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CITAD Launches the Nigerian School of Community Network

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As part of the Work Package 2 of the Supporting Community-led Approach to Addressing Digital Divide in Nigeria Project which the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) is implementing with support from Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) through Association for Progressive Communication (APC), today CITAD launched the First Nigerian School of Community Networks for Micro-organizations.

The aim of the project is to connect the unconnected areas in Nigeria where conventional market players find it unprofitable to deploy their networks and the purpose of the School of Community Networks is to build capacity of community based organizations called the micro-organization who are working to deploy community networks in their communities to meet local communication need.

The first School, which holds at Stonehegde Hotel, Kaduna began with an opening ceremony where we have number of speakers gave goodwill messages to the participants.

In his opening remarks, the Executive Director of CITAD Malam YZ Yau gave the background of the project as well as a ran down of the activities the organization had been doing over the last two years, culminating with the School.

The Executive Director Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) stated that over the last two years, CITAD had been working tirelessly to catalyze the emergence of community networks in Nigeria, given that there has been no policy to guide the growth and flourishing of the of Community networks, CITAD took step to engage with policy makers and regulators in the sector such as Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the ministry of communications as well as other relevant agencies to ensure that an appropriate policy is developed for Community Networks in the Country.

He also stated that part of the objective of the School is to train champions with technical skills on how they can design, deploy and manage community networks. The school will hold in two phases, the phase one is an intensive physical one-week residential training which starts today, followed by four-month online training which is part of the phase two activities.

While giving reports of the efforts CITAD has made to engage policy makers on the need for community network policy, the Director of CITAD called on both the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy Prof. Isah Pantami and the Management of NCC to honour their promises they made about setting up the processes to develop a national policy on community networks for the country. He said this urgent because at the moment more than 88 million of Nigerians remain unconnected and excluded from the benefits of digital technology.

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The opening ceremony also received goodwill message from the Executive Director of Fanstuam Foundation Mrs. Comfort Kazanka, Mr. Olusola Taniola, National Coordinator of Alliance for Affordable Internet and Mrs. Edith Udeagu, the immediate past COO of Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) who expressed their gratitude for being part of the project as well as advising the participants to be good ambassador of their communities by applying the knowledge gain. In her goodwill message, Mrs. Kazanka urged that the School of Community Networks be turned into a either a institute for community networks or a specialized university.

On his part Mr. Olusola Taniola said, his organization was ready to join hands with CITAD to push the advocacy for a national policy on community networks in the country.

Mrs. Edith Udeagu who offered her Goodwill message on her personal capacity noted that “The National School of Community Networks provides this opportunity for all to learn and share knowledge. We thank CITAD, its CEO, Mr. YZ Ya’u and team and its partners for providing this opportunity for all and pray for its success. I say congratulations to CITAD. I congratulate its partners and contributors for their participation. In this country, we need to address the issues of digital divide. People in various communities face various challenges. We need to assist as much as possible to address these issues and give them the opportunities to better their lives”.

The keynote address was given by the Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone, represented by Mr. Abdulmalik Suleman, staff of the company. He stated that one of the objectives of Galaxy Backbone is to help in connecting the underserved communities. He commended CITAD for embarking on this project, noting that it was not an easy thing to do. He disclosed that Galaxy Backbone currently is implementing the second phase of the National Information Communication Infrastructure Backbone (NICTIB) which he said would provide access to backbone across the country. He welcomed communities to take advantage of this in their plans for their community networks.

He also appreciated the effort of CITAD for setting up the School of Community Networks, which according to Galaxy Backbone is another important step will help strengthen the impact of shared internet experience and shared Network in our Nation. The opening session was chaired by Dr. Sana Mauz of the Department of Software Engineering, Bayero University, Kano. Dr. Muaz urged the participants to make the best use of this opportunity which is a crush programme to acquire critical telecommunication knowledge.

