Central Bank of Nigeria, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control and Bank of Industry on Wednesday sensitized young women on how to start up small scale businesses.

Prime Times News reports that the women, numbering 20 are the beneficiaries of the second batch of Digital Livelihood Training for Young Women and Girls, organised by Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) in collaboration with US Embassy.

Speaking at the one-day sensitization workshop, held at Mambayya House in Kano State on Wednesday, representative of the CBN, Hassan Tom urged the beneficiaries to apply for several loan scheme, especially AGSMEIS, which is introduced by the apex bank for those that want to start up small scale businesses.

He added that there are many loan schemes introduced by CBN, but people were too haste to benefit, noting that if Nigerians should be patient, majority of the citizens would benefit from the schemes.

In his session, NAFDAC official, Suleiman Umar acquainted the participants with the necessary requirements needed by an enterprenuer to make registration, noting that, that would ensure they run a legitimate business accepted by law.

In his remarks, the CITAD’s head of the Digital Livelihood programme, Alhaji Ahmad Yakasai urged the beneficiaries to make proper use of the training and knowledge they acquired in order to earn a living.

Yakasai also advised youth to imbibe the culture of acquiring digital livelihood experiences in order to be in tune with modern internet business.

One of the beneficiaries, Maryam Ibrahim from Bunkure Local Government area of Kano State expressed happiness for being exposed to knowledge of IT.

According to her, the training had made her know a lot of things which she thought were not existing, adding that she had now acquired the nitty gritty of internet business within a shirt period of time.

Culled from Prime Time News
https://primetimenews.ng/citad-digital-livelihood-training-cbn-nafdac-boi-sensitizes-women-on-entrepreneurship/

ACORN: February 2019 ROUND UP

Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD)

 

Strategic Engagement

·         The Y-PAC project program officer of CITAD attended a 3-day master training on election observation organised by YAF from 2nd to 4th February 2019 at Dennis hotel, Abuja. The aim of the training was to equip its Y-PAC partners with necessary skills so as to go back to their respective states and step down to their observers of the general election. Checklist was developed during the training and CASE app was also introduced as the two tools agreed to be used for election observations. CITAD and CAJA were asked to collaborate in stepping down the training and coordinating the general election observations for the observers in Kano state and it was agreed by the two organizations that CAJA to lead the process as state coordinator while CITAD to provide two out of three supervisors for the observations which are to come from the three senatorial districts of the state. ·         A 2- day step down training was conducted for the fifty seven observers and two ICPC representatives from 12th to 13th February, 2019 at Nassarawa Guest palace, Kano where CITAD in collaboration with CAJA handled the training for the two days. Modules of the master training were used for the step down.  The participants were trained on how to use CASE app and SMS in reporting election malpractices and general conduct of the elections as well as using the Checklist for the detail report which is to be submitted after the election to the supervisors and to the coordinator at last for final submission to YAF through ICPC. ·         As directed during the master training, on Monday 11 February, CITAD went to meet with Kano ICPC commissioner after several communications on emails and phone, where Ibrahim Nuhu met with two ICPC members and discussed the step down training and the needs of collaboration with members of ICPC in carrying out the training and election observations as designed by YAF. ·         Presidential and federal legislatives elections was held on Saturday 23 February, 2019 and the fifty six observers were posted across the six local governments (2 in each senatorial district) and to different wards to observe the general conduct of the elections. They all went, observed and reported appropriately using the above tools though the effective supervision of the three supervisors and the coordinator and then submitted their checklists from Monday 25 to Wednesday 27 February to CITAD office as requested and were all paid a stipend of thirteen thousand naira (N13,000) as allowances for the exercise. ·         The three supervisors wrote a report of their supervision and sent to the state coordinator as he is to send the final report to YAF. The checklists were handed over to the coordinator by CITAD which he then handed to ICPC office in Kano as designed. ·         The election observation was done in peace and neutralism since all the non-partisan observers are not being harmed or harmed others as we have not seen or heard any form of violence during the processes neither from observers nor from supervisors. ·          The only challenge we had was the postponement of the general election by INEC after most of our observers already reached their far polling units for observation and spent their little resources without the purpose which we had to sympathise with them even though it was not from our own end. We then encouraged them to be at their various polling units on the day re-scheduled by INEC, Saturday 23 February which they did as early as possible and conducted the observations as required of them.

