Students and youth engage in digital literacy training at the newly inaugurated CITAD-ActionAid ICT Centre in Kaida Sabo, Gwagwalada, FCT.
In a bid to bridge the digital divide and empower rural youth, the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), in partnership with ActionAid Nigeria, has inaugurated an ICT Centre in Kaida Sabo Community, Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The facility, part of CITAD’s Local Rights Programme, is the sixth of its kind in the FCT and aims to phase out analog learning by providing access to digital education, innovation, and skill development for sustainable growth.
Speaking at the unveiling, CITAD’s Programme Officer and Team Lead, Yasmin Salako Ejiwumi, emphasised the urgency of digital inclusion.
“Everything is becoming digital. WAEC, NECO, and JAMB are now computer-based. We realised the urgent need to bridge the digital divide, especially among youth in underserved areas,” she said.
Ejiwumi stated that the Centre would serve not just Kaida Sabo, but also neighbouring communities including Dobi, and Rafin Zurfi, enhancing market opportunities and digital literacy.
Educational impact
Former Chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Hon. Yusuf Bako, praised the initiative for its educational impact.
“Many fail WAEC, NECO, and JAMB not because they don’t know the subject, but because they cannot operate a computer. This Centre will change that,” he noted.
ActionAid Nigeria’s Head of Programmes, Celestine Odo, described the initiative as part of a broader ICT for Development (ICT4D) strategy.
“Our mission is to reach rural and remote communities, bringing development presence, amplifying local voices, and linking them to government and partners,” he explained, noting that the facility would also serve as a hub for digital, vocational, agricultural, and entrepreneurial training while helping local farmers market their produce globally.
Representing the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Habib Adejumo hailed the Centre as a milestone in digital inclusion.
“Such centres can awaken talent and ambition. Infrastructure like this can inspire the next tech giants—from future founders of global platforms to the next Bill Gates,” he said, commending Minister Bosun Tijani’s five-pillar digital blueprint: Knowledge, Policy, Infrastructure, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship.
Community Impact
The residents of Dakachin Kaida Sabo, Yakubu Magaji, described the ICT Centre as a long-awaited intervention.
“Most of our children face challenges with computer-based exams because they lack digital exposure. This Centre will improve their literacy, education, and future in business and technology,” he said.
they thanked CITAD and ActionAid Nigeria, calling on the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, as well as other stakeholders to support the project.
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