Nigerian Army seems to be all out for the Media Trust Limited, publishers of Daily Trust, Weekly Trust, Sunday Trust newspapers. Officers of the Army, this morning, continued their assault on the newspapers when they prevented the distribution and sale of WEEKLY TRUST, the Saturday edition of the newspaper in many parts of the country. The assault began at dawn yesterday. The Trust’s headache may have been caused by an exclusive story it published on Wednesday on the sharing of an Abuja barrack plots to Army generals and their spouses for personal use. The report listed the beneficiaries of the plots as serving and retired military officers. It also reflected the reactions of relevant Army authorities and officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration. A statement issued today by management of the company said that the distribution drivers of the newspapers, who were detained at dawn yesterday, following the interception of their delivery vans, were not released until late night while two of them, Ibrahim Umar and Ilya Mohammed, were still being detained more than 24 hours later. Part of the statement in full goes thus: “In Abuja where DAILY TRUST head office is located, armed soldiers in four trucks were stationed at the newspapers’ main distribution centre in Area One. “The soldiers, who were fully armed, insisted on carrying out the “order from above” to flip through each of the several thousand copies of WEEKLY TRUST in search of alleged “security risk material. “Even when they finished spinning the newspapers without finding any incriminating item the soldiers still prevented our sales personnel from distributing WEEKLY TRUST to thousands of anxious vendors who make a living from newspaper retailing. “In Kano where the DAILY TRUST has its second major printing press, thousands of copies of WEEKLY TRUST were barred from leaving the press. “This prevented the supply of the newspaper to many states in the North West Nigeria including Sokoto, Jigawa, Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara. Similarly, the copies printed at the Maiduguri press were prevented from being circulated in the North East Nigeria in a bid to starve the readers in Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi and Gombe states.”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described the Emir of Kano, late Alhaji Ado Bayero, who died in the early hours of today in Kano as a noble crusader of unity, tolerance and peaceful co-existence, even as Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta state said that the late Emir stood against religious extremism at great risk to his life. In a personal tribute today, Atiku Abubakar said that the death of Ado Bayero has robbed the nation of a noble crusader of unity, tolerance and peaceful co-existence, adding that he was not only loyal to his people in his immediate domain, but to Nigeria and humanity at large. According to Atiku, late Ado Bayero was a pious, humble, upright and honest man whose integrity was unparalleled. The former Vice President recalled that promoting unity and tolerance was one of Ado Bayero’s greatest and unforgettable legacies, adding that the Emir who celebrated his 50 th Anniversary on the throne in June last year, was a rare leader of enviable and vast wisdom. He recalled the significant contributions of Ado Bayero to sustaining the unity of Nigeria during the January 15, 1966 political crisis, a role that earned him the respect of the late Dim Chukuemeka Odumegu Ojukwu. Atiku said the respect Ojukwu had for Ado Bayero, a quintessential bridge-builder, was a significant message about the role Bayero played to hold back Nigeria from the brink of disaster. Apart from Ado Bayero’s commitment to unity, Atiku Abubakar praised the late monarch’s amazing ability to rule over a vast, complex, heterogeneous, and cosmopolitan state like Kano without losing his sanity, a quality he said was rare among average leaders. The former Vice President extolled the late Ado Bayero’s integrity and his remarkable character, adding that the late Emir had always associated himself with the progress and development of his people. The former Vice President condoled with the family, the people and the government of Kano State over the death of Emir Ado Bayero He described the late Emir as his father, saying that his relationship with the late Emir was of a father and his favourite son spanning over three decades. Atiku said that he knew that death was coming (like it would for every mortal), but not in agony and humiliation because he (Ado Bayero) did not deserve it. In his tribute, Governor Uduaghan describing the late Emir as an epitome of peace and national unity, saying that the bold sacrifices and courage exhibited by the late monarch to maintain relative peace in Kano even in the face of threats by insurgents and at great risk to his life. “Even at great risk to his life and threat by insurgents, the late Royal Majesty stood defiantly against religious extremism and helped to maintain peace in Kano which is the commercial nerve centre of Northern Nigeria. “Our revered royal father was not cowed; neither did he retreat when his convoy was shot at. He also intervened where necessary to ensure that peace and the unity of the country was not in any way compromised.” Uduaghan recalled with nostalgia and fond memories of how the late Emir received him and the entourage from Delta State in the ancient city of Kano in 2007, noting that the encounter and warm reception accorded him would remain indelible in his mind. “Because of his personal commitment to peace and unity of Nigeria, the late Alhaji Ado Bayero welcomed us to the ancient city of Kano. He related to me like a son and I accepted him more like a father.” Governor Uduaghan particularly noted the late monarch’s support for President Goodluck Jonathan and efforts to combat the scourge of Boko Haram and other terrorist activities in the country. “I am sure President Goodluck Jonathan will greatly miss the wise counsel and intervention of the late Emir. He was a pillar of support to the Federal Government as well as other forms of lawful authority in the country.” Governor Uduaghan expressed condolences to the government and people of Kano State, the Ado Bayero family, President Jonathan and Nigerians at large and prayed God to grant all the fortitude to bear the loss. [myad]
Four major newspapers: The Punch, The Nation, Leadership and Daily Trust ran into trouble with the Nigerian military personnel who, in the early hours of today, went wild, confiscating and destroying copies of the newspapers that were sent into circulation.
The earliest report of the bizarre incident was the confiscation of copies of the Leadership Newspaper along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway and at the Abuja airport. At the Edo State office of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Benin, copies of Leadership and Nation Newspapers were seized from vendors.
The Punch Newspaper was also allegedly involved in the raid. The paper’s Punch Editor, Toyosi Ogunseye, confirmed on Twitter that front pages of the newspaper were torn at the Lagos airport today by soldiers.
The Nation online reported that soldiers impounded several vehicles conveying its newspapers to various stations in the South-south and other parts of the country. The paper also said that troops stormed its circulation depot located on Effurun, Sapele in search of the newspapers and the company’s staff. “A van conveying the day’s newspapers to Warri and Benin City was seized by soldiers of the 3 Battalion of the Nigerian Army at Okwuokoko, Delta State,” it said.
In its reaction to the reports, the Nigerian military said today that it would not deliberately infringe on the freedom of the press without cause. The Director Defence Information, Chris Olukolade, in a statement said that intelligence indicated that materials with grave security implications were being moved across the country through newsprint related consignments.
Mr. Olukolade said the exercise had nothing to do with the content or operation of the media organizations, saying: “The Defence Headquarters wishes to clarify that the exercise has nothing to do with content or operation of the media organizations or their personnel as is being wrongly imputed by a section of the press.”