Shortly after the opening session the first technical session of the School began with a presentation on Spectrum and how Spectrum is Allocated as well as applying Spectrum by Dr. Abdulkari Yusuf of the NCC. The presentation explained to the participants what Spectrum was all about, how was allocated and how it is deployed and shared. Twenty-one youth leaders from different parts of the country are attending the school, which is proposed to run annually. Most of them were from underserved and unserved communities such as Pasepa, Laileyin Gwari, Tugan Ashere and Dakwa in the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, rural Kafanchan in Kaduna State and Itas as well as Jamaare in Bauchi.

The Nigerian School of Community Networks is the first attempt in the country to build local skills and expertise for the organic development of grassroots telecommunitions infrastructure in the country. Community networks is a telecommunications infrastructure deployed and operated by a local group to meet their own communication needs and also a communications infrastructure, designed and erected to be managed for use by local communities. 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.

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Nigeria’s GDP Growth, Drop in Inflation Not Translating into Poverty Reduction – BUK Deputy VC

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The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of Bayero University Kano (BUK), Professor Ahmad Muhammad Tsauni, has said that Nigeria’s recent economic growth and decline in inflation have yet to translate into a meaningful reduction in poverty among citizens.

Professor Tsauni, an economist, made this observation during a gathering organised by the Non-Formal Development for Education and Health Initiative, with the theme, “Nigeria at a Crossroad: Who Is to Fix It?”

He said that although Nigeria had recorded some level of growth in its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and improvements in certain economic indicators, the development had not significantly improved the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians.

According to him, the country continues to grapple with complex economic and social challenges that require collective efforts and practical solutions to overcome.

“We want to show that Nigeria is a country that, in spite of its challenges, has complex problems that will not really allow it to address them easily. Recently, we have been experiencing some level of growth in GDP, but those indices are not translating into a reduction in poverty, and so we are at a crossroads,” he said.

The BUK Deputy Vice-Chancellor explained that addressing the country’s challenges required more than government interventions, stressing that every Nigerian had a responsibility to contribute to rebuilding the country.

He maintained that the responsibility of finding solutions to Nigeria’s problems should not be left to individuals, political leaders or organisations alone, but should involve citizens from all sectors of society.

Professor Tsauni also called on the government to formulate and implement pragmatic policies capable of addressing the country’s challenges, while emphasising the importance of building public trust.

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He, however, identified negative societal attitudes and a lack of commitment to national development as some of the major obstacles preventing Nigeria from achieving the desired results from its policies.

According to him, Nigeria has developed several sound policies over the years, but poor attitudes and the failure of citizens to demonstrate the necessary commitment have continued to undermine their implementation.

“We have beautiful policies in Nigeria, but they cannot work because of our attitude. We should not apportion blame to anybody because we created the problem together, so everybody should contribute,” he said.

The university don urged Nigerians across different professions and institutions to examine their conduct and take responsibility for improving the country.

He specifically noted that classroom teachers, judges, public servants and other professionals must reflect on their individual responsibilities, adding that positive changes in societal attitudes were essential to national development.

Professor Tsauni further stressed that Nigeria’s current situation required collective reflection and a change in citizens’ approach to public responsibilities rather than continuous blame-shifting.

Earlier, the Technical Lead of the Non-Formal Development for Education and Health Initiative, Dr Auwal Halilu, called on Nigerians to demonstrate patriotism and contribute towards revitalising the country.

Dr Halilu said Nigeria was facing numerous challenges as the country approached the 2027 general elections, stressing the need for citizens to reflect on how to secure the country’s future through responsible participation in the electoral process.

He urged Nigerians to embrace positive values, transparency and accountability, noting that national development could only be achieved when citizens and leaders demonstrated genuine commitment to the country’s progress.

“We should take into consideration that we are going to revitalise this country. Every Nigerian should be patriotic. There are a lot of challenges in Nigeria as we approach the 2027 elections. How can we help to get the best in Nigeria? We should change our values for good and be transparent,” he said.

