Hausa-speaking community across the globe, from villages in Northern
Nigeria to diaspora audiences in Europe. Here she tells of a new
initiative to connect rural Nigeria to the web and life of a young
connected urbanite in London. I know that mobile phones rule my
children's world but frankly they rule my world too. It also appears
they are starting to rule some African rural communities as well. ...
Mobile phones are becoming increasingly popular in Nigeria. However,usage is largely limited to voice calls and SMS, and for some areas,
becoming connected to the internet can be a major challenge. When
mobile technology really began to be taken seriously some two decades
ago, no-one knew what the scale of the impact would be, in terms of
communication, accessibility, convenience, or the nuisance they can
sometimes become.
Back in January as part of the SuperPower season, BBC Hausa providedvillagers of Gitata in Nasarawa, Northern Nigeria, with two
internet-enabled mobile phones. I'm looking forward to the BBC Hausa's
"Gagabadau" at 06.30 GMT on March 15, as Ibrahim Isa revisits the
village to see how the devices might have changed the lives of the
villagers.
Gitata continues our Labarinku A Tafinku (Your World in Your Palms)story, which started last summer. By giving village communities in
Nigeria mobile phones, we are empowering them. I also see it as some
sort of partnership between journalists and 'citizens', and I am hopeful
it will benefit all involved. ...
Exploring the other end of the 'connectivity scale', we also wantedto look at the effect of the internet on young urbanites and to find out
what it means to them to keep 'connected'. A second-generation Hausa
girl living in London, Khadija Ahmed, enjoys surfing the net and social
networking and spends several hours a day on the internet via her iPod,
which she uses to chat, visit Facebook, exchange pictures and listen to
music.
Yet Khadija still finds time to study - she is an A-student whohopes to read Law at Oxford University. The popularity of online social
networking, particularly sites such as Facebook, is also rapidly
increasing in Northern Nigeria, and many young people use BBC Hausa's
Facebook page as their meeting point where they exchange views on topics
ranging from sports to politics to social issues.
I am going to be talking to Khadija in Zamani Riga at 06.30 onTuesday 16 March, and Ahmed Wakil will be asking youngsters in Abuja
about the ways in which mobile phones and online social networking are
changing social dynamics and habits. That will be on Kungiyar Zumunta at
06.30 on Wednesday 17 March.
BBC Hausa is also going to be looking at the 'non-mobile' generation- the 'unconnected', with Nazir Mika'ilu reporting on whether the older
generation is missing out on what many believe is a tool of
empowerment. That will be on Jiya Ba Yau Ba at 06.30 GMT on Friday 19
March. In English you can hear from Gitata village on The World Today
(radio) on March 8 and on TV on March 20.
I am hopeful lots of benefits will be reaped both on our part and onthe part of the communities too. After all we share a common objective:
the will to change life for the better!
Source: Jamilah Tangaza, BBC