He said that the military appreciated and respected the role of the media as an indispensable partner in the on-going counter-insurgency operation and assured the general public and the affected media organizations in particular that the exercise was a routine security action and should not be misconstrued for any other motive. [myad]
Emir of Kano, Alhaji Dr. Ado Abdullahi Bayero is dead. He died in the early hours of today at the age of 87. The cause of his death was not immediately disclosed, but Ado Bayero had not been fully recovered from the shock of a violent attack on him by suspected members of Boko Haram in Kano a couple of years ago. He spent months in a specialist hospital overseas. Ado Bayero became the 13th Emir of Kano in October, 1963
The Emir was born on Sunday June 15, 1930 (17th Muharram 1349) in Gidan Rumfa while his father, Alhaji Abdullahi Bayero, held sway as the Emir of Kano. He was the eleventh and second son of his father and mother respectively. He was named after the first son of his father who had died when he was only five years during the reign of Sarkin Kano Abbas. He grew up in the palace as well as in the house of Maikano Zage as it was the tradition in those days for every prince to be put under the care of one of the leading cucunawa (royal slave) title holders. Bayero is certainly a man of destiny whose reign has been most exciting and eventful.His parents Abdullahi Bayero, 1926-1953) and Muhammadu Abbas 1903-1919) were both Emirs of Kano. His two great grandfathers were also Emirs beginning with the second emir, Ibrahim Dabo, who reigned between 1819 and 1846 and Abdullahi, the father of Abbas, who reigned between 1855 and 1883. As the tradition with the royal family, the young Bayero studied Qur’an along with his brothers under the tutelage and guidance of Hajiya Umma, wife of Walin Kano, Sulaiman. At the later stage of his charming and humble life, he attended Kano Middle School and School for Arabic Studies, Kano. His stint in public service started at the Bank of British West Africa, now First Bank in 1947. In 1949, he left the bank, to join the services of Kano Native Authority. During his service at the NA, he attended courses in Nigeria at the Clerical Training Center, Zaria and a Local Government Course in the United Kingdom. He was also the Chief Clerk of the Kano Town Council. Bayero also joined partisan politics where he tested his electoral prowess. This, he did successfully , as he contested and won elections into the Northern Region House of the Assembly under the banner of Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) in 1954. He made his inaugural speech in the House of Assembly on March 13, 955. When the need for him to go back to the traditional authority arose, the young Bayero did not hesitate to resign as a member of the House in 1957 and subsequently took up appointment as Wakilin Doka, Chief of Kano Native Authority Police. Having served the emirate at that capacity for five years up to1962, he was appointed Nigeria’s Ambassador to Senegal. While in far away Switzerland studying French, the prince was summoned to Nigeria in the second week of October, 1963, to become the 13th Emir of Kano. The ascension of Ado Bayero to the throne was both historic and monumental. He was reportedly said to have ascended the throne exactly 500 years after Sarki Muhammadu Rumfa, the worthy ancestor to whom he could most appropriately be compared. The prince was beckoned from far away Europe to fill the vacuum left by his uncle, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa, who became the only alternative to the political crisis that engulfed Kano and the Northern region; after Sarkin Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi abdicated under a serious political storm, threatening the entire Northern establishments and the stability of Kano especially. In the six months he served as emir, Muhammadu Inuwa, had stood firmly and successfully against regional politics that threatened to balkanise Kano then. According to Malam Adamu Adamu, a seasoned columnist, Rumfa “was the first avowedly Islamic ruler of the polity credited with improving the defence of the capital city, consolidating the status of Kano as a commercial center and being the polity’s leading patron of learning.” The Emir, apart from being an agent of change, he also sat at the meeting point between the immediate post -independence period and modern times, which was crucial for laying a solid foundation for modern education. “In Ado Bayero sarauta found an exponent who was to shape at least its outside features as he himself was to be shaped by it. He has come to symbolise sarauta and become its icon almost without trying to do so; because either by virtue of his charisma, or the pre-eminence of Kano as a metropolis without equal, or his possession of other qualities and a variety of royal attributes, he seemed to have set a standard that would remain unattainable for a very long time,” Malam Adamu said. Since assuming the position of Emir of Kano, Sarkin Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, has served Nigeria in various capacities but most prominently as Chancellor of the Universities including university of Nigeria Nsukka, University of Ibadan and the University of Maiduguri. He has also served in various councils and has played several mediatory roles. He is a patron of several organizations in Nigeria. In Kano, he has been spearheading the construction of many Mosques and Islamiyya schools across the length and breadth of the emirate, more than any other Emir in the history of Kano. Today, Bayero’s reign is believed to be longer than all of the Sarakuna and Emirs of Kano, with the exception of the famous four: Bagauda, who ruled for 63 years; Yusa, 58 years; Naguji, 53 years; and Muhammadu Kisoki, 56 years. Among the longest rulers of Kano, San Kano’s was the most characterised by abundant prosperity. As a leader who believes in inclusiveness, he has restored many titles to the original holders and has also co-opted many deserving people into the Emirate’s hierarchy.He has turbaned more district heads (Hakimai) than any other Emir. Several new titles have been introduced to cope with the rising demand because of the creation of more districts and the need for new district heads. He overcomes his opponents by his perseverance and humility. This humane disposition was evidenced during the administration of Alhaji Abubakar Rimi of the radical Peoples Redemption Party (PDP) in Kano state from 1979 to 1983. When the emir paid a condolence visit to Rimi’s residence when his wife was murdered, many could not understand that “breach” of royal protocol. The emir also carved a niche for himself as a dynamic sustainer of both tradition and change in Kano emirate. While advancing modernity and change in all spheres of human endeavour, he equally champions the preservation of the traditions of the royalty, Hausa culture and Islam. His apolitical stance, many belief, has to a greater level, enabled him survive the political intrigues that characterised the military and civilian regimes in the last 45 years. During his 40th anniversary, Dabon Kano, Magajin Rumfa, as the Emir is fondly called, was celebrated with a firm reflection in his characteristic and dignified manner in form of a national conference on Chieftaincy and Security in Nigeria. This was because the period was more in need of scholarly and professional discourse on security. The proceedings of that conference was later published by the Kano State Government. [myad]
President Jonathan has expressed pride in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) saying that security, like incidence of Boko Haram, has never really been an issue in the states it is controlling across Nigeria.
The President told members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of PDP at their meeting in the federal capital, Abuja today that he is not very worried about the insecurity in some parts of the country.
“Most of our PDP states are doing well. In fact, security challenges are less in the PDP states because of the commitment of the governors.”
He admitted, however, that this is not the best time for him and his party.
“I will just join the chairman to note that this is not a good time for all of us as a country. Obviously everybody knows the security challenges we have.
“I don’t want to be moaning or complaining but all what I can assure our great party is that we are taking on the challenges.
He gave assurance that his government is handling issues such as equipment, adding: “God willing, these challenges of Boko Haram or other criminal elements will soon come to be history in this country.”
The President took a swipe on the erstwhile PDP governors who defected to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), making it clear that most of them cannot win even ward elections in the future. [myad]
Minister of the Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed is not happy with an online media organization (Pointblanknews.com) and already preparing to go to court to challenge what he called false and libelous reports it published against him, his children and the FCT Administration.