Dr Halilu also challenged Nigerians to consider how they could support leaders in addressing the country’s challenges, rather than leaving the responsibility of national development entirely to those in government.

He emphasised that rebuilding Nigeria required a collective commitment to good values, transparency and patriotism, particularly as the country prepares for another general election in 2027.

The gathering provided an opportunity for discussions on Nigeria’s economic and social challenges, the responsibilities of citizens and the need for collective action towards national development.

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Dala Chairman Marks Two Years In Office With Prayers For Peace,Leaders

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By Abdu Saidu

The Chairman of Dala Local Government Area of Kano State, Hon. Suraj Ibrahim Imam, has marked his second anniversary in office with a special prayer session for peace, stability and good governance in Dala, Kano State and Nigeria at large.

The prayer session, held on Saturday at the local government secretariat, featured the recitation of the Holy Qur’an by about 60 Islamic scholars and Qur’anic memorizers drawn from different parts of the council area.

The participants offered prayers for divine guidance, wisdom and success for Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, members of the National Assembly and the Kano State House of Assembly, as well as other political leaders.

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Speaking at the event, Imam said the prayer session was organised to express gratitude to Almighty Allah for the opportunity to serve the people of Dala for two years and to seek His continued guidance and blessings for the council, the state and the country.

He added that the gathering was also an opportunity to pray for the success of Governor Yusuf and other political leaders in their future political engagements.

On his administration’s performance, the chairman disclosed that several development projects had been executed across the 12 wards of Dala Local Government Area within the past two years, with the support and approval of Governor Yusuf.

He commended the governor for his development initiatives across the state’s 44 local government areas, particularly in healthcare, education, security, road construction, potable water supply, agriculture and employment generation.

According to Imam, the interventions have contributed to improving the living conditions of residents and strengthening development at the grassroots.

He expressed confidence in the governor’s leadership and called on residents and political stakeholders to support his re-election in 2027. He also expressed support for President Tinubu and other APC candidates ahead of the next general elections.

The event was attended by Alhaji Bashir Ibrahim Al-Mustapha, OON, councillors, Islamic scholars, Qur’anic memorizers, political advisers, the local government secretary and other stakeholders from across Dala Local Government Area.

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NNPC Confirms Gas Supply & Network Availability

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NNPC Limited confirms that gas transportation network operated by its subsidiary, NNPC Gas Infrastructure Company Limited (NGIC), remains available to support deliveries to power generating stations Nationwide without any constraints. NGIC’s operational records do not indicate transportation-related constraints within its network that explain the current decline in electricity generation.

NNPC Limited is focussed on actualizing the Federal Government’s gas development and monetization agenda which has led to about 10% growth in gas production volumes 2026 year to date. Gas supply availability is therefore not a challenge as NNPC remains committed to supporting efforts to improve electricity generation through safe, reliable and efficient gas supply and transportation.

This clarification follows the Nigerian Independent System Operator’s (NISO) statement of 5 November 2026, which cited limited gas availability and reduced water inflows to hydroelectric stations as causes of lower generation. NNPC Limited’s clarification concerns the operational status of NGIC’s transportation network. Gas production, commercial supply arrangements and actual deliveries to individual power plants must be assessed separately from the availability of transportation infrastructure.

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A comprehensive assessment must also consider the availability and operational readiness of generating units, plant maintenance schedules and actual gas offtake. These factors determine whether gas supplied can be converted into electricity. They should be verified alongside gas supply data to establish the causes of the shortfall.

NNPC Limited supports a coordinated review of operational data by gas suppliers, transporters, power generators and NISO to identify specific constraints and guide effective interventions. Accurate reporting across the gas-to-power value chain is essential to resolving the challenges and sustaining public confidence.

Our focus remains on dependable energy infrastructure and constructive collaboration that helps translate Nigeria’s gas resources into more reliable electricity for Nigerians.

Andy Odeh
Chief Corporate Communications Officer
NNPC Limited
Abuja

6 November 2026

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