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CITAD Laments Rising Cases Of Technology Assisted Violence In Nigeria

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Malam YZ Yau

 

The Executive Director, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Yunusa Zakari Ya’u has lamented over the rising cases of technology-assisted gender violence in the country.

Briefing Journalists at the centre Wednesday in Kano, Ya’u said, the way in which technology is deployed specifically to harm women and girls, including harassment online, rape, kidnapping and killing facilitated via interaction and use of digital technology is disturbing.

He lamented that within the past two weeks, two very disturbing contents on the internet have been making rounds which degrade and dehumanise women and the individuals involved.

According to him, the first was a posting of sexual escape of students of Chrisland, Lagos in faraway Dubai which went viral, leading to the suspension of academic activities in the school.

The second concerned a lady in Ado-Ekiti who was invited her to a hotel room by her friend who had arranged with his three other friends and not only gang-raped her but also posted the act on the internet.

The third was a case of a lady who was kidnapped for money occurred earlier last month in Abuja when a man the lady befriended on social media invited her to his hotel, only for him and his friends to kidnap her, demanding N50 Million from her parents as ransom.

He said, “There have been many other such cases in which social media friends lured their female friends only to rape them and in some instances, kill them to cover up the crime.

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“Cases of young girls falling victims of this technology assisted crime have been on the rise and are contributing negatively to the efforts to address and overcome the gender dimension of the digital divide in the country, which casts women on the negative side of the divide and making it difficult for them to access and make use of the opportunities and benefits digital technology offers for educational advancement, economic empowerment and social inclusion.”

He added that, CITAD, has for the past five years been engaged in monitoring and countering gender violence online and take this very serious, because we have in an earlier research found that gender-based violence online has been a major factor inhibiting factor for the effective use of digital spaces by girls and women in the country as they have internalised the fear that harmful content online has induced in them.

“In another research, we found that harmful content online is targeted at female politicians and women in career such as female journalists and academics, with the aim of discouraging them from those spaces, thus furthering their marginalization in those spheres. For example, female politicians are subjected to social media abuse and intimidation and that in many of cases, they were forced to drop out of contesting of elections because of this.”

He called on parents and husbands using the same excuse to prevent their daughters and wives from using the internet to adjust in their thinking as the world is transiting into making the use of internet a most a necessity to all.

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“In all these cases, it is the country and society that suffer from this criminal misappropriation of the powers of the internet. As learning, commerce, social interactions and government services move online, it means that those left behind digitally or are unable to access and use the internet, will equally be left behind in those other spheres.

“Women constitute slightly more than half of the population of the country. As majority of these women are remaining offline as a result of gender violence online and other harmful contents, it means that a large population of Nigerians is left behind.

“In this situation, Nigeria cannot achieve the sustainable development goals as most of them require effective deployment and use of the internet.

“Girls are at disadvantage in getting admission to higher education because they have been prevented from learning to use digital skills which are necessary for passing the entrance examinations to the higher institutions in the country.

“Yet, here in the North we complain of lack of sufficient number of female doctors and other health related professionals, even when we deny girls the opportunity to learn digital skills to gain admission to study for medical profession.

“Women are the majority of citizens who are identity excluded in Nigeria and consequently also financial services excluded, making it difficult for them to access financial services and progress in business. Lack of identity also is inhibiting their ability to exercise their freedom of movement as some important modes of travel cannot convey people without authenticated identity.

“It is for these reason that we at CITAD takes the issue of technology-assisted gender violence online as a serious national problem, that the government has to consider and take necessary means to address it.

“We note the recent empanelling of a Committee by the Federal Government to study and propose solutions to ensuring the protection of children online.

“While we welcome this action, we would like government to also consider and act in the same manner with respect to gender violence online. It is important to reflect that technology-assisted gender violence is pernicious as it is not easily visible, making the victims to suffer doubly as victims of violence and as victims of stigmatization when they report and make their suffering public. This is why victims do not report, allowing themselves to suffer in silence.”

In this respect, Ya’u, on behalf of the CITAD, called on the federal government as well as state governments to as a matter of national urgency:

– Set up a panel to study and propose solutions to technology-assisted gender violence, including proposing legislations on how to deal with it. In making this call, we would like to caution against throwing the baby with the bathwater.