The media organization was said to have, in recent weeks, alleged that two children of the Minister whose names it gave as Ibrahim and Shamushdeen had stashed away a staggering N35billion in the Unity Bank and UBA Plc as well as an unnamed offshore account.
But, the Minister in a strong-worded petition to the Inspector-General of Police is calling for an investigation of the allegations which he dismissed as nothing but criminal fabrications by the authors.
A statement from his chief spokesman, Nosike Ogbuenyi insisted that the minister has no son called Ibrahim contrary to the claim of the online publication. He also insisted that the minister’s children had no domestic or offshore account with Unity Bank or UBA contrary to the claims of the online newspaper.
He added that even the name of the minister’s first son, Shamsudeen was wrongly spelt as ‘Shamushdeen’ in the hatchet stories, even as he called on the Inspector–General not only to investigate the story but to interrogate the publisher.
“The Minister urged the Police boss to prevail on the media organization to disclose the full identities of the ‘Ibrahim’ and ‘Shamushdeen’ it referred to in its reports so that the people would be better informed.
“They should also be made to provide credible evidence of the bank account numbers to enable you carry out your investigation. I am insisting on these processes to prove my family’s innocence even though I know that the publishers have nothing to buttress their claims because the information upon which their stories were predicated is totally false, malicious and unsubstantiated.”
Odbuenyi quoted Senator Bala Mohammed as saying that his earlier appeal to the online media organizations to desist from publishing further negative reports against him and his children were rudely ignored, and that the publisher has not only failed to heed wise counsel by retracting the malicious story but has continued to do more false reports against him and his children. [myad]
Recent survey shows a rapid increase in the number of social media users across the world. The study revealed an unimaginable paradigm shift towards social network websites. This is so because of the proliferation of mobile internet across the world and the emergence of web 2.0 which gives many people an opportunity not just to read the contents of what was formerly regarded as a static web page but to also contribute instantly on what they find interesting on the internet. The new generational media has transformed the audience from mere passive readers to a more active, effective, and interactive sphere of global community.
A report by Global Digital Statistic shows that there are about 2 billion active social network users in the world. This represents 28% of the world total population, i.e. at least, in every four, one is using the social network. The report revealed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) indicates that Nigeria has the largest users of the internet in Africa, with the total internet users of over 43.9 million, representing 25% of the country’s population. NCC (2013) also revealed that about 32,513, 261, representing 74% of web surfers accessing the internet via mobile devices in Nigeria. In March 2013, World Bank ranked Nigeria as the third highest users of Facebook in Africa, with total active users of 5, 534, 160 (PM News, 2013).
In 2012, Portland Communications, a Kenyan based public relation agency as well placed Nigeria as the third tweeting country in Africa (Punch Newspaper, 2012). According to Nigerian blog awards, there are about 1 million blogs own and update by Nigerians and the numbers are steadily growing in popularity.
The above figures show the rapid penetration of the new media in African continent and Nigeria particular.
No doubt that this interactive platform has given many people opportunity to express their views and contribute to any global discourse.
Social media has paved way for millions of people across the world to locate, connect, make friends, share ideas, solicit supports, and mobilize people with similar interest against unfavourable government policies, despotic and weak leaders, and injustice among others. Social media has, of course, redefined the way news is presented to the public and the way people communicate across the world.
The new media has eliminated the gatekeeping mechanism of the traditional media which was previously initiated by the government, politicians, and journalists. Social network websites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, microblogging amongst others, are the popular tools in the new trend.
The popularity of the new platform is as a result of an absence of censorship and the possibility of being anonymous. Unlike the traditional media, social media allows users to express their feelings by posting whatever they like without subjecting it to review whether or not it has damaging consequences to the larger society.
As a matter of fact, social media has created a cost effective means of participatory political discourse. It gives voices to voiceless people and community. It enables members of the larger society to broadcast their feelings without necessarily seeking the services of journalists. It empowers users to get first-hand information and also allows them to contribute and rebroadcast what they read with other users.
All these dynamic functionalities have added flavour to the new media and make it more fascinating to people across the world.
Obviously, Social media is gradually pushing away the traditional media such as newspaper, television, and radio. Many people are no more interested in the mainstream media but relied essentially on social media to source for news and information around the world.
The decline in the use of traditional media has led most of the mainstream media to also integrate the platform to keep reaching out to the larger society, particularly the youth and middle age who are the main audience of the new media.
Consequently, the seeming free society created by social media is currently misused in most countries, including Nigeria, by uncultured people who turned the platform to, sometimes, a battlefield for contending groups or individuals. This dimension has no doubt, sought to serve as a major drawback for this emerging social platform.
The absolute freedom of speech initiated by the new media has, indeed, given many users opportunities to hide behind their computers and mobile phone screens to post all sorts of inflammatory words against one another.
Research shows that there is a connection between internet anonymity and internet civility. Lack of civility has, to a greater extent, influenced what users of the social network post on the internet. Many users have unwittingly posted silly comments just because they cannot be traced and made to face the consequences of their statements. Most Users of social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and online newspaper are found guilty of this wayward behaviour, turning what is supposed to be used for the enthronement of a healthy, friendly, and informed society to a tool of creating disaffection amongst cultural, social and religious divides.
Social media surge in Nigeria has further polarized our fragile unity and created a deep rooted hatred amongst Nigerians, which without appropriate measure, is capable of destabilizing the most populous giant of Africa in the nearest future.
The type of comments many Nigerians are posting on the internet reflect an acute decline of our national morality which is the main ingredient of a sane society.
Insulting individuals, groups or other peoples’ faith are not the best means of proffering viable solution to our multi-dimensional problems that are currently threatening our country’s unity.
Social media should be used to engage the government in good governance and or to debate on national interest in a more civilized manner.
Little wonder many countries like China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Vietnam, Burma, Gambia, Cuba, Berarus, Bahrain, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan amongst others censored the major social network websites in their countries.
Of course, many social media activists will see this as anti-masses or enemies of internet, but a critical analysis of the subversive impacts of social media in Nigeria will, indeed interpret the action of those countries with strict restriction of such media as appropriate measure to fight the rapid global decadence and maintaining social stability, national security, cohesion, and cultural values.
Unfortunately, some users of Facebook and Twitter are ignorant of the potential effects of this platform on individual personality. Apart from those who use fake profiles to spread lies, insult people and incite violence, others fail to realise that their profiles on social network represent their full personality. Life on social network is a replica of real life. In 2012, I made a fascinating statement that goes thus: “give me your Facebook profile then I will tell you who you are.” This statement simply means that I can analyse your calibre by exploring your social media timeline and observe your posts, comments, pictures, amongst other things to judge your personality.
As a matter of fact, the recent debate by Nigerian government on the need to regulate the use of social media would have been a right step if national interests were placed in the forefront of the debate. But from the hindsight, the debate was politically motivated aimed at clamping down the social media critics who are consistently against the corruptive nature of Nigerian government.
