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The Centre for Information Technology and Development has sensitised 90 students of Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria (MAAUN), Kano, to data privacy, online safety and the risks associated with social media misuse.
The workshop, held on Thursday, was organised to introduce the students to Dcomms, a decentralised and privacy-focused alternative to mainstream social media platforms developed by CITAD.
Speaking at the event, the project lead, Buhari Abba, said Dcomms was designed to give users greater control over their data and privacy.
He said educating students on the responsible use of social media was important, noting that many users were exposed to harassment, blackmail and privacy violations due to a lack of awareness.
“Social media is something you don’t necessarily go to school to learn; much of it you learn as you go. Unfortunately, many people fall victim to harassment and blackmail because they are unaware of how these platforms operate,” Abba said.
He urged the participants to make informed choices about their use of social media and explore alternatives such as the Fediverse, which he said offered safer and more responsible digital engagement.
In a presentation titled ‘Big Tech vs the Fediverse,’ an engineer from the CITAD technical team, Babagana, said major technology companies, including Facebook, X and Instagram, continued to dominate the digital space.
He said such platforms often limited users’ control over their data and their ability to express themselves freely.
Babagana also warned the students about online risks, including identity theft, phishing, scams, reputational damage and cyberbullying.
He said decentralised platforms such as the Fediverse offered “greater autonomy, improved privacy protections and community-based moderation systems.”
Another member of the CITAD technical team, Engr. Suhail, conducted a live demonstration of the CITAD server on the Fediverse, guiding participants through account creation and the platform’s features.
The Head of the Mass Communication Department, RY Suleiman, thanked CITAD for organising the workshop and urged the students to take data privacy and online safety seriously.
He expressed hope for sustained collaboration between the university and CITAD, while advising the students to remain vigilant online and consider platforms that prioritise privacy and security.
Report by Mujahid Aminu Lilo edited by Buhari Abba
