The Open Knowledge Development Initiative was created in 2020 as a mentoring hub in Nigeria, focused on nurturing the capabilities of local communities and youths in the northeast region. Its core objective was to empower Nigerian youth through capacity-building sessions operating under the banner of “Jewel Platform.”
The inaugural phase of this initiative unfolded in Gombe, backed by funding from the Center for Information Technology and Development as the principal sponsor. With their backing, a workshop was organized to train 100 Gombe youths on leveraging creativity for societal progress. The workshop was conducted at the National Library of Gombe. Additionally, Applied Worldwide, a US-based content production company where our Executive Director served as the Director of African Operations, significantly contributed to the program’s success. They generously supported the training by covering the cost of books, aiding young African talents to amplify their voices on the company’s digital platform with substantial financial support.
Expanding its reach, the capacity-building initiative extended to Bauchi, benefitting over 100 participants. The program materialized through the generous sponsorship of the Center for Information Technology and Development in collaboration with the American Corner Bauchi, serving as the venue. As the initiative evolved, it morphed into the nonprofit entity “Open Knowledge Development,” broadening its focus.
This new trajectory facilitated the empowerment of communities by equipping them with knowledge, tools, resources, and platforms. These endeavors aimed to bolster accountability in governance, foster sustainable growth, and engender empowerment across various sectors: digital literacy, peacebuilding, gender equality, accountability, technology, and environmental conservation.
Thanks to funding from the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit arm behind Wikipedia, more than 500 youths in Nigeria’s northeastern region underwent training in digital literacy. Notably, projects were executed across multiple federal government institutions like the Federal University of Kashere, Federal Polytechnic Kaltungo, and Federal Horticulture Dadin Kowa. Similar projects were conducted in state and private institutions such as Gombe State University, Pen Resource University, and Umma College of Science and Technology. This outreach spanned various communities and states in the Northeast region, including Gombe, Bauchi, Yobe, among others.
Partnerships with regional governments have leveraged accountability projects to enhance public services, deploying technology to curb corruption and ensure efficient administration. Institutions like the Gombe Geographic Information Systems have significantly benefitted from these initiatives. Additionally, projects centered on gender analysis and reproductive health, supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, were conducted. <br> In nearly four years of existence, the Open Knowledge Development Initiative has touched thousands of lives and impacted hundreds of communities. This has been made possible through collaborations with local and international organizations. The aspiration remains to further expand this impact, not solely within Nigeria but across the entirety of Africa.