For the government to formulate a proper and effective policy that will guide the use of social media in the country, government itself needs to be responsive to the people.
We need a policy that will restore the rapid decline of our national morality, not policy that aims at clamping down those who engage government with constructive criticism.
There is the need for operators of online newspapers to take appropriate measures to regulate comments that are capable of disintegrating our country. Pages of online newspapers should be properly monitored so that unruly statements that are antithetical to our national security and development are filtered out to maintain their professional role of informing, educating and entertaining the public.
The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) should take up the task of weeding out unprofessional hands from the system and direct all online newspapers to re-establish the gate-keeping role of the traditional media. This will to a very large extent minimize the current social media warfare among Nigerians.
The new Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin I. Emefiele, has made it clear that he is out to transform Nigeria’s dream of rapid growth in socio-economic sector into reality, saying that the time were people talked about potentials of Nigeria should be over.
Emefiele who addressed a world press conference at CBN Headquarters in Abuja today promised that his administration would create a People-Centered Central Bank and ensure financial system stability.
Full text of his speech is hereby reproduced:
Good morning ladies and gentlemen and welcome to my maiden press briefing. Having assumed office only two days ago, as the 11th Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), I consider it expedient to hold this interaction with you today to unveil my vision for the CBN. I am indeed delighted to share my ideas on creating a central bank that is professional, a central bank that is apolitical, and people-focused. A Central Bank that spends its energies on building a resilient financial system that can serve the growth and development needs of our beloved country, Nigeria.
Before I do so, however, let me sincerely acknowledge the excellent work that the Bank has done to achieve financial system stability, low inflation, exchange rate stability, an efficient payment system, and a consistent monetary policy in the last couple of years. It is, indeed, a testimonyto this remarkable work that no depositor lost money in any Nigerian bank in the wake of the global financial and economic crises experienced during 2007-2009. Inflation is now at a six-year low, the exchange rate is largely stable, and monetary policy has provided consistent guidance to the financial community, in particular, and the country in general.
To put this speech in proper perspective, I will first present the general context in which we are operating today including current macroeconomic conditions, financial system overview, and the key policy stance of the Central Bank. Thereafter, I will present and briefly discuss my agenda.
MACROECONOMIC CONTEXT
In contextualizing the domestic macroeconomic environment in the light of the global economy, permit me to state that acute risks in the global economy have gradually decreased but not totally dissipated. Global growth is projected to strengthen from 3 percent in 2013 to 3.6 percent in 2014. This is principally due to the reduction in fiscal tightening and continuation of highly accommodative monetary policy in a number of advanced economies, as well as strong exports to the advanced economies from emerging markets and frontier economies. In the United States, real GDP grew by 1.9 percent in 2013, a deceleration from the 2.8 percent recorded in 2012.However, a downturn in exports and private investment led to an annualized 1 percent contraction in U.S. GDP during the first quarter of 2014, which is the country’s worst economic performance in three years.
Policy actions over the past year have addressed important tail risks and stabilized financial markets in the euro area, resulting in an expected growth of about 1.2 percent in 2014.However, lingering financial fragmentation, tight credit conditions, and high corporate and sovereign debt burdens remain key downside risks. In Japan, private investment and exports are expected to strengthen, especially in the face of substantial depreciation in the yen over the past year. The economy, which expanded by 1.5 percent in 2013, is projected to grow by 1.4 percent in 2014.
China is projected to expand by about 7.5 percent in 2014, a modest decline from 7.7 percent recorded in 2013. The forecast for 2014 is predicated on the assumption of reduced credit growth and a rebalancing of domestic output. Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa remains robust and is expected to rise from 4.9 percent in 2013 to 5.5 percent in 2014. This expansion expectedly reflects dividends of large megaprojects in infrastructure in natural resource enclaves as well as bountiful agricultural production.
Relative to both global and sub-Sahara African growth trajectories, the Nigerian economy performed appreciably well over the last seven years (2007—2013). During the period, the economy expanded by an average of 7 percent, while sub-Sahara Africa’s real GDP growth averaged 5.2 percent. In the fourth quarter of 2013, Nigeria’s real GDP grew by 7.7 percent, mainly driven by an 8.8 percent growth in the non-oil sector. For fiscal 2013, the economy grew by 6.9 percent, with the non-oil sector providing 8.1 percent backbone to the strong growth.
Owing to the tight monetary policy of the Bank coupled with improved food harvest, inflation moderated to a six-year low of 7.9 percent at end-April 2014. Debt-to-GDP ratio fell to 11 percent, while foreign exchange reserves stood at US$37.15 billion as at 27thMay 2014. This external reserve level could finance about eight (8) months of imports and compares favourably with the external reserves of many peer countries. As at end-April 2014, year-on-year private sector credit increased by 26.4 percent, reflecting strong appetite by the banking system to catalyze the real economy. Over the last four years (2010-2013), the country attracted over US$22 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI), making Nigeria one of the top FDI destinations on the African continent.
Results from the latest job creation survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicate that the private sector posted a significant share of the 1.2 million jobs created in the country in 2013. While this achievement is laudable, it clearly suggests that we need to do more to cater for existing job seekers as well as for new entrants into the labour market.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE NIGERIAN FINANCIAL SYSTEM
The Nigerian financial system has undergone several years of critical reforms, designed to position it as Africa’s financial hub. These reforms have produced a financial landscape characterized by large and strong banks, an efficient payments system and improved financial infrastructure. For instance, the average Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) of the banking system stood at 16.7 percent at end-March 2014, higher than the global threshold of 10.0 percent. At end-March 2014, average Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets stood at 15.4 percent, while the industry NPL ratio decreased from 34.5 percent in November 2010 to 3.8 percent as at end-March 2014.
The Central Bank’s payments system initiatives, such as the Payment Terminal Aggregator (PTA) and standardized T+1 settlement, have led to a significant reduction in transactions costs and currency management costs. The Cash-less policy is gradually entering the next phase of implementation—the nationwide roll-out in the remaining states of the Federation—which has been scheduled for 1stJuly, 2014, while the mobile money initiative has continued to enhance financial inclusion with the number of unbanked public declining from 46.3 percent in 2010 to 37.9 percent in 2013.
In terms of the monetary aggregates, broad money supply (M2) rose by 1.9percent in April 2014, over the level at end-December 2013. At an annualized growth of 5.8 percent, M2 was below the growth benchmark of 15.5 percent for 2014 but consistent with the tight stance of monetary policy. The increase in money supply reflected the growth in net domestic credit (NDC) of 1.6 percent in April over the level at end-December 2013. At an annualized growth of 4.9percent, growth in NDC was lower than the provisional benchmark of 28.5 percent for 2014.
