The Click-On Kaduna Data Science Fellowship Programme (DSFP) has become a very significant initiative that is bringing young people in Kaduna State up to speed with one of the most sought-after skills in the world. Natview Foundation as the implementation partner on the Data Lab project funded by Gates Foundation is providing young people across Kaduna state with intensive Data Science training and practical hands-on experience. The Kaduna State government is using data science and big data analytics that will provide practical insights and aid policymakers in decision-making concerning the key sectors of the economy, and ever since the DSFP began in 2020, the fellows have played an important role in helping government make sense of its data, especially in the health sector. Last year, the first cohort of the fellowship made a huge contribution to health-strengthening solutions such as the Integrated Supportive Supervision, the Health Facility Analytics platform, and the Covid-19 dashboard, which has directly impacted the lives of citizens.
The fellows of this year’s cohort are on the journey to making their own impact. Just recently, the fellows undertook practical field activities to help them build their experience, gather relevant data, and aid the government in solving pressing issues. They learned how to use data collecting technology (ODK Collect) to systematically gather real data, and they learned to connect with people during the surveys. This year’s field activities have been an improvement on last year’s DSFP 1.0, where the fellows supported KDBS’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG Survey).
During the DSFP 2.0 first fieldwork exercise, fellows of the Click-On Kaduna Data Science Fellowship Programme assisted the Kaduna State Contributory Health Management Authority (KADCHMA) as enumerators in a validation and enrollment exercise for pregnant women, children under 5, and the elderly in the state who receive free medical services from 254 Primary Health Care (PHCs) centers throughout the state’s 255 wards registered in Basic Health Care Provision Funds (BHCPF), and Vulnerable Program (VP).
The fellows also joined the Kaduna State Bureau of Statistics as enumerators in the second phase of the “Out of School” census in order to collect accurate data on every out-of-school child in the state during their second fieldwork. They were specifically tasked with finding the kids who weren’t in school at the moment, collecting their demographic information, and determining why they weren’t in school. The Fellows were attached to various Local Government Areas (LGAs) for the exercise in Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Igabi, Chikun, Sabon Gari, and Zaria LGA. As a result of the program’s anticipated impact, the fellows had the chance to participate in the state’s data collection effort, which will be utilized to inform policy and evidence-based decisions.
Contributor: Victoria Oyeboade
