General News
Imode, Kwara Community’s Digital Literacy Centre, ICT Roadmap Unveiled
By peter oluka
In a tactical move to become a digitally smart community that delivers a decent living and respectable future to its people, irrespective of their social status, Imode Community in Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State has received a digital literacy centre donated by the illustrious sons and daughters of the land.
Imode Development Association (IDA) borrowing a leaf from the National Information Technology (NIT) Policy seeks to make the community dwellers, especially the youths, become IT complaint and ‘netizens’ in the information society by using IT as the engine for sustainable development and global competitiveness.
Speaking at the recent public presentation of the solar-powered excellent Digital Literacy Center (DiLiCe), equipped with modern ICT infrastructure to support the education and curiosity of every citizen within and around the community, Pastor Joseph Babatunde, the president, Imode Development Association (IDA), said that the projects: a modern IT centre and a school bus, were to assist the students imbibe the IT culture as the world has gone digital.
Babatunde said, “I recall with joy that the idea of provision of a modern IT Centre for our school came to me a couple of years ago when one of my children did the post-JAMB exam in University of Ilorin (Unilorin). The students were all given computers to do the exams. While she breezed through the exams, most of the other children were just starring at the device until the time was over. I felt challenged there and then, to give every child that needed opportunity”.
“IDA has done the little it can by providing the facilities. We want to see the impact through improved performances in all the exams of our students/pupils”.
Explaining the ‘Imode ICT Vision’, Reverend Sunday Folayan, IDA’s vice president, said that they are closers to achieving a digitally Smart Community. “This will be achieved by reliance on technology, carefully backed up with traditional methods that are functional. A significant number of indigenes will continue to live outside the community or the country, and their needs and requirements to stay connected to their roots will continue to inform the community’s development policies.
“ICT will be used to solve practical problems, such as educational deficiency as well as the security of lives and properties.
“Most aspects of the Community engagement activities will be conducted electronically towards widening access and participation especially with its citizens in the diaspora, using appropriate technologies.
“Members of the Community will come to accept a high standard of up-to-date facilities, ease-of-use and reliability, richness of information, integrated services and excellent support”, he explained.
The Imode Digital Literacy Center, Folayan added, will serve as a launch-pad for making the Community an ICT model in the state as well as the country developing local software and systems that preserves the language and culture of Imode people Providing technical support for the repair and maintenance of Communications equipment such as phones, tablets and computers within Imode Community and providing Internet access for both the DiLiCe and the Community.
The Paradigm Initiative (PI) works with the Association for training and capacity building, while the equipment in the centre were sourced entirely online through Konga.
According to Mr. Gbenga Sesan, the executive director at Paradigm Initiative (PI) and content partners on the project, said the initiative will birth huge impact if it’s well utilized.
Sesan was represented by Mr. Tosin Abolaji, a program manager at PI, who said, “The facility is primarily setup for the youth in the community and we believe they won’t be denied the use of it. We will encourage the Association (IDA) to have a committee that will look into the management of the facility, design a program that will ensure that the youth are regularly/constantly trained, even use the facility as a source of generating fund for the school and community by making it a resource centre. Neighboring communities can subscribe to the usage of the facility and pay stipends. The list of possibilities goes on and on but what is very important is a strong management”.
“It’s a welcome development and we encourage such in every community. Technology is now a necessity not a luxury and no one should be denied of the privilege. Our work at Paradigm Initiative is around youth and community development; that makes us connect more with the Imode Community Digital Literacy Centre project. The youth of Imode Community will no longer be denied the opportunities that come with ICT”.
Professor Mike Abiodun, chairman, IDA’s Education Committee, said, “Let’s agree that that the community has done a very good job, by setting up an ICT Centre and it’s important to understand that education is a collaborative venture.