Money market interest rates moved in tandem with the tight monetary policy stance and the persisting environment of excess liquidity. Thus, at end-April 2014, the average inter-bank call and Open buy back (OBB) rates stood at 10.5 and 10.6 percent, respectively. The equities segment of the capital market has continued in recovery territory since the global financial crisis. Relative to end-March 2014, the All-Share Index (ASI) rose by 0.7 percent on May 16, while Market Capitalization (MC) remained strong at N12.85 trillion.
KEY POLICY STANCE OF THE CENTRAL BANK
Since 2012, the Bank has maintained a tight regime of monetary policy, with the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) and the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR) mostly remaining unchanged at 12 percent. The CRR on public sector deposits was, however, raised to 50 percent in July 2013 and subsequently to 75 percent in March 2014 when the CRR on private sector deposits was also adjusted upwards to 15percent. This was to address the liquidity effects of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) statutory allocations to the three tiers of government and the redemption of AMCON bonds towards the end of 2013, the effects of which lingered into 2014.
The CBN’s exchange rate policy is based on the managed float regime that allows a movement of +/- 3 percent around the midpoint Naira/Dollar exchange rate of N155/US$1. Whenever justifiable, the bank intervenes to offset pressures on the exchange rate and restore stability in the value of the Naira.
These policy stances have served the Bank well since they have properly anchored expectations, created policy certainty in macroeconomic management while offering a window of flexibility to respond to new information and developments globally as they emerge. However, there exists much room for improvement in the policy environment. Having provided you with the context in which we will be operating, in the rest of the paper, I shall be discussing some of my preliminary ideas on elements of the reforms that we would be pursuing at the Central Bank going forward.
OUR VISION TO CREATE A PEOPLE-CENTRED CENTRAL BANK
The vision of the Central Bank of Nigeria is to “be the Model Central Bank delivering price and financial system stability and promoting sustainable economic development”. This vision draws inspiration from our understanding of the multiple mandate of the Bank to pursue both price and financial system stability as well as provide complementary developmental functions by creating an environment for Nigerians to live better and more fulfilled lives. Rather than being competing goals, as some may argue, these mandates are truly complementary. In fact, price stability can rarely be adjudged a goal in itself except cast against the ultimate objective of improvement in the quality of life. Price stability, therefore, remains a cardinal contribution, indeed a cornerstone, to the ultimate goal of economic development. I believe that reasonably stable prices provide a catalyst for rational consumption and investment decisions and for orderly economic progress. That is why throughout most of economic history, periods of price and financial system stability have coincided with economic growth and development.
In order to realize the CBN’s vision, therefore, I believe we must start with championing policies that promote the sustainability of our hard-earned macroeconomic stability.
A. MACROECONOMIC STABILITY
Monetary Policy: We shall pursue a gradual reduction in interest rates. A comparison of selected macroeconomic aggregates from some emerging market countries including South Africa, Brazil, India, China, Turkey, and Malaysia indicate that Nigeria has one of the highest T-bill rates. Such high rates create a perverse incentive for commercial banks to simply buy virtually risk-free government bonds rather than lend to the real sector.
To enhance financial access and reduced borrower cost of credit, we would pursue policies targeted at making Nigeria’s T-bill rates more comparable with other emerging markets and by extension, pursue a reduction in both deposit and lending rates. While a reduction in deposit rates would encourage investment attitudes in savers, a reduction in lending rates would make credit cheaper for potential investors. The Bank would also begin to include the unemployment rate as one of the key variables considered for its Monetary Policy decisions. In the interim, we would continue to maintain a monetary policy stance, reflecting the liquidity conditions in the economy as well as the potential fiscal expansion in the run-up to the 2015 General Elections.
Exchange Rate Policy: Our key goal here would be to maintain exchange rate stability. In view of the high import-dependent nature of the economy and significant exchange rate pass-through, a systematic depreciation of the Naira would literarily translate to considerable inflationary pressure with attendant effect on macroeconomic stability. Therefore, under my leadership, the Bank will continue to focus on maintaining exchange rate stability and preserve the value of the domestic currency. We will sustain the managed float regime in the management of the exchange rate, as this will allow the Bank to intervene when necessary to offset pressures on the exchange rate. To support this strategy, we will strive to build-up and maintain a healthy external reserves position and ensure external balance.
There is no doubt that reducing the interest rate and maintaining the exchange rate are very daunting twin goals. However, the CBN would work assiduously with all stakeholders to device countervailing measures that would ensure that these goals are mutually achieved.
Financial System Stability: We hope to sustain the effective management of potential threats and avoid systemic crisis. The core of my vision is to effectively manage potential threats to financial stability, and create a strong governance regime that is conducive for financial intermediation, innovative finance and inclusiveness. In this regard, we hope to anchor on two main pillars: managing factors that create liquidity shocks and zero tolerance on practices that undermine the health of financial institutions. In order to achieve these goals, we would:
Work with the relevant stakeholders to aggressively shore up reserves. We hope to engage the fiscal and political authorities, as well as other stakeholders to improve our policy buffers, which will further create space for the Bank to implement monetary policy using its limited instruments;
Enhance the Bank’s supervisory purview over the banking system as well as strengthen macro-prudential regulation by improving supervisory diligence, ethical standards as well as highest level of professionalism in carrying out on and off-site supervision activities;
Strengthen risk-based supervision mechanism of Nigerian banks to ensure overall health and banking system stability. To that end, banks shall be enjoined to proffer remedial actions where weaknesses are observed in RBS examination reports so as to avoid further build-up of NPLs. Where banks proffer inadequate remedies, the CBN shall advance its own solutions and insist on compliance;
In the light of the size of the economy following the rebased GDP, the trigger thresholds from a macro-prudential perspective are no longer adequate. In due course, the CBN would consider and announce measures to effectively address this anomaly.
Pursue a zero-tolerance policy on fraudulent borrowers. We will collaborate with commercial banks to significantly improve the credit culture in the Nigerian banking system. The CBN’s focus would be directed at serial debtors who access loans from different banks and default on all of them even when they have the means to pay. Going forward, the CBN will work towards reducing the effect of information asymmetry in the credit market. In this regard, we shall do the following:
Enhance the operation of Credit Reference Bureaus;
Establish Secured Transaction and National Collateral Registry;
Strengthen the sanction system to include: blacklisting of companies/individuals that have been found to be serial loan defaulters. Indeed, these names would be circulated in the banking system to guide banks in identifying bad borrowers and denying them access to credits in the banking system;
Implement stringent loan provisions and penalties for banks that lends to blacklisted persons and companies;
Intensify our collaboration with relevant agencies, and in particular, the Justice Ministry, to strengthen bank’s ability to enforce contracts and recover matured debts.
Renew vigorous advocacy for the creation of commercial courts for quick adjudications on loan and related offences.
Establish a National Credit Scoring System that will improve access to information on borrowers and assist to make good credit decisions.