Cross Programme Coordination and Communications

First Batch Report of the Digital Livelihood for Young Women and Girls

Introduction

“Digital Livelihood for Young Women and Girls” is a project organised by Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) with support from Embassy of the United States of America, Abuja. It is aimed at training 40 young women and girls on various digital and entrepreneurship skills and pipelining them through an incubator program at the end of which we hope to get at least 10 small scale businesses set up by the beneficiaries while deepening engagement with policy makers on job creation strategy. The participants who are young women and girls, will be trained on digital skills,  digital entrepreneurship skills, Digital Marketing, Business skills and Internet Safety and Security as well undergo a period of 2 month of e-mentoring attaching them to highly accomplished entrepreneurs. The focus is having women entrepreneurs which can support themselves, their children and boost the national Economy.

Following a selection procedures, CITAD proposal to the U. S embassy was approved for funding. The objectives of the project were:

1. 1. Provide the 40 Young women and girls with life and entrepreneurial skills.
   2. Provide the 40 Young women and girls with ICT skills
   3. Provide 40 young women and girls with after-training enterprises development services
   4. Link 40 young women and girls to support networks and various enterprise development support opportunities such as SMEDAN, the Film Production Fund (FPF), Micro, Small and medium Enterprises (MSME) development fund launched by Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), etc

1. Facilitate the establishment of at least 10 new small scale enterprises by the beneficiaries

 

Report on Orientation of Second Phase of Digital Livelihood Program for Young Women and Girls Held at Mambayya House, Gwammaja, Kano on Wednesday 6^th December, 2018 with Support from US Embassy Abuja Through Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD)

The program was hosted by Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) with 35 participants from different communities within and outside Kano state.

Opening Statements

The meeting was opened by Malam Ahmad Abdullahi Yakasai on behalf of the Executive Director of CITAD. In his statements, he noted the importance of the program, orientating the applicants on the project’s expectations while congratulating them as successful applicants. He emphasized that the issue of women’s participation in ICT and entrepreneurships aspect in Kano continued to be of serious concern. However, due recognition needed to be given to the progress that has been made on the new project, where 40 successful applicants out of 6,205 applicants is a leading example that the women need to tighten up their mind and be self-sustainable.

Being a project from U.S Embassy doesn’t mean we empower women and girls by giving the money, we only empower them with skills and mentorship on how to promote your businesses online and so on. In emphasis to women participation, this give a clear impression that there is need of participation of young women and girls and people with disabilities in our localities to have a democratic society free of hunger which is achievable through projects like this. Said Ahmad

He finally urged that the applicants should be punctual, avoid irregularities or inconsistency in attending the training, avoid inclusion of uninvited applicants and must have a sound character and be focused and pointed out that women’s movements should also be seen as having a representational role to play; both in terms of substantive and descriptive representation.

Malam Ibrahim, the Program Officer, thanked the U.S Embassy for collaboration with CITAD to support the training. In his statement, after presenting the concept of the project, the courses to be offered which are more advanced compared to the first phase of livelihood program, the duration, he identified major achievements and challenges in promoting women’s equal participation in processes at all levels. He finally explained three (3) major project expectations at end of the training in context of the project, the participants should have the knowledge on all skills acquired and can be able to impact it on other women and girls in the society at any time and any moment.

• Should have a full knowledge on ICT and entrepreneurship skills
• Should register their business names with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and other concerned regulatory agencies related to their businesses to have a legal back up and;
• The participants should be participating in e-mentoring and be meeting from time to time for mentoring to discuss on how to expand their business, and search for other job opportunities.