– Government should not use this as an opportunity to inhibiting access to the internet for citizens but rather improve on how citizens are able to access and safely use the internet.

– The Federal Government should incorporate safety and privacy online in the computer studies curriculum of secondary schools. In this way, computer studies can then not be just done to get a credit for admission to higher institutions but also to get life skills that will prepare the students for successful emersion into the digital world.

– While we have made computer studies compulsory at secondary schools, we have not incorporated safety issues in the curriculum. This gaps should be addressed quickly because learning computer studies is not just for passing examinations but to gain skills that are needed to fit into the digital world of today.

– Lot of the criminal uses of the internet is relating to poor understanding of digital rights.
In particular, government itself has not shown proper appreciation of the importance of digital rights. Without a bill of digital rights, the use of the digital space can be counterproductive as we see it now. In this respect, the National Assembly should quickly pass the Digital Rights Bill and the President should sign it.

– The federal government should also come up with a national digital inclusion agenda that will address the many challenges that inhibit the effective access to and use of the internet. This will contribute greatly in addressing the various dimensions of the internal digital divide in the country.

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Former President Muhammadu Buhari Buried in His Hometown of Daura with Full Military Honours

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By Abbas Yushau Yusuf

Former President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, was laid to rest in his hometown of Daura amidst tears and tributes.

The burial was attended by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

He was lowered into his grave at exactly 5:50 p.m.

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The late President Muhammadu Buhari died on July 13 at a London clinic after a brief illness.

The Governor of Katsina State, Dr. Umar Dikko Radda, was visibly emotional, with tears seen flowing down his cheeks.

Former President Buhari was given a state burial by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Before the final interment, gun salutes were fired by members of the Armed Forces to honor their three-time Commander-in-Chief.

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff and highest-ranking military officer, General Christopher Musa, read the citation of the former president.

The late Buhari served as Nigeria’s Military Head of State from January 1, 1984, to August 26, 1985, before being overthrown in a military palace coup by his then Chief of Army Staff, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.

Upon the return to democratic rule, he contested for the presidency three times in 2003, 2007, and 2011 before winning on his fourth attempt in 2015. He was re-elected in 2019.

President Muhammadu Buhari handed over power to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29, 2023, after completing two terms in office.

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Dr. Gwaram Distorts Facts, We Sponsored Ourselves — Cry PhD Holders at FCAPT, Kano

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In a dramatic twist to the narrative being peddled by the embattled Provost of the Federal College of Agricultural Produce Technology (FCAPT), Kano, Dr. Muhammad Yusha’u Gwaram, several academic staff have come forward to debunk his recent claims of having increased the number of PhD holders in the institution from 3 to 13 within five years.

The claim, published in several media outlets, has been described by multiple sources within the institution as “a desperate attempt to score cheap popularity” and “a clear distortion of facts aimed at bolstering his failed bid for tenure extension.”

In a series of interviews conducted with several PhD holders at FCAPT, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, a clearer picture has emerged. Contrary to Dr. Gwaram’s assertion, the College currently has only nine PhD holders, not thirteen as he claimed. Of these, three, including Dr. Gwaram himself, already held doctoral degrees prior to his assumption of office in 2020.

Of the remaining six, four were already enrolled in PhD programs before he took office, with no institutional support whatsoever from the College. “To be very clear, no single lecturer has received financial support, not even for tuition, from the College under Dr. Gwaram’s leadership,” said one of the sources. There was an active and highly intelligent lecturer who got a PhD admission in India, despite using his meagre salary to finance his travels and other academic costs, this lecturer had to abandon his study due to lack of support from the College. “If Gwaram ever supported only one PhD student, we challenge him to publish the evidence. We are enlightened and educated. Nobody can take us for a ride”, said one of the angry PhD. holders.

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More concerning is the active obstruction Dr. Gwaram has allegedly meted out to staff pursuing postgraduate studies. For example, three of the College’s promising lecturers, all of whom secured competitive, fully funded PhD scholarships abroad, had their study leave applications denied, and their salaries suspended for about three consecutive years. These scholars, now based in the USA, Japan, and Thailand, represent the kind of global exposure and academic excellence any serious institution should be proud of. Yet, in what many described as a retaliatory stance, Dr. Gwaram refused to reinstate their salaries despite a directive from the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), which unequivocally instructed him to settle the outstanding payments.