Banking Supervision: Our take on banking supervision would be to work towards a better risk-based supervision framework. This will be achieved by:
• Training sector-specific bank examiners. For example, while the banking industry has excessive concentration in oil and gas loans, the CBN does not have the expertise to analyze and monitor the risks inherent in these credits. In other words, every examiner is a generalist.
• In connection with the above, specialization will help reduce an increasing reliance on outside consultants, ensure that confidential supervisory information are protected and guarantee a staff depth that can generate robust in-house data to help senior Central Bank officials prepare adequately for public engagements.
The Payments System: We hope to better align the Cashless Policy. This policy was introduced in 2012 with pilots now completed in Lagos, Kano, Anambra, Abia, Rivers, and the FCT. The policy is now expected to go nation-wide on 1st July 2014. Over the course of the pilot, we have become aware of complaints by customers particularly regarding the charges being imposed for cash deposits. This has resulted in customers devising various means to avoid the charges through opening of multiplicity of accounts and other disingenuous behaviour all aimed at undermining the objective of this policy. Given these outcomes and to better reflect our goal of having more cash under our control, all charges on deposits are hereby stopped with immediate effect. Charges on withdrawals, in view of their eventual elimination, remain sustained at the current 3 percent for individual transactions exceeding N500,000 and 5 percent for corporate transactions exceeding N3 million. Currently, these fees go entirely to the commercial banks. However, going forward, the Central Bank shall determine what percentage of these fees on excess drawings that will be redeemed by the bank while the rest shall be remitted to the CBN.
Let me now turn to the second aspect of my vision, which centres on development banking.
B. CENTRAL BANKS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
For quite some time, the dominant school of thought regarding central banking was that focusing on low inflation will eventually lead to greater growth, increase in employment generating activities, and poverty reduction. However, early and recent evidence of central banking in places such as the United States, England, Japan, and France indicate that supporting selected economic sectors using “direct methods” of intervention have been essential tasks of their central banks. As Epstein (2005) encapsulates, “virtually all central banks, including the Bank of England (BOE) and the U.S. Federal Reserve (the Fed) have used direct means to support economic sectors. And this has not simply been a matter of historical aberration, but rather, it has been an essential aspect of their structures and behaviour for decades on end. In particular, a crucial role for both the BOE and the Fed has been to promote the financial sectors of their economies, and especially, to support the international role of their financial services industries. They have done this by using subsidized interest rates, legal restrictions, directed credit and moral suasion to promote particular markets and institutions. Moreover, at times, they have even oriented their overall monetary policy toward promoting the development of this particular economic sector”.
As I have shown in the section on recent macroeconomic developments, Nigeria has witnessed impressive GDP growth rates over the past seven years. Yet, there is an absence of a corresponding reduction in the unemployment rate in Nigeria, which has risen to 23.9 percent in 2012 relative to 13.9 percent in 2000.
Particularly worrisome is the rate of youth unemployment, which is too high. With an annual addition of 1.8million Nigerians to the labour pool, the Central Bank cannot afford to sit idly by and concentrate only on price and monetary stability. Additional measures would be required towards identifying productive sectors of the economy and channeling credit towards these sectors, while imposing proper monitoring and performance measures in order to ensure that the goals of increased employment and poverty reduction are attained. This will require a review of the Bank’s development finance program, the participatory agencies responsible for the disbursement of funds, improving our monitoring capacity and developing performance targets relevant to our focus on generating employment and poverty reduction. To be effective, the measures taken by the Bank will not work in isolation. We will work with the fiscal authorities in reducing other structural distortions to productive growth, as this will enhance access to credit, as well as stimulate growth and employment generation.
C. OUR AGENDA FOR DEVELOPMENT FINANCE
The core principle here is that the CBN will act as a financial catalyst by targeting predetermined sectors that can create jobs on a mass scale and significantly reduce our import bills. The CBN would deploy developmental initiatives to create an enabling environment with appropriate incentives to empower innovative entrepreneurs to drive growth and development. It is important to stress here that the CBN would not be targeting individual companies but rather specific sectors. We would establish rules and criteria that create a level playing field so that anyone who fairly qualifies can benefit from these schemes.
Some of the Central Bank’s developmental functions will include credit allocations and direct interventions in key sectors of the economy such as Power, Agriculture, MSME, Oil &Gas, and Health. While playing an active developmental role, the CBN will not only operate within the law and its mandate but will also be transparent about what it believes as strategic and appropriate interventions.
• A New Framework for Funding SMEs
Funding for SMEs in Nigeria has largely been viewed from a social development perspective with the goal to reduce poverty through job and wealth creation. This has put the development of the sector squarely in the hands of the government, with mixed results. Going forward, we propose a business approach to funding SMEs, which requires the strong involvement of the private sector. The new framework proposed will combine the profit motives of the private sector and the development objectives of the government. It proposes a structure that enables the government to leverage the project selection and credit analysis processes of private sector investors who will place more of their resources at risk in funding the SMEs. At the moment, the CBN has a number of initiatives including the N220 billion to finance Small- and Medium-Scale Enterprises with specific focus on women entrepreneurs and to be administered through Microfinance Banks owned either by state governments and/or private organizations. While the private sector invests more of their risk capital in the selected companies, CBN funds will focus on resolving challenges such as access to collateral, enterprise development support, development of a nationwide credit scoring system, etc.
Aside from this new collaboration with the private sector, the CBN will also design a programme for our fellow citizens who need as low as N50,000 without collaterals through registered and accredited local cooperatives. We shall encourage venture capital companies and business angels to fund SMEs and invite the Bankers’ Committee to play more active role in supporting SMEs.
•The Agricultural sector
The CBN will revisit the goals and implementation of our intervention programmes in the Agricultural Sector, in order to ensure that high value addition is obtained from funds provided…Interventions in the sector will now be driven towards improving productivity in areas with high domestic demand, where opportunities exist to improve domestic supply, such as rice, fish, wheat and sugar and conservation of foreign exchange. These four commodities constitute a huge proportion of our food import bill of N1.3trillion annually.
The CBN would facilitate the creation of an ecosystem that will identify and link various local producers and processors with major importers of selected products. With the expected increase in local production, identified major importers would be encouraged to act as off-takers to local producers. For example, between 2009 and 2013, the CBN’s Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS) has disbursed a total of about N16.2 billion to 12 rice producers who have managed to meet about 10 percent of national consumption. We believe that we can scale up this amount to enable these producers meet a much more higher share of our national consumption, thereby, reducing our import needs for importation of commodities such as rice. Towards this end, 60 percent of the Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme will now be targeted at the identified commodities, while the loan limit under the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme is now increased to N50million to expand the resources available to small agricultural projects.
This scheme is intended to reward good borrowers with more loans and encourage importers of the same products to reduce their demand for foreign exchange, thereby reducing the Bank’s sale of foreign exchange and thus building the stock of external reserves.
