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From Paul Orude, Bauchi
The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has launched two digital platforms, dComms and DANCIT, saying they are intended to promote digital privacy, freedom, and community-centred communication in Nigeria.
dComms is a privacy-focused, decentralised social media and communication initiative connected to the Fediverse, while DANCIT, short for Dandalin CITAD, is a community-centred mobile messaging application designed to promote communication, collaboration and civic engagement.
Speaking at a press conference in Bauchi, the Executive Director of CITAD, Engr. Dr Yunusa Zakari Ya’u, who was represented by Buhari Abba, said the platforms were introduced in response to growing concerns over data privacy, surveillance, algorithmic manipulation, online harassment and the increasing control of digital spaces by a few powerful technology companies.
Ya’u said many mainstream digital platforms operated business models that depended on collecting, processing and monetising users’ personal information, often without users having sufficient knowledge of how their data was stored, shared or used.
He said the challenges underscored the need for alternative digital platforms that prioritised privacy, transparency, community participation and digital freedom.
“People should have access to communication tools that respect their rights, protect their information and give them greater control over their digital experiences,” he added.
Ya’u said CITAD, with support from the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), was promoting dComms as an alternative to conventional social media platforms through a decentralised model that distributed control among independently operated services and communities.
He said the initiative was intended to give individuals, communities and institutions greater flexibility in choosing the services they used and the online communities they joined.
The CITAD executive director maintained that access to digital communication should not require users to surrender control over their personal information or accept unfair terms imposed by dominant technology companies.
He said CITAD was also introducing DANCIT, a mobile messaging application hosted on its digital infrastructure and designed to provide an alternative communication space for communities, young people, civil society organisations, development partners and digital rights advocates.
Ya’u said the application drew inspiration from the traditional Hausa concept of a dandali, a communal gathering place where people met, exchanged ideas, built relationships and discussed issues affecting their lives.
“By adapting this concept to the digital environment, CITAD seeks to preserve the spirit of community engagement while providing a modern channel for communication and collaboration,” he said.
“DANCIT is intended to support civic engagement, strengthen collaboration and facilitate the sharing of ideas among people and organisations working towards social development.”
Ya’u said the two initiatives also reflected CITAD’s commitment to digital sovereignty, which he described as building the capacity of Nigerian institutions and communities to make informed decisions about digital infrastructure, data governance and technological development.
He said digital sovereignty did not mean isolating Nigeria from the global internet, but ensuring that citizens and institutions had meaningful choices, participated in shaping digital systems and developed solutions that addressed local needs while remaining connected to the wider world.
CITAD called on civil society organisations, educational institutions, youth groups, journalists, technology professionals, policymakers and development partners to explore decentralised platforms and support initiatives that placed people’s rights at the centre of technological development.
The organisation encouraged Nigerians to look beyond the popularity of mainstream platforms and consider how digital services handled personal information, respected users’ rights and provided control over their online experiences.
Ya’u said CITAD’s vision was to build a digital society in which technology empowered people rather than exploited them, communities had a stronger voice in shaping online spaces, and personal information was protected rather than treated merely as a commercial resource.