“The government cannot do it alone; the same thing applies to the schools and parents. It has to be collaborative between the government, the community and parents. “We are in the ICT age; if you are not computer literate it will be difficult to contribute effectively. So, the community thinks that if our children must go higher in life, then it becomes necessary. With the calibre of persons that we have that will handle the kids; we believe that the students will take full advantage of it.
The solar-powered DiLiCe fully equipped with 40 laptops, printer, internet connectivity, and other facilities, was presented to the Community’s Primary and Secondary Schools with the representatives of the State and local governments, lawmakers, educational bodies and the traditional ruler, the Onimode of Imode, Oba Joseph Dada, among other dignitaries.
Wale Abegunde, education secretary, Oke-Ero, LGA, Kwara State, said “I am super excited about this initiative because it will relieve the government the burden of developing an IT Centre in Imode Community.
“Surprisingly, this people have done it and it is the responsibility of the government. They see it as part of their efforts to add value to the community development. Other community development associations should borrow a leaf from IDA”.
Excited by the projects, the Principal, Imode Community Senior Secondary School, Mr. Raheem Adebiyi, said “Everything is done online these days and I believe that our registration is going to be made easier because students don’t need to go the café to register again.
“This initiative was developed by IDA, when I initially heard about it; I was elated because it’s going to help our students a lot in their career”.
Imode ICT Roadmap
IDA established the Imode Digital Literacy Center (DiLiCe), to enhance the teaching of ICT in the Community schools and cater for those who want to avail themselves of ICT education. DiLiCe will:
Be the rally point for digital literacy in the community, organize Training programs on computer appreciation and usage for pupils, students and the different categories of staff, and Be the testbed for digital ideas within the community.
Ultimately, the goal, as contained in the ICT roadmap is to ensure deployment of ICT for teaching, learning, and community development. Thus, ICT will be used to solve practical problems, such as educational deficiency as well as the security of lives and properties.
“Most aspects of the Community engagement activities will be conducted electronically towards widening access and participation especially with its citizens in the diaspora, using appropriate technologies.
“Members of the Community will come to expect a high standard of up-to-date facilities, ease-of-use and reliability, richness of information, integrated services and excellent support.
“The DILICE will allow members of the Community, who have their own portable computers, tablets and mobile phones to also communicate using the Community Infrastructure. This means that the Network Infrastructure strategy will not only focus on access but also on information and data security”, Rev’ Folayan pointed out during the presentation.
The Centre, is surely going to promote digital literacy and eLeaning in the various schools within the community, as Imode Development Association has pledged that its people must have access to resources such as Computers, Network resources and the Internet at all times, whether in the DiLiCe or in their various homes.
A recent survey by Kaspersky has showed that 43.5% of employees and business owners using computers in the Middle East, Turkiye and Africa (META) region faced a situation when colleagues (24%), friends or relatives (19%) made jokes with their unlocked computer.
These jokes included sending funny messages or emails on behalf of the accounts’ owner, placing a screenshot of the desktop as a desktop background, and leaving unexpected pictures, notes, or photos in the files. At the same time just less than 3% of the survey respondents admitted to making such jokes themselves.
Similar tricks are also used by cyber attackers. For example, a phishing website may open in a new window in full-screen mode, so that the original browser bar with the phishing URL becomes invisible.
Instead, the attackers replace it with an image of the browser bar with the official link of some well-known organisation. This image may display various messages (both visual and audio), such as warnings that the computer has been blocked and a fine must be paid.
If the user does not know how to exit full-screen mode in the browser, they may think their computer is really locked. To escape such a trap, users can press F11 or Alt+F4 on Windows, or Cmd+Ctrl+F on a Mac, to exit full-screen mode and regain control.
Short links and QR codes should always be treated with vigilance as they may lead to unpredicted downloads or websites, not only claiming to be an “April Fools” joke. QR code phishing, known as Quishing, has been a growing concern in recent years.