Malam Kamal Umar, the Technical Officer, presented on some factors that hinders northern women in acquiring skills based on experience are bigotry, extreme poverty, lack of education, lack of parent’s and husband support’s due to culture and tradition that exposed them to gender discrimination and the necessity of the mechanisms is for promoting women in entrepreneurship skills even in their homes.  The Digital Livelihood Training will be an effective agent. He also mentioned some mechanisms for increasing women’s participation in ICTs and entrepreneurships acquisition;

• Mindset and zeal: When we change our negative thinking to positive, it increases attention and social movements.
• Timing is an important consideration, is a sign of gaining momentum
• Training and skill development: Training and mentoring will increase efficiency and ensure sustainability.

The training arrangements was briefed by the Training Officer on how it is commencing and the rules behind the training to avoid enacting measures that will affect single or majoritarian beneficiaries.

Project finance officer explained on how to go along with the logistics in order to adopt clear and transparent rules to ensure effective training by paying them transport fare weekly.

A session for question and answers was provided, the beneficiaries contributed in encouraging themselves to increase the era of enterprise.

 

Challenges:

• Some of the issues that occurred during the meeting were absence of invited concerned guest and government officials, which also leads to late commencement and provision of opportunity for the applicants from government actors, only representative from ministry of education attended but left before commencement.

Recommendations:

1. Use ICT training as a tool in education and training efforts, in particular to overcome the digital divide between men and women in the use of new technologies and to provide women with equal access to information.
2. The beneficiaries should ensure that they have equal opportunities during training, such as providing access to the ICT facilities, spending weekly transport fare wisely, our intention of running businesses are disclosed and shared among ourselves.
3. We should have clear rules that can allow us make a meaningful inputs during the training.

The session closed, refreshments served and transport fare paid at 2:47pm.

Report on Orientation of Second Phase of Digital Livelihood Program for Young Women and Girls Held at Mambayya House, Gwammaja, Kano on Wednesday 6^th December, 2018 with Support from US Embassy Abuja through Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD)

The program was hosted by Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) with 35 participants from different communities within and outside Kano state.

Opening Statements

The meeting was opened by Malam Ahmad Abdullahi Yakasai on behalf of the Executive Director of CITAD. In his statements, he noted the importance of the program, orientating the applicants on the project’s expectations while congratulating them as successful applicants. He emphasized that the issue of women’s participation in ICT and entrepreneurships aspect in Kano continued to be of serious concern. However, due recognition needed to be given to the progress that has been made on the new project, where 40 successful applicants out of 6,205 applicants is a leading example that the women need to tighten up their mind and be self-sustainable.

Being a project from U.S Embassy doesn’t mean we empower women and girls by giving the money, we only empower them with skills and mentorship on how to promote your businesses online and so on. In emphasis to women participation, this give a clear impression that there is need of participation of young women and girls and people with disabilities in our localities to have a democratic society free of hunger which is achievable through projects like this. Said Ahmad

He finally urged that the applicants should be punctual, avoid irregularities or inconsistency in attending the training, avoid inclusion of uninvited applicants and must have a sound character and be focused and pointed out that women’s movements should also be seen as having a representational role to play; both in terms of substantive and descriptive representation.

Malam Ibrahim, the Program Officer, thanked the U.S Embassy for collaboration with CITAD to support the training. In his statement, after presenting the concept of the project, the courses to be offered which are more advanced compared to the first phase of livelihood program, the duration, he identified major achievements and challenges in promoting women’s equal participation in processes at all levels. He finally explained three (3) major project expectations at end of the training in context of the project, the participants should have the knowledge on all skills acquired and can be able to impact it on other women and girls in the society at any time and any moment.

• Should have a full knowledge on ICT and entrepreneurship skills
• Should register their business names with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and other concerned regulatory agencies related to their businesses to have a legal back up and;
• The participants should be participating in e-mentoring and be meeting from time to time for mentoring to discuss on how to expand their business, and search for other job opportunities.

