REPORT OF ICT SENSITIZATION WORKSHOP ORGANIZED BY CITAD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BABURA FACEBOOK USERS FORUM ON 21/12/2013 AT BABURA TOWN, BABURA LGA, JIGAWA STATE

By Sufyan Lawal Kabo

On 21/12/2013, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) in its effort to sensitize rural communities on how to use ICTs for community development, collaborated  with Babura Facebook Users Forum and organised a one day workshop on the use of ICT for community development at GGSS Babura. At least 103 comprising of youths, and elderly people attended the workshop. Also in attendance were the Hakimi (District head) of Babura, Alhaji Hadi Mustapha (Sarkin Bai of Ringim) ably represented by Alhaji Nura Mustapha. Others were Engr Abdurrazak Nakore, the Executive Secretary of Jigawa State Rural Electrification Board, Mal Kamilu Adamu, a retired Zonal Director of Jigawa State Ministry of Education and other respected dignitaries.

Certificate of Appreciation

Certificate of Appreciation

Alhaji Nura Mustapha representing District head of Babura presenting certificate to CITAD

Alhaji Nura Mustapha representing District head of Babura presenting certificate to CITAD

Photograph of Guests, Members and Perticipants

Photograph of Guests, Members and Perticipants

Cross Section of the Participants

Cross Section of the Participants

The objetive of the workshop was to sensitize participants on the use of  ICTs for community development.The opening prayer was offered by Alhaji Bature Alhassan Babura, a community elder who prayed for a successful completion of the workshop.

Malam Sulaiman Daudu Babura served as the MC. He bagan by welcoming all participants. He acknowledged the presence of CITAD, gave brief history of some of her achievements and also commended the effort of Babura Facebook Users Forum for collaborating with CITAD in organizing a workshop on ICT- which is the bedrock of the today’s world economy.

In his opening remarks, CITAD’s M&E Officer, Malam Isyaku Garba welcomed all participants and also commended Babura Facebook Users Forum for their wonderful endeavours toward mobilizing youths on various ICT skills in Babura local govt and beyond, thus he said is an applaudable effort.

Engr Abdurrazak Nakore, the Executive Secretary of Jigawa State Rural Electrification Board, who is also one of the elders of Babura Facebook Users Forum was the chairman of the occasion. In his welcome address, he expressed that the entire fields of today’s livlihood have been affected by ICTs, which have undoubtedly affected the areas of learning, research,  general productions including agriculture. ICTs he said, have the potential to accelerate, enrich, deepen skills, to motivate and engage youths in all aspects of these days life. He therefore urged all participants to concentrate and learn from the presentations, for that would mobilise them on the importance of ICTs and inspire them to embrace it fully.

The workshop began with the first presentation by CITAD’s Training Coordinator, Malam Ahmad Abdullahi Yakasai on ‘UNDERSTANDING ICTs’. In it, he defined ICT, its dimensions, ICT as a profession, steps in ICT convergence etc.

CITAD’s Senior Programmes Officer, Kabir Sa’idu Dakata facilited the second paper which was ‘ICTs IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT‘. He highligted that promoting the rural development means development of a country because it would stem the tide of rural to urban migration and also reduce pressure on urban areas. In particular he said, it reduces unemployment & hence addresses the issue of urban violence which is associated with rising tide of youth unemployment, therefore there’s need for new strategies and tools to address rural development and one of such tools is the ICTs. He also stressed how ICTs can be configured in rural areas for agricultural productions and marketing.

ICTs AND EDUCATION IN NIGERIA was the title of the third paper presented by Malam Isyaku Garba. During his presentation the participans were taught what ICT can do to education, eg overcoming space constraint, overcoming learning materials shortage and expanding access to education in general.

The fourth and fifth papers were presented by Malam Ahmad and CITAD’s Technical officer Malam Kamaluddeen Umar respectively. Yakasai explained how ICTs could be used for professional works such as Adverts, dynamic effects and the illusion of interactivity, videos, digital games, children cartoons, film productions etc.

To shed more light to Yakasai’s presentation, Malam Sufyan Lawal Kabo who is CITAD’s Programme officer on Media hightlighted how ICT is  rapidly changing the world, He expounded that the ability to access and use ICT is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for development therefore urged all the participants especially the youths to embrace and exploit it because the bounties in it knew no bound.  As example, he projected a short movie on Sepsis awareness campaign (a killer virus) that he produced for a German-based organization. The knowlegde for sourcing the project, production and post production of the international project he said, are dwelled within the ICT circle.

Kabiru Dakata presented sixth paper titled PROSPECTS FOR SMALL SCALE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN THE ICT SECTOR which provided an exposition of the various opportunities for small scale entrepreneurs in the sector. Finally, Kamaluddeen Umar facilitated the last paper which was on SELF LEARNING COMPUTER – a knowledge for self-learning computer, that is taking in information, processing it, and retaining it without the need for another individual to be teaching it for the understanding to occur. At the end of the workshop, questions were raised by some of the participants o which the presenter responded.

After the presentations, Mal Kamilu Adamu a retired zonal director Ministry of education thanked the organizers of the workshop and described how the world has gone far with the the use of ICTs therefore emphasized that until  the government engaged more in the ICT sector, there won’t be development because the world economy has now become ICT driven.

Finally, the representative of the district head of Babura, Alhaji Nura Mustapha in his goodwill speech, commended and thanked the organisers of the for a job well done and hoped that such an effort would bring more workshops, trainings and sentitization on ICTs in his locality. He further highlighted that ICT application and use will prove beneficial and if our youths would rise to it, a technologically-advanced workforce will lead to Nigeria’s economic growth. Our  southern couterpart he said, have since embraced it and are benefitting much from it.

Some of the comments made after the workshop were as follows:

“Extremely professional and approachable. ICT is just what we need for our country to develop. The workshops is well planned and organised; keep up the good work! CITAD/Babura Facebookers Forum, only Allah can reward you for this!”

-         A’miru Abdullahi, A worker in Babura Local Government Secretariat

 “All the presentation of the courses were well prepared and conducted in a  very efficient and friendly fashion. The facilitators just  knew what they are speaking about, but we might need a little more of these workshops to get the whole idea and put it into full practice in a community like ours. It was very interesting and useful training. This is not a training for just students, it is for all -elderly people, young men , women and children. We appreciate.

-         Aminu Namadina, Science secondary School, Kafin Hausa

 As a Language teacher, I have learnt much from these presentations. Example, there’s a term ‘Snail Message’ an antonym of the modern day speedy way of sending messages that was used by Malam Ahmad Abdullahi Yakasai, it made a big impression in my mind because surely it is a term that was innovated by technology. Thank you for coming, we are expecting more of this.”

-           S.H. Insharuwa, GGASS Babura

“Both presenters and contents of workshop are well delivered. I’m planning to do in-house training for my organisation. I used to be a teacher of a secondary school here in Babura, in the past years, CITAD has done a lot for us and our students. We participated in various ICT quiz competitions that they organized and have as well won many prizes.”

Babangida Sharu, INEC