CAI boosts Nigeria with 9000 computers

A total of 9000 Personal Computers (PCs) have been distributed to various institutions and individuals in Nigeria under the Computer Aid International (CAI) refurbished computer programme.

CAI is a United Kingdom based charity organization and provider of refurbished computers.

Programme Officer at Computer Aid West Africa, Ms. Anne Musyoki, told ITRealms Online in Lagos in conclusion of her week-long visit to the country, that as at the end of June 2008, CAI has shipped over 120,000 personal computers, to where the organization thinks they were most needed in over 105 countries globally.

Out of this figure, Musyoki said that Nigeria has already added 1000 PCs from the 8,000 recorded as at the end of May, this year.

“So far, Nigeria has received about 9,000 PCs from the Computer Aid International,’ she asserted.

She also said that the non-government organization (NGO) prides itself as the world’s largest supplier of not for profit computers to the developing world.

“CAI provides only the highest-quality, professionally refurbished computer for reuse in education, health and not-for profit organizations in developing countries,” she said.

According to her, CAI’s presence in over 105 countries of the world makes the organization the world largest and most experienced not-for-profit supplier of Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) equipment.

She pointed out that the PC deal is part of efforts geared toward assisting developing nations in bridging the digital divide through making inexpensive PCs available.

“CAI has made donations to the Cooperative Information Network (COPINE/NITDA/FMST) at Obafemi Awolowo University, the Distance Learning Centre in the University of Ibadan and Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Ogbomoso,” Musyoki said.

Equally, she listed the partnering institutions to include COPINE Ile-Ife, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) Kano, as well as the Ecumenical Centre for Justice and Peace (ECJP) Makurdi, as an authorized distribution partners in Nigeria.

She enjoined all NGOs, education institutions and students interested in acquiring computer through CAI to feel free to contact these partners.

Further, Musyoki said, she was in the country to raise discussions on expanding the activities of CAI in Nigeria.

As said by her, the partners and potential ones, would work toward assisting CAI to replicate success stories such as in e-learning and telemedicine.

She explained that CAI is working mainly with secondary schools, health centers and other Non Government Organizations (NGOs), stressing that in the past eight years, CAI and its partners have been able to supply standard systems renewed under stringent conditions at affordable rates to people around the world.


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