Malam Kamal Umar, the Technical Officer, presented on some factors that hinders northern women in acquiring skills based on experience are bigotry, extreme poverty, lack of education, lack of parent’s and husband support’s due to culture and tradition that exposed them to gender discrimination and the necessity of the mechanisms is for promoting women in entrepreneurship skills even in their homes.  The Digital Livelihood Training will be an effective agent. He also mentioned some mechanisms for increasing women’s participation in ICTs and entrepreneurships acquisition;

• Mindset and zeal: When we change our negative thinking to positive, it increases attention and social movements.
• Timing is an important consideration, is a sign of gaining momentum
• Training and skill development: Training and mentoring will increase efficiency and ensure sustainability.

The training arrangements was briefed by the Training Officer on how it is commencing and the rules behind the training to avoid enacting measures that will affect single or majoritarian beneficiaries.

Project finance officer explained on how to go along with the logistics in order to adopt clear and transparent rules to ensure effective training by paying them transport fare weekly.

A session for question and answers was provided, the beneficiaries contributed in encouraging themselves to increase the era of enterprise.

Challenges:

• Some of the issues that occurred during the meeting were absence of invited concerned guest and government officials, which also leads to late commencement and provision of opportunity for the applicants from government actors, only representative from ministry of education attended but left before commencement.

Recommendations:

1. Use ICT training as a tool in education and training efforts, in particular to overcome the digital divide between men and women in the use of new technologies and to provide women with equal access to information.
2. The beneficiaries should ensure that they have equal opportunities during training, such as providing access to the ICT facilities, spending weekly transport fare wisely, our intention of running businesses are disclosed and shared among ourselves.
3. We should have clear rules that can allow us make a meaningful inputs during the training.

The session closed, refreshments served and transport fare paid at 2:47pm.

Report on Digital Entrepreneurship Skills Under The Project “Digital Livelihood For Young Women And Girls” Implemented by CITAD with Support from Office of Embassy of the United States of America, Abuja.

Digital Entrepreneurship Skills Report for First Batch
After completion of the ICT skills phase, the twenty (20) young women of the first batch were introduced to Digital Entrepreneurship skills for ten (10) days. The session started from Wednesday 19th December, 2018 and ended by Friday 4th January, 2018 with the skip of X mass and New Year breaks. Here, the 20 beneficiaries were further divided into two different groups of twelve and eight based on their choice of their interesting packages or skills in two classes all in the morning, 9am-1pm to ease facilitation and understanding as well as improving student-centred learning. This phase was aimed at making the beneficiaries to learn digital entrepreneurship skills like Graphic design and infographics (Class A) Photography and Film and Video Editing (FAVE) in class B. In the first five days of the phase, the women were trained on the respective skills using PCs while in the last five days Android Tablets were used. The essence of facilitating using different tools is to make the beneficiaries know that they can use any available tool for them to do the business and support their learning skills especially the android phones which are very common in use nowadays. It was done successfully and the women acquired the relevant skills of their choice for the whole ten days. They demonstrated the acquired skills by using the Tablets and PCs to produce different items like calendars, Memos, Invitation cards, Fliers, Pictures and shapes as well as video coverage with editing styles. The next activity which is Business skills training has started immediately on Monday 7 January which will last for four (4) days training on three (3) components; Digital marketing for two days, Business skills training on Build Your Business Modules developed by Microsoft, International Youth Foundation (IYF) for a day, and Internet safety and security training for the last day.

