Imode Community in Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State has made moves towards becoming a digitally smart community that delivers a decent living and respectable future to its people, irrespective of their social status.
The Community Development Association, borrowing a leaf from the National Information Technology (NIT) Policy seeks to make the community dwellers, especially the youths, become IT complaint and ‘netizens’ in the information society by using IT as the engine for sustainable development and global competiveness.
Speaking at the recent public presentation of the solar-powered excellent Digital Literacy Center (DiLiCe), equipped with modern ICT infrastructure to support the education and curiosity of every citizen within and around the community, the President, Imode Development Association (IDA), Pastor Joseph Babatunde, said that the projects: a modern IT centre and a school bus, were to assist the students imbibe the IT culture as the world has gone digital.
Babatunde said, “I recall with joy that the idea of the provision of a modern IT Centre for our school came to me a couple of years ago when one of my children did the post-JAMB exam in University of Ilorin (Unilorin). The students were all given computers to do the exams.
While she breezed through the exams, most of the other children were just starring at the device until the time was over. I felt challenged there and then, to give every child that needed opportunity”.
“IDA has done the little it can by providing the facilities. We want to see the impact through improved performances in all the exams of our students/pupils”.
Explaining the ‘Imode ICT Vision’, IDA’s Vice President, Reverend Sunday Folayan, said that they are closer to achieving a digitally Smart Community.
“This will be achieved by reliance on technology, carefully backed up with traditional methods that are functional.
A significant number of indigenes will continue to live outside the community or the country, and their needs and requirements to stay connected to their roots will continue to inform the community’s development policies.
“ICT will be used to solve practical problems, such as educational deficiency as well as the security of lives and properties.
“Most aspects of the Community engagement activities will be conducted electronically towards widening access and participation especially with its citizens in the diaspora, using appropriate technologies.
“Members of the Community will come to accept a high standard of up-to-date facilities, ease-of-use and reliability, richness of information, integrated services and excellent support”, he explained.
The Paradigm Initiative (PI) works with the Association for training and capacity building, while the equipment in the centre were sourced entirely online through Konga.
According to the Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative (PI) and content partners on the project, Mr. Gbenga Sesan, said the initiative will birth huge impact if it is well utilized.
Sesan was represented by a Program Manager at PI, Mr. Tosin Abolaji, who said, “The facility is primarily setup for the youth in the community and we believe they won’t be denied the use of it.
We will encourage the Association (IDA) to have a committee that will look into the management of the facility, design a program that will ensure that the youth are regularly/constantly trained, even use the facility as a source of generating fund for the school and community by making it a resource centre.
Neighboring communities can subscribe to the usage of the facility and pay stipends. The list of possibilities goes on and on but what is very important is a strong management”.
Chairman, IDA’s Education Committee, Professor Mike Abiodun, said, “Let’s agree that that the community has done a very good job, by setting up an ICT Centre and it’s important to understand that education is a collaborative venture.
“The government cannot do it alone; the same thing applies to the schools and parents. It has to be collaborative between the government, the community and parents. “We are in the ICT age; if you are not computer literate it will be difficult to contribute effectively.
So, the community thinks that if their children must go higher in life, then it becomes necessary. With the calibre of persons that we have that will handle the kids; we believe that the students will take full advantage of it.
The solar-powered DiLiCe fully equipped with 40 laptops, printer, internet connectivity, and other facilities, was presented to the Community’s Primary and Secondary Schools with the representatives of the State and local governments, lawmakers, educational bodies and the traditional ruler, the Onimode of Imode, Oba Joseph Dada, among other dignitaries.
