By Yakubu Salisu, Kano

The Executive Director, Centre for Information Technology CITAD, Yunusa Z. Ya’u has revealed that the Centre intends to train 5,000 youth in the next three years on the ethics of using the social media to promote accountability, fight corruption and consolidate democracy.

Ya’u made the disclosure on Monday during the official commissioning of the Centre’s social media lab and first online radio station in Kano.

According to him, the social media which gives the ordinary citizens avenue to express their opinions about governance as it concerns them, like every technology requires certain skills for professional utilization without which will lead to a the abuse of the platforms.

He said, “democracy is about voice without which there would be no democracy and progress and at CITAD, we believe that the voice of the masses matters.

Through the social media, we hope to reach out to more persons as it cuts down the cost of communication to engage them, educate and enlighten them on the need to transform into a mass movement geared towards making Nigeria a country where justice, security, education and hospitals functions amongst many other”.

Yunusa further stated that the radio station which will disseminate information as expected would also serve as a venue for students studying Mass Communication to practice what they have learnt in school just as the social media lab furnished with 40 new Laptops would be put into immediate use.

Declaring the lab and station open, the Honorable Commissioner of Information, Kano State Ministry of Information, Comrade Muhammad Garba commended CITAD for the revolution of bringing into perspective the societal need on the social media.

Garba who was represented by the Ministry’s Perm. Sec. Usman Balla stated that the initiative to train youth on ethical issues surrounding the use of social media is a move in the right direction and a frame work worthy of emulation.

The initiative is remarkable one because the social media can serve as a tool for construction but at the same time, and a tool for destruction if not handled with care,” he added.