As for the so-called Research and Development (R&D) support, the truth is equally disappointing. The College, under Dr. Gwaram, provides a measly ₦150,000 (approx. $100) per staff member and only to a small circle of favorites, once annually. These monies come from the budgets of the Federal Government not the internally generated revenue as he falsely claimed. No PhD candidate has ever received this ₦150,000 naira support more than once. “How can ₦150,000 cover tuition, research logistics, transportation, and publication costs in today’s economy, let alone abroad?” one of the lecturers queried. “The claim that this is a meaningful support is not only misleading but also insulting to the intelligence of Nigerians.”

Insiders suggest that Dr. Gwaram’s recent media campaign is part of a calculated strategy to position himself for an illegal extension of his tenure, which is due to end on August 20, 2025. “If Dr. Gwaram truly believes in the capacity of the PhD holders he is celebrating in the press, why not step aside and support one of them to succeed him as Provost? That would be a genuine legacy,” another source pointed out.

Instead, the atmosphere at FCAPT has become one of distrust, intimidation, and political maneuvering, with staff demoralized and students left as collateral damage in the Provost’s quest for personal aggrandizement.

We therefore call on well-meaning Nigerians, particularly stakeholders in the agricultural education and research sector, to disregard the embellished narratives being circulated by Dr. Gwaram. FCAPT is in dire need of visionary, fair-minded, and transparent leadership, not one rooted in propaganda and the suppression of merit. Prayed one of the academic staff union leaders.

He added, “the true heroes of the College’s academic advancement are the resilient lecturers who struggled and triumphed against all odds on their own dime and determination.

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From 3 to 13 PhDs: Kano Agricultural College Soars Under Gwaram’s Leadership

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The Provost of the Federal College of Agricultural Produce Technology (FCAPT), Kano, Dr. Muhammad Yushau Gwaram, has disclosed that the institution now has 13 PhD holders among its academic staff a significant leap from when he assumed leadership of the college.

Dr. Gwaram made the revelation during a press briefing held at the college premises in Kano, where he addressed journalists on the milestones achieved by the college under his leadership.

According to the provost, the number of doctorate holders has increased from just three to thirteen through deliberate staff development efforts. “Some of our PhD holders had migrated to Ilorin and other places, but we’ve been able to retain a substantial number. In addition, we now have over 30 lecturers with Master’s degrees, and very soon, more than 20 of them will become PhD holders,” Dr. Gwaram stated.

He further explained that despite not being beneficiaries of TETFund grants, the college has continued to sponsor the academic development of its staff using internally generated resources. “We are using our little funds to train our staff up to PhD level,” he emphasized.

Dr. Gwaram also highlighted academic advancement within the college, noting that during his tenure, the institution had organized two national conferences where scholarly papers were presented. “For over five years, we have consistently reviewed our curriculum to align with modern agricultural practices,” he said.

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The provost revealed that the college now offers seven new courses, all fully approved by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), unlike in the past when some courses lacked accreditation. “All the courses we offer now are NBTE-approved. When our students graduate, they do so with not just certificates but practical skills that make them self-employed,” he noted.

He also highlighted the college’s engagement with local communities, especially rural women and students, through food processing projects. “We’re currently processing ‘garin kunu’ and other delicacies. We collaborate with both community members and students to drive agro-based entrepreneurship,” he explained.

In terms of infrastructure, Dr. Gwaram announced that the college has installed a functioning water system, hospital facilities with beds for medical attention, and a tomato processing engine capable of handling up to 1,000 kilograms at once.

“Our tomato packaging and processing technology has reached across Nigeria. We trained 300 people in the South-South, 150 in the South-East, and many more in the South-West on tomato processing,” he added.

The provost also lauded the cordial relationship the college enjoys with the Kano State Government, stating that it has consistently sponsored many students for training at the institution.

Furthermore, Dr. Gwaram emphasized the college’s hands on approach to learning. “We have greenhouses where students are trained practically. The goal is to ensure that our graduates are equipped with employable and entrepreneurial skills,” he concluded.

The Federal College of Agricultural Produce Technology, located in Kano, continues to position itself as a hub for agricultural innovation and skill-based education across Nigeria.

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