By Chimezie Godfrey
The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has commended donation of land by the Chairman of Itas/Gadau Local Government Area of Bauchi state, for building of structures needed for proposed community network.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Executive Director, CITAD, Y. Z. Yaú said the use of community networks is part of the many strategies aimed at addressing connectivity gaps and bridging the digital divide across the country.
He explained that Community networks are telecommunications infrastructure deployed and operated by local groups to meet their own communication needs and also a communications infrastructure, designed and erected to be managed for use by local communities.
According to him, this communication needs can be voice, data, etc. and can be point of convergence for community to come together to address their common community problems.
Yau noted that in Nigeria, Community Networks is seen as a recent development.
He therefore revealed that to stimulate the evolution and growth of the community networks in the country, CITAD with support from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK through the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) is implementing a project aimed at enhancing the capacity of communities to design, deploy and manage community networks to meet their communication needs while at the same time engaging regulators and other relevant policy makers to enact policies and provide support that could enhance the flourishing of community networks in the country.
He also said that this project has pilot sites in seven communities across three states namely Jamaare and Itas in Bauchi State, Kafanchan in Kaduna State and four sites in rural community of Federal Capacity Territory, Abuja (Tungen Ashere, Dakwa Community, Pasepa and Leleyi Gwari.)
He therefore commended the donation of land by the Chairman of the Itas/Gadau Local Government Area of Bauchi state to support the building of structures needed for proposed community network in the area.
He said,”While all the organizations in these seven sites are being trained to enhance their capacity to undertake the roll out of community networks, we are happy to announce the donation of a lot of land in Itas by the Chairman of the Itas/Gadau Local Government of Bauchi state, Honorable Abdullahi Muhammad Maigari (Yayan Gida) for the building to accommodate the structures needed for the proposed community network in the community.
“CITAD welcomes this donation as demonstration of the community of the leadership of the community to support their citizens to create the necessary conditions for their digital self-inclusion which will contribute in facilitating access to digital business and opportunity as well as increase access to education.
“We thank the chairman for this exemplary gesture and assured him that CITAD will ensure the proper use of the land to power its digital programmes for the community.”
He urged on the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) to fast track its process of policy development for community networks in the country
“CITAD like to use this opportunity to call on the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) to fast track its process of policy development for community networks in the country
The CSO group also called on “The Galaxy Backbone which has declared its support and commitment to promoting community networks to demonstrate this support by reaching out to communities that are already working to roll out such in their communities.
It urged the USPF and NITAD to extend their digital inclusion programmes to community networks initiatives so that these efforts could become more sustainable.
CITAD further called on other Political leaders in Itas-Gadau Local Government and in other communities, especially the Members, State House of Assembly and House Representative members to as a matter of their constituents’ interest support efforts to build the community networks in their communities to address the digital marginalization of their people,
“Philanthropists and business individuals in the local governments to assist in the building of the community network centers,” he also stated.
Yau encouraged other local government chairmen in the country, especially where the intervention is taking place to emulate the good gesture of Itas-Gadau local government chairman,
CITAD urged NCC to lead in speeding up the flourishing of community networks in the country by providing free spectrums to ruralj communities where community networks are being provided.
