The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) inaugurated a Community Network Centre in Itas Local Government Area, Bauchi State, on Sunday.
The ceremony took place at the District Head’s residence in Itas, where the centre, equipped with internet facilities, was officially opened to the community. The centre will provide internet access to households within its range.
At the event, Mal. Haruna Adamu Hadejia, CITAD’s National Coordinator for the School of Community Networks, said this is the fourth hub established by CITAD with support from Hello World. He noted that northern Nigeria lags behind the southern region in digital connectivity, and the Itas hub is an effort to reduce this gap.
“The hub will facilitate e-learning, e-commerce, and other digital services, giving under-connected communities like Itas access to digital resources,” said Mal. Haruna. He also mentioned that the hub allows rural communities to shift from traditional methods of information sharing to digital platforms.
Mal. Haruna thanked the Itas community for providing land for the project and announced that residents would have free internet services for the first year.
Mal. Gambo Idris Itas, the Danmasanin Tafidan Katagum and Adviser to CITAD’s Community Champions in Itas LGA, said the project would benefit students, researchers, and farmers by linking the community to digital resources. He mentioned that after the free year of service, the community plans to implement a cost-sharing model to maintain the internet service.
“For example, we will charge N50 for internet access, while business centres in the city may charge N100. This will cover 52% of the subscription cost, with CITAD covering the remaining 48%,” he explained.
Mal. Garba urged the community to ensure the centre’s security and sustainability to maximize its long-term benefits.
Al-Muneeb Abdul-Nasir Yusuf, youth leader of Itas LGA, expressed gratitude for the hub, noting that it would allow local youths to engage in research, software development, and entrepreneurship.
Aishatu Auwal Adamu, a student representative, thanked CITAD for addressing the challenges of poor network connectivity and high data costs that had affected their academic work. She assured that students would make full use of the hub.
CITAD plans to establish 20 similar centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones by the end of the year, with four hubs already completed.
