CITAD unveils App to tackle GBV, fake news, digital rights abuse, abandoned projects
The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) on Wednesday in Kano officially launched Reportix, a new digital platform designed to allow citizens report cases of gender-based violence (GBV), fake news, digital rights violations, and abandoned government projects.
Speaking at the unveiling, the Executive Director of CITAD, Engr. Yunusa Zakari Ya’u, described the application as a critical tool that will empower communities to expose abuses, strengthen accountability and build safer societies.
“You cannot fight what you don’t know,” he said, stressing that lack of data has long hindered efforts to address GBV in Nigeria.
According to him, many survivors are discouraged from reporting because they “suffer double jeopardy,” facing trauma on one hand and social scrutiny on the other. He explained that Reportix was designed to provide a safe and anonymous reporting channel that shields victims from stigma. “Allah ya isa is important, but it is not a solution,” he added. “We all must act collectively to stamp out this negative thing.”
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SolaceBase reports that Ya’u ’u also raised concerns about the growing threat of misinformation, noting that fake news is no longer a trivial matter but a catalyst for violence, hate and electoral manipulation. He cited global examples where false information shaped political outcomes, saying, “Technology has made fake news very dangerous to society.” The new platform, he said, will help citizens report misleading content so it can be verified and debunked before causing damage.
On digital rights, the CITAD boss warned that increasing online repression poses a major threat to civic freedoms. He mentioned recent cases in Cameroon and Rwanda where young people were arrested for social media posts. “If we don’t speak out, people remain victims,” he said, adding that Reportix will help document these abuses so they can be challenged and addressed.
Ya’u further explained that the tool incorporates community project-tracking features to enable citizens to report abandoned or incomplete government projects. Over the years, CITAD has built a network of young community monitors who identify such projects and advocate their completion. He said merging all four reporting areas into a single platform makes the system more accessible and effective, given how interconnected these issues often are.
He emphasized that silence only fuels impunity, urging citizens and stakeholders to use the application to protect their communities. “When you don’t speak out, you are actually endorsing those negative practices,” he warned.
Hajiya Rashida Adamu from the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) congratulated CITAD, noting that the initiative will benefit not only the people of Kano but the country at large. She emphasized that many cases of gender-based violence go unreported, but with this new application, survivors will one day be able to sit down and report incidents without their identities being exposed.
She added that NAPTIP also has a similar application used to track cases of gender-based violence, and she applauded CITAD for achieving this important milestone.
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