By Abdullahi Isma’il
In continuation with its effort of promoting awareness about ICTs, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), has conducted a Career Talk at Government Science Junior Secondary School (GSJSS) Guri in Jigawa State on Thursday, 5th-February-2009. The career lecture was delivered by Ahmad Abdullahi Yakasai, who led the CITAD team to the occasion. Mal. Usman Muhammad, the H.O.D. Integrated Science of the school welcomed the CITAD team on behalf of the Principal, and expressed the school happiness for being selected as one of the school that to have benefited from CITAD’s educative career lectures. He stated that he himself had benefited alot from the lecture and hoped CITAD would assist in reviving the school’s Computer Club which has died with the departure of its pioneer mentor, a corper, who has left, having completed his assignment. Mal. Usman urged CITAD to provide an opportunity in which staff and students of the school would acquire basic computer literacy and own PCs. The H.O.D. added that “our school doesn’t even have a computer teacher and almost all of us are not computer literate. Also computer education existed as part of our curriculum but it is really disheartening that it has been neglected, in both theory and practicalâ€
Replying, Mal. Yakasai stressed CITAD’s ambition to enlighten Nigerians about ICT and provide schools, civil societies, NGO’s, libraries, and individuals with PCs under the CITAD/CAI Computer Aid program currently going on. Further, Malam Ahmad also informed them that among CITAD’s programmes is the mobile training. The mobile training is designed for schools, organizations or even individuals who are far away from training facilities. In the programme CITAD moves its training facilities and trainers to the site for the duration of the training. Malam Ahmad also said if GSJSS, Guri was interested CITAD can provide such training Guri.
While delivering the career lecture, Mal. Ahmad Yakasai described learning Computer as easy not as difficult as Daukar dumar Magaji da nishi and therefore urged the students to work hard in learning ICT knowledge and skills. “What we are looking for is that even in your matrimonial home, you should be engaged in computer activities as this would help eradicate poverty and make you self reliant. And for those of you who have the privilege to further their education you will know that ICT knowledge is of great importance as in the near future computer will dominate every aspect of human life†Ahmad concluded.
Nearly sixty students attended the lecture and seven teaching staff of the school were present at the occasion including Muhammad Ussaini, Deputy Examination Officer, Muhammad Kime, H.O.D. Islamic Studies, Mansur Isyaku, Discipline Master, Muhammad Sa’id Kaku, H.O.D. Hausa among others.