• The Power sector
Given CBN’s mandate to “develop and implement various policies, programmes and schemes aimed at the effective, efficient and sustainable delivery of financial services to special sectors of the economy”, there is an important role the CBN must play to ensure the success of the power sector reforms. The corresponding effect on GDP that could occur as a result of improvements in the power sector cannot be overstated.
How then can the CBN add value in the power sector? While these plans still need to be fully developed, permit me to share broad outlines:
We will facilitate investment in key parts of the value chain by providing funds at concessionary rates to targeted investments in the power sector. We will encourage investment in the gas to power infrastructure to improve the reliability of supply of gas to the existing and new power plants.
We will also support investments in renewable energy in rural areas through matching funds schemes, and providing first loss guarantees.
• The Oil and Gas sector
Although Nigeria produces millions of barrels of crude oil per day, the importation of refined petroleum products alone consumes about 35 percent of our annual import bill. The CBN will support efforts at domesticating our oil and gas resources to ensure that much more of these resources are produced and used here in Nigeria. This will stimulate inclusive growth, create jobs and reduce the pressure on the exchange rate occasioned by demand for imports of finished petroleum products.
These initiatives will be pursued in collaboration with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, who set the core priorities for the sector. Also, any initiatives proposed, will need to be aligned with the policy intent of the PIB. With this in mind, the CBN will:
O Contribute to policy development
In recognition of the fact that one of the sticking points in the passage of the PIB is the proposed fiscal regime, we will play an active role in working with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources and other stakeholders to secure a win-win outcome for the sector.
O Upstream investment incentives
To reduce the losses (theft and leakages) in the amount of produced crude that is officially sold, we will support initiatives to meter at ports and secure pipelines. Working with the lead Ministry, we will look at investment incentives that encourage local Niger Delta based SMEs to play an active role in metering services and pipeline protection technologies.
O Incentives for FDI in upstream
We recognize that there is a significant requirement for investment in the upstream sector especially for the Federal Government owned component of Upstream Joint Ventures. They currently struggle to match the investment in infrastructure provided by the IOC partners. Alongside the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, we will support efforts to secure these investments. We will explore how this can be done through international capital markets. This will require looking at the current JV structures and ensuring that our proposals sit alongside the PIB proposals.
O Support for refineries and pipeline construction
We will support the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources by looking at investment incentives in refining and promoting investment in the construction of much needed gas pipelines. We will also support the establishment of small-scale modular refineries that can serve some of our domestic markets. We will consider giving priority to the main arteries to the gas fired power plants.
• The Health Sector
Given the myriad of issues facing this sector, which has led to a huge bill of foreign exchange use for medical travels overseas, the CBN intends to play a facilitating role by unlocking the potentials that exist for the private sector to invest at various points along the healthcare value chain including hospital services, health insurance, pharmaceuticals, supply chain, and financing.
This window of opportunity, has already led the private sector to establish an institutional platform for health known as the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PHN), with the support of the government.
The CBN will explore opportunities for partnering with the PHN to galvanize the private sector into playing a more active role in the health sector. The bank will maintain a keen interest in supporting the development of institutions, create an enabling environment to trigger private sector investment and curb the growing trend of medical tourism.
CONCLUSION
The sole objective of this briefing is to place before you our plans to move our country forward. These ideas can be summarized as follows:
Pursue a gradual reduction in key interest rates, and include the unemployment rate in monetary policy decisions;
Maintain exchange rate stability and aggressively shore up foreign exchange reserves;
Strengthen risk-based supervision mechanism of Nigerian banks to ensure overall health and banking system stability;
Build sector-specific expertise in banking supervision to reflect loan concentration of the banking industry;
In view of inadequate trigger thresholds from a macro-prudential perspective, consider and announce measures to effectively address this anomaly;
Abolish fees associated with limits on deposits and reconsider ongoing practice in which all fees associated with limits on withdrawals accrue to banks alone;
Introduce a broad spectrum of financial instruments to boost specific enterprise areas in agriculture, manufacturing, health, and oil and gas;
Establish Secured Transaction and National Collateral Registry as well as establish a National Credit Scoring System that will improve access to information on borrowers and assist lenders to make good credit decisions;
• Build resilient financial infrastructure that serves the needs of the lower end of the market, especially those without collateral;
• Renew vigorous advocacy for the creation of commercial courts for quick adjudications on loan and related offences.
We must, by now, have been tired of hearing people talk about the “potentials” of Nigeria. Now is the time to live that dream. I truly believe that working together, we can achieve our goals and give Nigerians the chance to live longer, better and more fulfilled lives.[myad]
Renowned actress, Kate Henshaw has called on ladies to always be happy with the body they are endowed with instead of adding artificial make up or even trying to change the body.
Henshaw, in her Instagram account page, warned ladies who want their butts enlarged through implant or some other cosmetic means to be wary of the danger involved.. She wrote: “Ladies, please be happy with the body you have, but if you are not, do something about it. Exercise! Get fit! There is no short cut!
“Butts implant that goes bad could be very dangerous and worse than what you were running away from.” Henshaw, who is well known for her unique acting skills and candid expression of her thoughts and mind, said that butt implant is one of a few procedures that she believed people should not have.
Recently, American music superstar, Jennifer Lopez, told an Australian radio station that she does whatever it takes to keep herself in shape as long as that doesn’t include plastic surgery. Asked if she would ever consider getting butt implants when she’s older or should her bottom lose its shape, the singer, who has a song called “Big Booty” on her new album, totally shot the idea down.
“No. I can’t do it. I can honestly say that’s a big no,” she said. “You know, I’ve always been quite an athlete, and when I was young I used to run track and do tennis, everything. So for me, it’s always about getting out to the gym or getting outside or whatever it takes to just kind of keep it together.”
Lopez said she’ll stick to eating healthy and working out, adding that while you “don’t have to go crazy, you don’t have to be a fanatic”; it’s all about upkeep. She said she was too terrified of surgery to even think about undergoing any kind of cosmetic procedure.[myad]
The political leaders of Uttar Pradesh, the state where two cousins aged 12 and 14 were raped and hanged last week, has described rape as a social crime which depends on men and women, saying that sometimes it could be right and sometimes it could be wrong. A regional politician from Modi’s own Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), said that the crime of rape can only be considered to have been committed if it is reported to police.
“This is a social crime which depends on men and women. Sometimes it’s right, sometimes it’s wrong,” said Babulal Gaur, the home minister responsible for law and order in the BJP-run central state of Madhya Pradesh. “Until there’s a complaint, nothing can happen,” he told reporters.” Gaur also expressed sympathy with Mulayam Singh Yadav, head of the regional Samajwadi party that runs Uttar Pradesh. In the recent election, Mulayam criticised legal changes that foresee the death penalty for gang rape, saying: “Boys commit mistakes: will they be hanged for rape?”
The BJP dismissed Gaur’s comments as an expression of his personal views, and not the party’s. Modi, who was sworn in as prime minister last week after a landslide election victory, has so far remained silent over the double killing in the village of Katra Shahadatganj, around half a day’s drive east of Delhi. The father and uncle of one of the victims said they tried to report the crime to local police but were turned away. Three men have been arrested over the killings. Two policemen have been held on suspicion of trying to cover up the crime.
