Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), has organized a capacity building workshop for journalists in Kano on community networks reporting.
Speaking during the training, the Executive Director of the Centre, Engineer Yunusa Zakari Ya’u explained that, the workshop was organized to educate journalists on community network, and what is needed from policy makers and media to bridge the digital gap.
“share ideas and understand how networks within communities used be used to bridge digital gaps”
He highlighted that, community network cannot work in isolation, hence the need for interconnectivity between community and larger networks.
Engineer Yunusa emphasized the need, for policies on interconnectivity tariffs, where a sharing formula is used between network originator, intermediary and final terminating network.
“Government has to come in and contribute its quota by setting up a special interconnectivity between community and large networks”
In his paper titled “why community networks”, the Community Networks Coordinator, Centre for Information Technology and Development, Malam Haruna Adamu defined community network as, computer networks developed for public interest.
He identified physical infrastructure, network end user, network technical team and regulatory bodies, as some of the components of community network service provider.
On gender and community networks , Harira Abdulrahman Wakili stressed the need, for giving women the chance to build community networks through equal access, raising awareness on women’s rights and grassroots support among others.
“many factors contribute to women separation from digital world”.
The digital rights officer, Malam Ali Sabo led an interactive session on, media strategy for reporting community networks, where over 40 journalists brain stormed on the way forward.
Some of the participants who spoke to Radio Nigeria, Abubakar Abdulqadir Dan Gambo from independent post, Nura Mudi from Arewa Radio, Fatima Salihu of Campus Watch and Zainab Sani Usman from CITAD Radio, described the workshop as apt.
They promised to make judicious use of the knowledge gained.
KHADIJAH ALIYU