Report on Information Communication Technology (ICT) Skills Under the Project “Digital Livelihood for Young Women and Girls” Implemented by CITAD with Support from Office of Embassy of the United States of America, Abuja

First Batch
In commencement of Digital Livelihood Training, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) organised a seven (7) days forum on information communication technology. The session started on Monday 10^th December and ended Tuesday 18^th December, 2018. where the trainees were trained on ICT Skills upon the following components; computer appreciation, MS Word, MS Excel, MS Power Point and Use of Internet Tools in order to prepare them for the digital entrepreneurship session.   This is aimed to make them People Fluent with Information Technology (FIT Persons) now and in the future. The batch was taken in one session (morning) with 20 women, provided with training manuals is used as a training guide for easy understanding and practice at homes. Each day is a four-hour session which starts at 9am and closes at 1pm in which the trainees are served with a lunch every day. Transportation fair was served at end of the week by the finance officer, also an I.D cards was issued to each participants. The women beneficiaries are active and anxious to learn the skills and practice what they learn since the training is a hands-own and they appreciate the method being used by the facilitators. It has a less challenges encountered during the session as some few participants come late in the beginning which later adjusted after discussing with them on the importance of coming on time and punctuality of attendance. In progress of the training, digital entrepreneurship session has started on Wednesday 19^th December which will last for ten days.

2nd Batch
In commencement of Digital Livelihood Training, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) organised a seven (7) days forum on information communication technology for the trainees to acquire ICT Skills on the following components; Computer Appreciation, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint and Use of Internet Tools in order to use it more effectively in preparation of learning entrepreneurial digital skills.  Training manuals were provided as a guide to have a good practice using the modules and Identification cards for verification. This aimed to make them People Fluent with Information Technology (FIT Persons) now and in the future. The batch was taken in one session (morning) with 20 beneficiaries. Lunch was served every day and at end of the week transportation fare of five thousand naira (N5000) was given to each beneficiary by the finance officer. Little challenge encountered during the session is some of the beneficiaries do come late in the first two days but we counselled them on the importance of punctuality and promptness which made them changed.  The training started from Monday 4 and ended Tuesday 12 February, 2019. In progress of the training, the entrepreneurship session has commenced on Wednesday 13 February which will last for 10 days.

Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has again called on political actors to avoid inflammatory and dangerous comments.

It expressed disappointment at the recent comments reportedly made by the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, at the party’s rally in Asaba, Delta State.

In a statement made available to The Guardian yesterday, the centre lamented that while the country was vehemently clamouring for peace, the PDP national chairman was beating drums of war.

Secondus reportedly said, “There will be war if the 2019 general election is rigged.”

A statement, signed by Hamza Ibrahim, the coordinator, Curbing Hate and Dangerous Speech Project of CITAD, described such remarks as reckless.

However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed optimism that the coming general elections would be better than that of 2015, while urging security personnel to be non-partisan.

The commission’s director of security, Mr. Richard Awolola, urged all security personnel to be alive to their responsibilities and ensure credible elections.

He spoke at a training tagged ‘Election Security Personnel Training of Trainers for 2019 General Election’ organised the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) at Ikeja, Lagos.

Project coordinator of ECES in Nigeria, Mr. Rudolf Elbling, said a peaceful environment devoid of threats to lives and property was needed to conduct a credible election.

He added that the training was necessary in view of reported cases of security breaches in some parts of the country in previous elections.

In a related vein, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has pledged support for the presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Kingsley Moghalu, ahead of the February 16 elections.

A statement yesterday by the spokesman of YPP presidential campaign council, Jide Akintunde, quoted the Ooni as commending Moghalu for his vision for a new Nigeria.

Moghalu was at the Ooni’s palace to pay homage, as part of his seven-day campaign tour of South West states, which kicked off in Lagos on January 26.

In his response, Moghalu described the monarch as “a great and enterprising leader”.

He promised to unite Nigerians if elected, while extolling the virtues of the Yoruba as “a people of great learning.”

In a related development, Nasiru llahi-l-Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) has enjoined Nigerian to exercise their franchise in the coming general elections by voting for credible candidates that can deliver quality life for the citizens.

National president of NASFAT, Alhaji Kamil Bolarinwa, made this call during a special prayer for peaceful elections, held in Lagos yesterday.

He urged Muslims and non-Muslims alike should troop out en masse to vote for a credible candidate and not be influenced by political gimmicks or vote-buying.

Governorship Candidates of various Political Parties in Kano State, Northwest Nigeria have signed a peace agreement as the 2019 General Election approaches.

