By Ozumi Abdul
Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) on Wednesday awarded prizes to the winner of its annual ICT quiz competition for secondary school students in Kano state, as part of its contributions to human development through digital technology.
The competition which was held at the City Campus of Yusuf Maitama Sule University Auditorium, had 36 schools attended out of the 50 schools that were invited.
Sani Bello of Science College Dawakin Kudu emerged victorious for the first place position, Government Girls Secondary School, Maryam Abacha scooped the laurel for the second place position, while School for Arabic Studies Kano won the Third Place Position.
The winner of the first position was awarded the prize of a laptop computer, printer, wall clock, and certificate, the second position got a laptop, wall clock, and certificate, while the third place winner was awarded the prize of a computer desktop, wall clock, and Certificate.
While speaking, the CITAD Deputy Director, Mallam Ahmad Abdullahi Yakasai said the ICT quiz competition for secondary school students in Kano state is an annual event which his organization normally organizes the competition to update the younger generation about the importance of ICT in the contemporary modern day society, while also adding that this year’s competition remains his organization’s 21st.
Yakasai noted that considering the high level of youth unemployment in the country today, ICT has become a great asset to the current generation, in the reduction of unemployment.
He said after the competition, CITAD expects schools with computers that not utilizing them to be motivated to put them into use, if they were hitherto not used, repair the ones that are technically faulty for proper utilization.
He added that his organization is prepared to assist in training their teachers in making use of the ICT facilities they have.
“This ICT competition is an annual event that we organize each and every year for secondary schools in Kano. This is the 21st anniversary.
“The purpose of this competition is to update the current generation about the importance of ICT considering the fact that more youths are unemployed. So ICT is an area where it does not require a specific profession, anybody can get into the area, any interested person can get into the ICT sector without segregation of being a male or female”, he said.
Also speaking is one of the participants, Firdaus Abass Aliyu, a student of Shekarau Government Girls Secondary School.
She said she was highly elated to be a participant if such a high-profile competition, promising she will utilize the opportunity in assisting and contributing to the development of her society.
She thanks CITAD for such a lofty opportunity, as well as implores other NGOs to follow in the footstep of CITAD in adding value to society.