Although a rape is reported in India every 21 minutes on average, law enforcement failures mean that such crimes – a symptom of pervasive sexual and caste oppression – are often not reported or properly investigated, human rights groups say. More sex crimes have come to light in recent days. A woman in a nearby district of Uttar Pradesh was gang-raped, forced to drink acid and strangled to death. Another was shot dead in northeast India while resisting attackers, media reports said.
The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, has said he was “especially appalled” by the rape and murder of the two girls. “We say no to the dismissive, destructive attitude of, ‘Boys will be boys’,” he said in a statement this week that made clear his contempt for the language used by Mulayam Singh Yadav. Originally published in The Guardian.[myad]
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Nigerian Army seems to be all out for the Media Trust Limited, publishers of Daily Trust, Weekly Trust, Sunday Trust newspapers. Officers of the Army, this morning, continued their assault on the newspapers when they prevented the distribution and sale of WEEKLY TRUST, the Saturday edition of the newspaper in many parts of the country.
Social Media Surge In Nigeria, It’s Implications On National Security, By Deen Adavize
A report by Global Digital Statistic shows that there are about 2 billion active social network users in the world. This represents 28% of the world total population, i.e. at least, in every four, one is using the social network. The report revealed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) indicates that Nigeria has the largest users of the internet in Africa, with the total internet users of over 43.9 million, representing 25% of the country’s population. NCC (2013) also revealed that about 32,513, 261, representing 74% of web surfers accessing the internet via mobile devices in Nigeria. In March 2013, World Bank ranked Nigeria as the third highest users of Facebook in Africa, with total active users of 5, 534, 160 (PM News, 2013).
In 2012, Portland Communications, a Kenyan based public relation agency as well placed Nigeria as the third tweeting country in Africa (Punch Newspaper, 2012). According to Nigerian blog awards, there are about 1 million blogs own and update by Nigerians and the numbers are steadily growing in popularity.
The above figures show the rapid penetration of the new media in African continent and Nigeria particular.
No doubt that this interactive platform has given many people opportunity to express their views and contribute to any global discourse.
Social media has paved way for millions of people across the world to locate, connect, make friends, share ideas, solicit supports, and mobilize people with similar interest against unfavourable government policies, despotic and weak leaders, and injustice among others. Social media has, of course, redefined the way news is presented to the public and the way people communicate across the world.
The new media has eliminated the gatekeeping mechanism of the traditional media which was previously initiated by the government, politicians, and journalists. Social network websites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, microblogging amongst others, are the popular tools in the new trend.
The popularity of the new platform is as a result of an absence of censorship and the possibility of being anonymous. Unlike the traditional media, social media allows users to express their feelings by posting whatever they like without subjecting it to review whether or not it has damaging consequences to the larger society.
As a matter of fact, social media has created a cost effective means of participatory political discourse. It gives voices to voiceless people and community. It enables members of the larger society to broadcast their feelings without necessarily seeking the services of journalists. It empowers users to get first-hand information and also allows them to contribute and rebroadcast what they read with other users.
All these dynamic functionalities have added flavour to the new media and make it more fascinating to people across the world.
Obviously, Social media is gradually pushing away the traditional media such as newspaper, television, and radio. Many people are no more interested in the mainstream media but relied essentially on social media to source for news and information around the world.
The decline in the use of traditional media has led most of the mainstream media to also integrate the platform to keep reaching out to the larger society, particularly the youth and middle age who are the main audience of the new media.
Consequently, the seeming free society created by social media is currently misused in most countries, including Nigeria, by uncultured people who turned the platform to, sometimes, a battlefield for contending groups or individuals. This dimension has no doubt, sought to serve as a major drawback for this emerging social platform.
The absolute freedom of speech initiated by the new media has, indeed, given many users opportunities to hide behind their computers and mobile phone screens to post all sorts of inflammatory words against one another.
Research shows that there is a connection between internet anonymity and internet civility. Lack of civility has, to a greater extent, influenced what users of the social network post on the internet. Many users have unwittingly posted silly comments just because they cannot be traced and made to face the consequences of their statements. Most Users of social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and online newspaper are found guilty of this wayward behaviour, turning what is supposed to be used for the enthronement of a healthy, friendly, and informed society to a tool of creating disaffection amongst cultural, social and religious divides.
Social media surge in Nigeria has further polarized our fragile unity and created a deep rooted hatred amongst Nigerians, which without appropriate measure, is capable of destabilizing the most populous giant of Africa in the nearest future.
The type of comments many Nigerians are posting on the internet reflect an acute decline of our national morality which is the main ingredient of a sane society.
Insulting individuals, groups or other peoples’ faith are not the best means of proffering viable solution to our multi-dimensional problems that are currently threatening our country’s unity.
Social media should be used to engage the government in good governance and or to debate on national interest in a more civilized manner.
Little wonder many countries like China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Vietnam, Burma, Gambia, Cuba, Berarus, Bahrain, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan amongst others censored the major social network websites in their countries.
Of course, many social media activists will see this as anti-masses or enemies of internet, but a critical analysis of the subversive impacts of social media in Nigeria will, indeed interpret the action of those countries with strict restriction of such media as appropriate measure to fight the rapid global decadence and maintaining social stability, national security, cohesion, and cultural values.
Unfortunately, some users of Facebook and Twitter are ignorant of the potential effects of this platform on individual personality. Apart from those who use fake profiles to spread lies, insult people and incite violence, others fail to realise that their profiles on social network represent their full personality. Life on social network is a replica of real life. In 2012, I made a fascinating statement that goes thus: “give me your Facebook profile then I will tell you who you are.” This statement simply means that I can analyse your calibre by exploring your social media timeline and observe your posts, comments, pictures, amongst other things to judge your personality.
As a matter of fact, the recent debate by Nigerian government on the need to regulate the use of social media would have been a right step if national interests were placed in the forefront of the debate. But from the hindsight, the debate was politically motivated aimed at clamping down the social media critics who are consistently against the corruptive nature of Nigerian government.
For the government to formulate a proper and effective policy that will guide the use of social media in the country, government itself needs to be responsive to the people.
We need a policy that will restore the rapid decline of our national morality, not policy that aims at clamping down those who engage government with constructive criticism.
There is the need for operators of online newspapers to take appropriate measures to regulate comments that are capable of disintegrating our country. Pages of online newspapers should be properly monitored so that unruly statements that are antithetical to our national security and development are filtered out to maintain their professional role of informing, educating and entertaining the public.
The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) should take up the task of weeding out unprofessional hands from the system and direct all online newspapers to re-establish the gate-keeping role of the traditional media. This will to a very large extent minimize the current social media warfare among Nigerians.
deenadavize@gmail.com[myad]
[myad]