By Ahmad Tijjani Abdul, Kano
Y. Z. Yaú, Executive Director of CITAD has called on the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Ali Isa Pantami to support the NCC midwife a national policy on community networks.
Yau spoke in Kano during a Media Lunch to mark the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI). He enjoined NCC to hasten the process of setting up the Industry Working Group meant to develop the policy framework.
The International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) is a day set aside by United Nations to mark globally commitment to and a reminder to the need to ensure that all persons have access to relevant information that will enable them live a meaningful, productive and culturally fulfilling life within the context of democracy.
He explained that CITAD had within the last six months raised awareness and engage policy makers in the country on the need for a national policy on community network.
Mr. Yau revealed that the key points of CITAD advocacy was very productive with a number of takeaways, adding that key stakeholders generally acknowledged the importance of community networks in connecting the unconnected.
He stressed that “CITAD will like to use this day of Universal Access to Information to plead to all our government agencies that we must move beyond declaration of intention of connecting the unconnected and be proactive to do the necessary bits needed to actualise that intention”.
The Executive Director, CITAD therefore tasked USPF to also engage communities that are already working to deploy community networks as part of its connectivity agenda bridging as approved in its Strategic Plan entitled Universal Service Provision Fund Strategic Management Plan (2018 – 2022).
He also enjoined NITDA to support such community networks initiative through its digital centres initiatives so that these centres would not only catalyse digital skills dispersal across the country but also contribute significantly to the realization of its core strategic objective of achieving 95% digital literacy by 2025 in the country.
The CITAD Executive Director similarly enjoined Galaxy to show commitment to its promises and “move beyond the declarations it has made to find practical ways of supporting community networks initiatives in addition to getting its relevant recommendations to appropriate quarters of government.”