Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) organised a mentorship training for key stakeholders in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as part of efforts in ensuring that the Girl-Child has access to quality education and advance in ICT.

The mentorship session was held on Thursday, at the premises of the LEA Primary School in Tunga-Ashere in Jiwa Chiefdom, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

The objectives aimed at acquainting stakeholders on the importance of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the education of the girl child.

Speaking with journalists after the event, CITAD’s Sponsorship Officer, Mr. Mubarak Ekute said the training was put together to interact with stakeholders and sensitize them on how to leverage on ICT to improve learning and empowerment of the girl-child.

“The world has become a global village through ICT, so the idea behind this programme is to interact and hold a mentoring session with stakeholders that are concerned with education to enable them empower the girl child through ICT so that they can be useful to themselves, the society and achieve education.”

On the relevance of ICT to the beneficiaries he said, “with ICT, the girl-child can leverage on so many opportunities. For instance, in terms of the classroom, she can use it to enhance her learning skills, use ICT to acquire knowledge and information to carryout her assignments,” Ekute said.

The Special Adviser to the Chairman of AMAC on ICT/Donor Agencies and Civil Societies, Abiodun Essiet who made a cash donations of N50,000 for development of the school in the community, commended CITAD for granting beneficiaries in the communities access to ICT.

Earlier in a welcome address, the programme coordinator, Salma Abdulwaheed said in line with the Sustainable Development Goal agenda which emphasized that no one should be left behind, CITAD considered it a priority to take digital skills acquisition programmes to some remote communities in the FCT to empower beneficiaries.

Adding that the organisation has established ICT Centres in communities in five area council’s of the FCT, one of which is located in Tunga-Ashere.

A representative of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education at the event, Dr. Efi Anam said the ministry is happy that women and girls child in the rural communities are being carried along in a world where women are now occupying important positions. She stressed the importance of empowering the girl child with education to face the many responsibilities she is saddled with in the society.

“We are also interested in making progress in our small communities. We can only achieve this by making sure everybody, including girls, go to school. The women need to be empowered, trained to have skills to enable them assist their homes and be useful in the society,” Anam added

The village Chief, Sani Yakubu, who said he is one of the beneficiaries of the ICT training programmes, also lauded CITAD for improving the lives of members of his community. And also commending AMAC authourities for establishing the school in the community two years ago to address the problem of lack of access to education.

He appealed for expansion of the school to accommodate the teeming population of pupils, head Master’s office and convenience for the entire school.

Adding, he identified lack of hospital facility and electricity as some of the urgent need of the community.

Also speaking, the LEA Tunga-Ashere Head Master, Martins Zanyi commended CITAD for assisting the communities to improve their access to education. He ceased the opportunity to appeal to government to construct more classrooms for pupils in the community and provide more furnitures to aid better learning.

Last week, CITAD also visited Leleyi Gwari community, Kwali Area Council for same course.