The Candidates who are concerned with the conduct of the forth coming General Elections converged at Bayero University to append their signatures.

Former Head of State, Abdussalam Abubakar, Secretary General of the United Nations, Muhammad Ibn Chambas, Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sunusi II alongside leaders of Political Parties, clerics and many others were present to witness the event in Kano State.

The move is to engage flag bearers of all Political Parties in Kano to abide by the rules of engagement as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral

Twenty nine gubernatorial candidates out of fifty-four seeking election into the Kano state government house, and the leaders of their respective political parties have resolved to ensure a peaceful conduct of the forthcoming general elections in the state.

Among the candidates who signed the Peace Accord yesterday were the incumbent governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Engr. Abba K. Yusuf of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).

There are believes that signing of the document would go a long way in bringing sanity into the Polity and among the key political actors and their supporters in the state.

The peace document was signed at the instance of the Kano state peace committee, co-chaired by Professor Emeritus Ibrahim H. Umar and the Catholic Bishop of Kano Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr John Namaza Niyiring.
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State signs the state’s 2019 budget into law at the Government House Kano yesterday. With him are Deputy Governor Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna (right), Majority Leader, Kano State House of Assembly, Babba Dan Agundi (2nd right), state Attorney- General, Malam Ibrahim Muktar (2nd left), Commissioner of Budget, Hajiya Aisha Jaafaran (1st left) with other government officials

Speaking at the signing of the document, the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II warned the politicians against any act that can lead to destruction of lives and properties before, during and after the elections.

Emphasising the need for all candidates to live by the tenets of the peace document, Sanusi urged the candidates to demilitarise their supporters especially during political rallies, saying without peace there would be no elections.

“Peace is needed before the elections, it is important during the elections and we need peace even after the elections.

“God has forbidden any act that is capable of tampering with human life or his property. Therefore, anyone who shed blood, or on whose account blood was shed, or who allows bloodshed for his personal interest even if he/she is not prosecuted on earth the final judgment awaits him in the hereafter.

“I am calling on all political actors who have signed the Peace Accord and even those who are not here to start by instructing their supporters to lay down arms, and stop attending political events with weapons.

The special representative of the United Nations Secretary General for West Africa and the Sahel, Dr Mohammed Bin Chambas commended the candidates for their resolve for peaceful elections saying the UN would continue to amplify calls by the National Peace Committee for all stakeholders to ensure that issue based political campaigns are conducted across the country.

He further urged the politicians “to avoid hate messages and the politics of acrimony, bitterness and rancour that can undermine peaceful conduct of the elections.”

Chambers expressed concern over fewer women and youth candidates fielded by political parties despite the large number of women voters and enthusiastic youths eager to take part in nation building.

Four female candidates, including Fatima Isa (RP), Hajiya Furera Ahmad (FE), Maimuna Ahmad (UPP) and Halima A. Ahmad (AD) signed the peace accord.

The event was witnessed by the Chairman, National Peace Committee, Gen. Abdulsalami abubakar.

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD has
raised fresh alarm that the persistent hate speech on social media is
currently threatening the conduct of the much-awaited 2019 general
elections.

Raising the alarm at its monthly press conference in Kano yesterday,
CITAD Coordinator, Hate Speech Project, Malam Hamza Ibrahim said the
last few months have been alarming as far as the spread of hate
speeches on the social media was concerned, adding that the rise in
ethnic, religious and election-related hate speech points to clear
polarisation and intolerance.

According to him, between October 1 and November 30,  four hundred and
forty three (443)  hate speeches were tracked on Facebook, Twitter,
Websites of conventional and online newspapers and the hate speeches
comprised religious-based, ethnic based, election-related,
farmers-herdsmen based,  Biafra agitation and the host of others.

He however stated that in  October 2018, two hundred and fifty
two(252) hate speeches were captured, out of the number, one hundred
and forty five (145)  were ethnic based, fifty six (56) religious
based, twenty eight(28)  election-related, seventeen(17) Biafra
related, three(3) farmers-herdsmen  (3) , two(2) gender based and one
(1) access to resources related  one.

