By Amos Tauna
The presence of dignitaries from far and near Kano state that attended the coronation lecture of the Emir of Bichi, Alhaji Nasir Ado Bayero was a clear manifestation that the presentation of the Staff of office was going to be a huge success. Indeed, the coronation lecture took place at the Federal College of Education, Bichi on Thursday, 19th August, 2021, was well attended.
The Acting Managing Director, 9mobile communications, Mr Juergen Peschel was at hand to further educate the general public of its training programme tagged, “9Mobile-sponsored Bichi Emirate Digital Education and Entrepreneurship Programme” designed to empower one thousand youth in the first instance from Bichi Emirate with digital literacy and digital skills for self-employment. The second phase, according to him is a 12 week programme that is currently being launched simultaneously at five centres, which included Bichi, Dambatta, Dawakin Tofa and Ganduje. Each centre is to train 200 youths in four cohorts, saying that the objective is to extend the opportunity to 50 to 100 youths in each of the nine local government administrations under the Emirate.
The programme offers training in Digital literacy and office productivity tools as primary and compulsory course and any combination of agency banking operations, computer installation and maintenance, graphic design and whiteboard animation, solar system installation and maintenance, mobile devices repairs and maintenance, digital marketing and Entrepreneurship; and social enterprise development. He said these courses were carefully selected to ensure the trainees are suitably empowered for self employment after the training.
The initiative graduates the pioneer cohort of fifty- four (54) successful trainees that have been trained in digital literacy, office productivity tools, graphics and video animation, as well as agency banking operations.
The Advancing Digital Opportunities Foundation (ADOF) is the project implementation partner for the digital Bichi Emirate initiative in education. As a follow up to this programme, the partnership seeks collaboration with business-minded personalities from Bichi Emirate to set up mutually platforms that will provide post- training opportunities for these graduating trainees to become productively engaged.
While addressing the audience, Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar said that the creation of four additional emirates in the state demonstrates the administration’s commitment and determination to the promotion of traditional institutions in the state. He assured that he would continue to do his best to further support traditional institutions in the state.
According to governor Ganduje, “I am so over-joyed to take part in another historic event of the coronation of another First Class Emir in Kano state, in the person of Alhaji Nasiru Ado Bayero. The Second Emir of Bichi Emirate. The son of the 13th Fulani Emir of Kano, the late Alhaji Ado Bayero.” He described the Emir as a “distinguished technocrat, a Banker per excellence and a successful entrepreneur.”
Governor Ganduje reminded that, prior to the appointment of the Emir, he (Emir) served as the District Head of Nassarawa and Tarauni local government councils, saying that he(Emir) even held the title of Turaki and Chiroma of Kano. He added that selecting him to serve as Bichi Emir is apt, considering his royal pedigree and extraordinary leadership qualities.
He said he was optimistic that, “Bichi will experience extensive transformation under the stewardship of Alhaji Nasiru Ado Bayero, pointing out that Kano state government appreciates tremendous contribution of traditional institutions in promoting peace and harmonious coexistence among the people of the state.”
Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, in a paper titled, “Digital literacy as a veritable tool for social and economic transformation”, believed that Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) have permeated all aspects of a set of basic skills which include the use and production of digital media, information processing and retrieval, participation in social networks for creation and sharing of knowledge, and a wide range of professional computing skills. He said digital literacy confers skills of use computers and other modern devices which are nowadays amongst the basic requirement for employment, it also enables the acquisition of other skills via the convenience of the student either at home, at leisure or generally in non-classroom settings.
Prof. Danbatta explained that in recognizing the importance of digital literacy, the Commission has various programmes to support the acquisition and learning of digital skills in Nigeria. He noted that these programmes not only provide the necessary digital tools but also support the provision of infrastructure, training, connectivity and other incentives to facilitate the development of digital literacy skills, adding e the Commission, through its Projects Department, and through the Universal Services Provision Fund (USPF) has in the past and present provided interventions such as, the School Knowledge Centre, Wireless Cloud, Base Transceiver Stations, among others.
He explained that no doubt digital adoption and its corresponding transformation occur at different speed, it is the commitment of His Royal Highness, the Emir of Bichi to institute an Annual lecture series on Digital Education Development in Bichi Emirate that is most worthy of note. It gladdens one’s mind and stirs up the positivity of assurance that gradually and surely, the Emirate shall become a beneficiary of the undeniable transformation and development that digital literacy propels, most especially the ability to mitigate digital divide and socio-economic inequality.
The Emir of Bichi, Alhaji Nasir Ado Bayero, thanked all for finding time out of their schedules to attend the coronation lecture. He expressed confidence that he is determined to carry the people along especially the youths in helping them to be self reliant, saying that being self reliant will make them to realise their full potentials in all spheres of life.
He called on the people to be vigilant with people they know nothing about them, stressing that anybody that is suspected should be handled to appropriate authorities for better clarity.
The Emir enjoy the people to live in peace with one another, believing that it is the only way they will work as a team to be able achieve set goals in the area.
The coronation lecture was well attended and was peaceful without any problem.