INTRODUCTION

On its efforts to bring solutions to societal problems, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has developed a Mobile Application that will be used to locate lost and found items called CIGIYA Application. The CIGIYA mobile Application is available on google play store. The CIGIYA Application, which is the first of its kind will facilitate the searching of lost items by people and help transport associations, media houses and other relevant organizations to generate a database of lost items. This will enable individuals to use the application to search for possible found items and the location they were submitted, as most of the transport associations have huge number of unclaimed lost items as a result of uncertainty of where the items are submitted. However, the announcements made in the media houses do 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. With the new CIGIYA Application a permanent database of lost items will be available online and people can search it any time by item type, date range, car park or station. The data base will simply be generated by the representative of agreed parks, media houses or unions.

NATIONAL UNION OF ROAD TRANSPORT WORKERS (NURTW)

On the 29th of March, 2021, the Technical Department of Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) led by Engineer Kamaluddeen Umar visited the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) of Yankaba Motor Park, Kano State. The objectives of the visit was to introduce the newly developed CITAD Mobile Application, CIGIYA Application to the Union and seek for partnership. CIGIYA Application is a lost and found application that is designed to help public to search for their lost items that are found and reported to one of the Transport Union Offices, Radio Stations, Ward Heads, and Market Associations etc. This will help the public to find their lost items easily and reduce the number of unclaimed lost items at the above mentioned places.

After presenting the application and how it works by the lead of the team, Engineer Umar to the Union’s Chairman in person of Alhaji Garba and his members, the Union leaders showed great interest and commended CITAD for coming up with this initiative. The chairman continued to state that the application is very relevance looking at the huge number of unclaimed lost items in their offices. The chairman being convinced with how the application will solve their problems in connecting their passengers with their lost items invited members of their Union’s sister association, Taxi Association in the Motor Park to join the meeting. 

At the end of the meeting the chairman directed his members to bring some of the lost items for upload onto the application.

AREWA RADIO

Similarly, on the 30th of March, 2021, the team also led by Engr. Kamaluddeen Umar paid another visit to Arewa Radio Station to intimate them on the newly CITAD’s CIGIYA Application. The reason of the visit was to seek for collaboration and partnership with Radio Station. The Station Manager of the Radio, Malam Shehu Bala Kabara appreciated and commended CITAD for coming up with the initiative and finding the station worthy of partnership, he went further to state that the newly app is related to their work and will serve greatly in addressing daily issues that arise in lost and found items. 

Malam Shehu narrated an instances that happened which took almost a year before the owner got his belongings, but said with the help of this app people can easily locate their lost items within a short period of time. He also recommended that CITAD should reach out to some business centres/cafés to use the app so that people who do not have smart phones or can’t use the app can go and get help there. Finally, he assured the team his organization’s full utilization of the application.

At the end of the meeting, the Technical Officer of CITAD, Engineer Suhail Sani explained and demonstrated to the members of the station present at the meeting and showed them how they can upload lost items in their possession.