He pointed out that CITAD had also noted with concern that the volume
of hate speech  in hard  copy newspapers was minimal and that their
websites gave fertile ground for exchange of hate speeches among their
readers  stressing that condoning illegal practice especially in the
media was highly dangerous not only to elections but to national
unity, peace and development.

Centre for Information Technology and Development, CITAD, has condemned the comment made by former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, linking President Muhammadu Buhari with Boko Haram, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, ISIS, Al-qaeda and Al-shabbab.

DAILY NIGERIAN reports that, in the build-up to the February 16 presidential election, Mr Buhari has introduced a four-finger sign to support his re-election bid.

However, on January, Mr Fani-Kayode posted on his Facebook wall, linking the four-finger symbol with a support to the terrorist groups.

In the post, Mr Fani-Kayode said: “The four finger Muslim Brotherhood terrorist Rabia sign that Buhari keeps using is an affront to the Living God and an insult to the millions that have been killed by the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, ISIS, Boko Haram,Al Qaeda and Al Shabab over the decades. God will judge him for it!,”

But, in a press conference on ‘Hate, Dangerous Speech and Fake News in the Ongoing Campaign for the 2019 General Elections’, CITAD described the comment as dangerous and condemnable.

The Coordinator, Curbing Hate and Dangerous Speech Project of CITAD, Hamza Ibrahim, urged Mr Fani-Kayode to urgently withdraw and delete the comments.

The coordinator also cautioned Mr Fani-Kayode to desist from making such insensitive utterances in future, in order to avoid overheating the polity, just as the general elections are fast approaching.

Mr Ibrahim lamented the prevalence of hate speeches by politicians in the state and beyond in the build-up to the general elections.

“While we strongly condemn the hate and dangerous speeches from especially members and followers of APC and PDP, we want the two parties to caution their supporters against engaging in the act as well as other act capable scuttling the peaceful conduct of the elections.

“We want to categorically call on the chairmen of the two major political parties, Uche Secondus of PDP and Adams Oshiomole of APC to be courageous and urge all their followers and members to, in the interest of peace, stay away from hateful and dangerous utterances during the campaign period and after.

“We pass the same message to all governors to join their commissioners, other political appointees and numerous political followers to avoid hate and dangerous speeches,” he said.

He also condemned other inflammatory comments made by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chairman, Rogo Local Government area of Kano State, and the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Mr Ibrahim also called the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, to be vigilant on their monitoring over hateful and unwanted contents and take necessary actions on radio and television stations that allow such acts.

The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), a Kano based NGO, has urged the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to ensure effective monitoring of radio and television stations to check hate and unwanted news content as the 2019 general elections draws nearer.

Mr Hamza Ibrahim, CITAD Coordinator, Curbing Hate and Dangerous Speech Project, made the call while addressing newsmen in Kano on Tuesday.

“NBC should be extremely vigilant in their monitoring of hateful and unwanted news content with a view to taking necessary actions on any radio or television station that promote hate and dangerous speech in the country.

“The media should continue to scan their content and stop any hateful and dangerous piece as well as fake news from reaching audience,’’ he said.

NAN reports that the NGO, which is implementing ‘Curbing Hate Speech in Nigeria Project’ for the past four years, is being supported by the MacArthur Foundation.

He, therefore, called all media organisations in the country to always check the authenticity of stories they carried especially now that the 2019 general elections was fast approaching.
“We have noticed that some radio and television stations have continued to allow hate speech either in form of jingles or during live coverage of political rallies, and this has been paving way for another trend of hate speech as the 2019 elections keep approaching,” he said.

He said there was need for the politicians and the two major political parties to caution their followers and supporters against engaging in hate and dangerous speech, as well as fake news creation and circulation.

He said the measure was necessary in view of the fact that such hate and dangerous speech as well as spreading fake news are dangerous and capable of jeopardising the peaceful conduct of the 2019 general elections,“ he said.

