On Thursday, August 1st,2024, a wave of protests swept across Nigeria as youths rallied under the #EndBadGovernance banner, undeterred by pleas from the Federal Government and various state leaders. Despite calls for dialogue and restraint, young Nigerians took to the streets, igniting a planned 10-day demonstration fueled by the escalating cost of living and widespread economic hardship.
The government’s appeals, echoed by religious and traditional leaders, fell on deaf ears as demonstrators gathered in significant numbers on the first day of protests. Social media buzzed with images from peaceful gatherings in cities like Lagos, Oyo, and Rivers. However, as the day progressed, reports emerged of escalating tensions and violence in regions such as Kaduna, Kano, and Jigawa, transforming what began as a peaceful protest into a scene of chaos and destruction.
The shocking images and videos of the unrest, particularly the vandalism of the Digital Industrial Park (DIP) in Kano, left many Nigerians, including myself, heartbroken. Protesters breached the facility, stealing advanced equipment valued in the millions and setting fire to the generator room. This park, one of six established by the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) across the country, was intended to foster innovation and support digital entrepreneurs by providing essential resources like Innovation Labs and Digital Fabrication Laboratories (Fablabs).
The Kano DIP, poised to serve the North-West region, was on the brink of commissioning, with aspirations to cultivate a new generation of digital innovators. Its destruction not only represents a loss of valuable resources but also a setback for the future of young entrepreneurs in the area.
As news of the vandalisation of the Kano DIP spread, with many condemning the looting of the NCC-powered facility, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, took to his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle to lament the unwarranted destruction of DIP Kano, just days before its scheduled launch.
“Sad to learn that our Digital Innovation Park in Kano slated for launch next week to support our technical talent accelerator (3MTT) has been set ablaze and looted by protesters. Alongside #3MTT, this building is set to host our buildathon holiday maker programme for secondary school kids starting next week. A slight setback for our journey to deepening our workforce for technology while creating job opportunities for the youth. Millions of Naira down the drain”, he lamented.
The minister later took to X to assure the public that the Kano DIP will be renovated while sharing a YouTube link from the 3MTT Cohort 1 Hackathon-Kano Sub-Regional Finals 2024. “To our @3MTTNigeria community and all the amazing young talent in #Kano, your dreams are valid! This was just a few weeks ago at our #3MTT Hackathon in Kano. We are already getting support to make sure the park is renovated for your use”, he stated in the post.
If the Kano protesters ignorantly cut their noses to spite their face, their much revered monarch, the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, knowing how much of a setback had occurred, visited the centre a day after it was ransacked. He condemned the actions of the protesters, saying, “Today is a sad day for the people of Kano due to what happened in the state. We sympathize with the entire indigenes of Kano”.
He added: “What happened is unacceptable and the people of Kano should ensure that it does not happen again. The agents of destruction would hijack peaceful demonstrations and use that opportunity to cause mayhem, effect loss of lives and destruction of properties.”
While the minister’s promise must have brought smiles to youths from the North -West region, who recognise the value and the life-changing opportunities the Kano DIP represents, it is the responsibility of the NCC to bring the ministerial promise to fruition. The minister’s post on X is akin to a policy statement. It basically means the NCC enjoys ministerial backing for the burdensome task of restoring the Kano DIP. Beyond the ministerial pronouncement, NCC would be needing real support from its parent ministry until the facility is fully restored.
NCC’s uses vehicles such as its six Digital Industrial Parks to achieve its goals of promoting universal access, encouraging economic growth and enhancing social inclusion. The agency would therefore have to count it losses, assess the level of damage done, cost the necessary repairs and reinstallation of stolen equipment and then, proceed to restore the Kano DIP. The NCC which has displayed a culture of excellence over the years has been tested by the sad event in Kano, but it has to stoically record it as a setback which it must move past in timely fashion.
Beyond the NCC, the Kano State government as the host state of the Digital Industrial Park must improve security around the facility to prevent a repeat of the August 1st attack in the near and distance future. States seeking to attract national and internationally sponsored developmental projects like the Kano DIP must begin to protect these massive investments and orientate their citizens on their importance and usefulness.
In the long term, the Kano State government and the North-West by extension, must significantly reduce the number of unemployed and uneducated youths who are easily incited to violence and the kind of destruction unleashed on the NCC’s Digital Industrial Park built to improve the lot of youths of the geo-political zone. Reducing the large number of disenfranchise youths who are easily recruited for violence is directly linked to reducing the high number of out-of-school children in Kano and the North-West. Frontlinenews reports.
