election and continued peace in the country.

About the Project
The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) is implementing Countering Hate Speech Project in Nigeria with support from National Democratic Institute (NDI). The project tracks and counters hate speech and online violence against women with a view to raising awareness as well as campaign and advocacy towards addressing the consequences of the phenomena. Bearing in mind that the population of Nigerians on social media platforms is speedily growing, and the online visibility of conventional media also gives room for discussion, hate speech and online violence against women are sadly becoming rampant. It is against this background that CITAD implements the project.

From Our Observatory (Monitoring Platform)

As the gubernatorial election scheduled for November 16th here in Bayelsa state continues to approach, we, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), have monitored and tracked a total number of four hundred and twenty (420) hate speech online violence against women items from different social media platforms-Facebook, Twitter, blogspots and websites of conventional and online newspapers. On social media, the speech items were tracked from groups, pages and individual posts on Facebook, on Twitter from tweets and replies to tweets. On webpages of conventional and online newspapers as well as blogspots, the speech items emerged from the comments sections. The speech items tracked also included those done offline particularly under election category in Bayelsa state. Presented below is the breakdown of the speech items based on category, medium and gender of the perpetrators.

 

Speech Category

  1. Access to resources——————————————–97 (23%)
  2. Biafra-agitation related—————————————-16 (4%)
  3. Election-related————————————————–64 (15%)
  4. Ethnic-based—————————————————–85 (20%)
  5. Issues of attention———————————————–40 (10%)
  6. Gendered hate speech—————————————–88 (21%)
  7. Religious hate speech——————————————18 (4%)
  8. Others————————————————————–12 (3%)

Total ————————————————————————420 (100%)

Medium of the Speech

  1. Blogs—————————————————————-8 (2%)
  2. Facebook———————————————————-239 (57%)
  3. Twitter————————————————————–152 (36%)
  4. Newspapers——————————————————21 (5%)

Total————————————————————————420 (100%)

Gender of the Perpetrators

  1. Male————————————————————–353 (84%)
  2. Female———————————————————–43 (10%)
  3. Don’t Know——————————————————24 (6%)

Total———————————————————————-420 (100%)

Rethinking Our Counter Insurgency Strategy

Text of Press Conference Addressed on Friday 23, August by Y.Z, Ya’u, Executive Director, Centre for Information Technology and Development on the Unfortunate Attacks on Gubio and Magumeri in Borno State

 

I like to on behalf of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) welcome you to this press conference onthe simultaneous and coordinated Attacks on Gubio and Magumeri Local Governments by Boko Haram Insurgents.

In the evening of Wednesday 21stAugust, Boko Haram Insurgents launched a simultaneous and coordinated attacks on both Gubio and MagumeriLocal Governments of Borno State. The attackscoming a week following an earlier one on Gubio has witnessed massive destruction in the community. So far, fatality figures are not yet clear. the attacks lasted till morning hours of Thursday. The destruction and killings are serious setback to the efforts at resettling, reconstruction and rebuilding of these communities that have been ravaged by the insurgency for almost 10 years now. It has now pushed back many more hundred people to new displaced, some of themfor the second or third time.

Coming at the height of the farming season, it also means thatthese attackswouldhave serious impact on food security in the region. This can exacerbate the already humanitarian disaster that is rooted in the region.

CITAD is shocked and worried that inthe last couple of weeks attacks by Boko Haram have become more frequent, more brazen and very destructive. We express our condolence to the families of all those who lost their loved ones and wish speedy recovery for those who have sustained injuries in the attacks.

Theseincidences raised a serious question on the efficacy of our counter insurgency strategy. Rather than driving and squeezing out the insurgents, it appears they are daily gaining grounds and coming more atrocious against our people.

We note that the insurgents took advantage of the fact that both Gobio and Magumeri have no military presence or cover to protect the communities form attacks by the insurgents, in otherwords, the communities are an open target for these attacks. In fact, entire stretch between Maiduguri to Damasak, at the border with Niger republic, spanning over 160 kilometres, had been left without military presence and may be vulnerable to attacks. The remnant of military fled Gubio following the first attack on the military brigades that was stationed there.

While we commend the patriotism and gallantry of our soldiers, we call on the government to: as a matter of urgently:

  1. Review and fine tune the National Counter Insurgency Strategy as to make it an effective tool to end the insurgency and secure our citizens and the territories they live. As it is the insurgents seems to be gaining strength
  2. Should investigate and find immediate solution to the growing influence of the allure of war economy in which top military brassare benefiting and becoming more interested in exploiting such an economy for their personalaggrandizement than in savinglives and ending the conflict. It known that in some communities, soldiers have taken over control of major economic activities such as fishing. There are even allegations of appropriation of cattle herds of villagers by some of the military leaders.
  3. Government must ensure that our troops are well equippedandsupported with high quality of intelligence. Given the high handedness of the military, they are not likely to get the best from the communities
  4. Should investigate the allegations of the nonpayment of allowances of soldiers. There have been reports about these and such situation is capable of damping the morels of soldiers.
  5. Investigate cases of militaryhigh handedness on community membersand abuse of rights and dignity of ordinary citizens. For instance, in March 2019, few weeks before the forceful displacements of over 5,000 people from Jakana to IDP camps in Maiduguri, villages in Kukawa had their market burnt to the ground by soldiers because people that were linked to the fighters were reportedly patronizing the markets.
  6. Compliment military strategy with efforts that will engage communities and enhancingtheircommunity resilience to not only repel but also make it difficult for the insurgents to launch an attack on them
  7. Finally, we call for the immediate restoration of military cover in the two local governments