Since there are threat actors looking to benefit from people’s trust in a service, it’s worth checking such links by copying and pasting them into a tool like GetLinkInfo or UnshortenIt. Cybersecurity solutions help with a built-in QR scanner that lets users check the link and warns users about landing on a dangerous website.
Additionally, hovering over a short link (without clicking) can sometimes reveal the true destination URL in the browser’s status bar, offering a quick safety check.
“Of course, a friendly joke won’t lead to the loss of money or data, that is the case with cyber attacks but may still be very unpleasant. Following simple rules when working with a computer, tablet or phone will help to avoid unpleasant consequences.
Be vigilant, have strong passwords in place and keep your devices locked,” notes Brandon Muller, technology expert and consultant at Kaspersky.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Godswill Akpabio, Senate president, and Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the House of Representatives, “to immediately withdraw the oppressive bill which contains repressive provisions to jail any Nigerian of voting age for six months and/or impose a fine of N100,000 on them if they fail to vote in national and state elections.”
SERAP urged Akpabio and Abbas to instead “amend the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the Electoral Act 2022 to remove constitutional immunity for state governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences, including vote-buying, to facilitate the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators.”
SERAP also urged Akpabio and Abbas “to amend the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act to explicitly prohibit the appointment of members of any political party as resident electoral commissioners (RECs) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).”
There is currently in the National Assembly a ‘Bill for an Act to Amend the Electoral Act 2022 to Make It Mandatory for All Nigerians of Majority Age to Vote in All National and State Elections and for Related Matters.’ The bill seeks to make voting compulsory and prescribes a six-month jail term or a fine of N100,000 or both for non-compliance.
In the letter signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director, SERAP at the weekend, the organisation said: “Jailing eligible Nigerians for deciding not to vote would be entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the letter and spirit of the Nigerian Constitution and the country’s international human rights obligations.”
SERAP said, “Rather than proposing bills that would severely punish Nigerians who may decide not to exercise their right to vote, the National Assembly ought to propose bills to remove constitutional immunity for governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences and undermine the integrity of the electoral process.”
According to SERAP, “The most effective way to solve the perennial voter apathy is to create a safe and conducive environment, combat the impunity of high-ranking politicians who commit electoral offences, and generally improve the electoral process to encourage the citizens to come out to vote, and not to send them to jail.”
The letter, read in part: “Should the National Assembly fails to drop the bill prescribing a six-month jail term for eligible Nigerians who decide not to vote in national and state elections, and should any such bill be assented to by President Bola Tinubu, SERAP would consider appropriate legal action to challenge the legality of any such law and ensure they are never implemented.”
“The idea of compulsory voting and jailing citizens for not voting is impracticable, unnecessary and unlawful. The right to vote is part of citizens’ right to participate in their own government and the choice of whether to exercise it is personal.”
“The right to vote includes the right not to vote. If the right to participation is a right of the citizen, she/he must be free to decide whether or not to exercise it.”
“Because the notion of a democracy exists by virtue of the consent of the citizens, voters must get to choose how they exercise consent, not be forced to the polls like ‘cattle to the slaughter.’”
“The National Assembly ought to propose bills to reduce the influence of money in politics, and encourage and not compel the exercise of the right to participation.”
“The proposed bill is a blatant violation of the right to political participation, which is guaranteed under section 14(1)(c) of the Nigerian Constitution, article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and article 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.”
“SERAP also urges you to amend the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act to include explicit mandatory provisions on internet voter registration, and the use of modern technology, including in casting and counting, voter registration and systems for reporting results.”
“Amending the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act to explicitly include the right of eligible Nigerians to vote and to vote securely would enhance the effective enjoyment of their right political participation and representative democracy.”
“It would rebuild public confidence in the ability of the National Assembly to effectively perform its constitutional responsibilities.”
“Any amendment of the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act must include bills to address and punish governors and their deputies and their agents who commit electoral offences including voter suppression, voter intimidation and the destruction of polling units or theft of election materials.”