By Tukur Muntari

Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), has appealed to editors in media houses to control the use of hate speech on their websites to promote national unity.

The centre’s Coordinator, Hate Speech Project, Malam Hamza Ibrahim, made the appeal at a news conference held at the centre in Kano on Wednesday.

He said that the centre had noticed minimal use of hate speech in hard copies of newspapers, yet their websites accommodated them.

“The centre has captured 263 ethnic based hate speeches, 121 religious based hate speeches, 31 elections related hate speeches and 21 Biafra agitation hate speeches in October and November 2018.

“We have recorded 250 hate speeches on Facebook, 175 on Websites of conventional newspapers, 12 on Blogs and six from Twitter,” he said.

The centre however appealed to Newspapers Proprietors of Nigeria (NPAN), to regulate the appearance of hate speech on Newspaper websites.

It also appealed to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to be strict on political jingles which have undertones of hate speeches aired on many stations.

Furthermore, CITAD advocated to all media stations to make effective use of the Nigeria Media Code of Elections Report (the 2018 revised edition) as guide against use of hate speech.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that CITAD the support from MacArthur Foundation has been monitoring and countering hate speeches on media platforms since 2014.

A Kano based Non Governmental Organisation, Centre for Information Technology and Development, has advised Online Newspapers to regulate their sites against hate speeches.

Malam Hamza Ibrahim, the spokesperson of CITAD gave the advice on Wednesday at a media briefing organised by the association in Kano.

According to Ibrahim, the organisation has tracked 175 hate speeches on the social media for the month of June which were used at various platforms.

He said that about 28 per cent of the recorded speeches were religious based while 36 per cent were tribal based and 1.7 percent was politically motivated.

He said: “The languages used for the hate speeches in May as we monitored were English and pidgin.”

The CITAD spokesman however, appealed to traditional and religious leaders at different capacities to create avenues of sentisitising and cautioning people against hate speeches.

Ibrahim described hate speeches as “anti peace and anti development’ which people must avoid.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that CITAD in partnership with MacArthur Foundation had been monitoring and countering hate speeches on media platforms since 2014.

The Center for Information Technology and Development, CITAD, said it has sadly noticed fake pictures of Nigerian military officers in circulation, especially on social media platforms.

According to the centre, the now viral image shows two gentlemen in Nigerian military uniform, one is dead while the other is loudly crying.

The image was said to have emerged from a scene during the recent attack on troops under the 157 Task Force Battalion at Metele in Guzamala Local Government of Borno state on 18th November, 2018.

In a statement signed and made available to newsmen by its Hate Speech Project Coordinator, Hamza Ibrahim, CITAD said it “did observe that the picture is receiving attention of Nigerians on Twitter, Facebook, WhatApps, etc by especially giving the impression that it originated from the Metele attack on Nigerian troops.

“As an organization that implements a project on Hate Speech and Fake News and also does research on the concepts, CITAD wants to emphasize here, that, the picture is fake, and is not in any way connected with Metele incident.

“Unlike what its circulators claim, the picture originated from a Hausa Movie called “Abu Hassan”, where two friends “Adam A. Zango and Zahraddin Sani”, were dramatically involved in a gunfight with their antagonists, Adam A. Zango had in the movie died having been shot several times and Zahraddin Sani, being a friend and colleague was madly screaming in sympathy.

“The movie produced by Zahraddin Sani and directed by Alfazazi (a Kaduna-based film maker) was released in 2016. But, fake news disseminators are now using that scene to mislead people into believing it was a reality during Metele incident, that is absolutely false.

“CITAD is hereby drawing the attention of especially the disseminators and the Nigerian public that the picture is fake in totality, and there is need to stop sharing it on whatever medium as that also is sparking another negative discourse. Disseminating fake news in whatever form is injurious to peace and development, as such people should shun doing it.

“We equally want to caution people against sharing fake news, particularly at this time of electioneering; before sharing any information, people should interrogate its authenticity.