“It is important for the National Assembly to introduce and pass bills that would effectively rein politicians who continue to abuse the electoral rules to distort and undermine the right to participation with almost absolute impunity.”
“Removing constitutional immunity for governors and their deputies who commit electoral offences would address the brazen impunity for electoral and human rights crimes which frequently characterise the country’s elections.”
“The major problem facing the country’s democracy is the lack of respect for Nigerians’ right to participation and the concomitant lack of trust in election results. If citizens do not believe in the election process, then the entire system of democratic government becomes a questionable enterprise.”
“The crisis confronting Nigerian elections and lack of public trust and confidence in the electoral process can be addressed if the right of Nigerians to vote and to vote securely is explicitly recognized in the constitution as justiciable right.”
“Nigerians do not currently enjoy explicit right to vote and to vote securely. Although the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] provides in Section 14(1)(c) that, “the participation by the people in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”, this is not recognized as legally enforceable human right.”
“Nigerian election laws ought to be such that would give effect to the electorate’s will and uphold the popular mandate through clean, fair, and honest elections. The right to vote in a democracy is important because so many other matters depend upon its exercise.”
Dr. Bosun Tijani, minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, has annunced plans to elevate Enugu Tech Festival (ETF), to a national event.
Enugu Tech Festival is scheduled for May this year,
The minister during a working visit to Enugu State, disclosed plans to personally attend the festival and ensure its expansion to attract tech professionals from across the country.
The Enugu Tech Festival would help to strengthen the ongoing collaboration between the state and the federal government in advancing technological innovation, digital infrastructure, and entrepreneurship in the southeast region.
Commending the leadership of Governor Peter Mbah, Tijani praised his vision for fostering innovation and technological development in Enugu.
He lauded the governor’s achievements in critical sectors such as infrastructure, education, and industry, highlighting how the advancements lay the foundation for a vibrant digital economy that will empower the state’s youth.
The minister outlined a series of groundbreaking initiatives aimed at further transforming Enugu’s technological landscape.
One of the most significant announcements was the launch of the Project 774 Connectivity Initiative, a project designed to bring internet access to all 17 local government secretariats across the state.
Powered by Galaxy Backbone and NIGCOMSAT, the initiative will ensure seamless connectivity for government offices and the public, facilitating efficient governance and service delivery.
The collaboration between Galaxy Backbone and Enugu State will lead to the establishment of a Digital Innovation Complex.
The complex will serve as a hub for technological growth, digital innovation, training, and entrepreneurial support.
It will also connect over 200 state-owned institutions, including schools, healthcare centers, and government offices, to reliable internet services, further enhancing the state’s digital infrastructure.
Tijani announced the federal government’s plan to extend internet access to underserved areas in the state through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF).
“This effort will include the installation of a new base station and the laying of 15 kilometers of fiber optic cable to provide high-speed internet.
“As part of this initiative, computer laboratories will be set up in one secondary school and one tertiary institution in Enugu,” he said.
He also announced plans to establish an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Regional Centre at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
“This centre will become a focal point for AI research and development in the South East, offering state-of-the-art facilities to foster innovation in artificial intelligence”, he added.
“As part of this initiative, we plan to train 100 cybersecurity professionals in Enugu, boosting the state’s cybersecurity capabilities as part of a nationwide effort.
“The Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) initiative, will train 1.155 million Enugu residents in essential digital skills by 2027.
“This program will prioritise underserved groups, including artisans, market women, civil servants, and students, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to engage with the digital economy,” he said.
The minister also expressed satisfaction with the success of the 3MTT Programme in Enugu, which has already received over 14,000 applications, adding that the program aims to empower the youth by equipping them with the skills necessary to thrive in the digital economy, to train over 150,000 fellows in the state.
Other key projects unveiled included the establishment of a Tier III Data Centre, a Co-working Space for tech entrepreneurs and SMEs, and an Incubation Hub to support innovation and provide mentorship and funding to tech startups.
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