Consumer Communication and Service Providers in Nigeria

By Niran Adedokun
 

Service providers in Nigeria can sometimes complicate life for you.  I mean it is okay to experience occasional disruptions from one service provider or the other but have you ever been in a situation where virtually every service you have subscribed to seems to be working in concert against your peace? Or is it just me?

 

Time, seasons and the lessons for Nigerians

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre

Wow! It’s incredible to think that the last quarter of the year 2013 has already rolled in. For some of us, it seems like only yesterday that we said “Happy New Year” to our family and friends. Where did the months go if I may ask? Into the abyss of history, I reckon.

Political propaganda and public confidence in Nigeria

By Niran Adedokun

Hey friends, I trust that you had a good weekend and that you are rejuvenated for a really productive week like I am. Just keep at that thing which you know how to do best and trust the Almighty One to smile on you one day soon.

Product innovation and the rest of us...

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre

Last Tuesday, 10th September, 2013 to be precise, Apple did it again - lifted the curtains off two new iPhones: The high-end iPhone 5S, and the plastic-bodied iPhone 5C. Apple is trying to play it both ways this time around. Here are the key takeaways from Apple’s big reveal, according to Chris Gayomali .

Playing safe on the social media

By Niran Adedokun

I woke up one morning a few months back to a pile of messages from friends and associates who had received an e-mail purportedly sent by me seeking financial assistance until I returned from a trip to the United Kingdom.

Tales... from Fascinating Nigeria

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre

Nigeria is a fascinating country by all standards. This “giant of Africa” is not only the most populous country in Africa but is also ranked the 7th most populous in the world. Nigerians would readily testify to our varied landscape, biodiversity and rich natural endowment as common evidence of our collective appeal.

Master Ihekina’s desperate Arik Flight and the security question

 

By Niran Adedokun

I don’t know how many of us remember The Charly Boy Show.  It was a magazine programme anchored by His Royal Punkness and Area Fada, the legendary Charly Boy Oputa on various television channels in Nigeria.

           The Magical Mandela

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre

 I could be quite unpredictable when it comes to football. Sometimes, I’m fascinated by the round leather game and at other times, I couldn’t be bothered, really. I wasn’t always like that, you know.

Your child and the information technology age

By Niran Adedokun
A few days back, Atim, and I got into a discussion about how technology has pervaded and even transformed every area of our lives. In the course of our discussion, we ventured into the precocity and dexterity of the average child of this age.

Nigerians on an online shopping spree!

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre

The handshake between business and technology is a welcome development and actually just got a lot more interesting, especially with online shopping. And judging by the way it has caught on like a wild bush fire, it would appear that online shopping has come to stay in Nigeria, for real!

Best practices for the social media

By Niran Adedokun

As much as I try, it has remained impossible for me to get over the unceasing encroachment of the new media on not just the traditional media but the totality of our lives. This new phenomenon, also known as the social media is perhaps the most potent instrument in the actualisation of Marshall McLuhan’s idea of the global village.
In two books, The Making of Typographic Man  and Understanding Media both of which he wrote in the  1960s, McLuhan noted that electric technology would compact  the world into a village. At a time when the worldwide web did not exist, this Canadian communication theorist predicted the simultaneous and spontaneous transition of information to every part of the globe with electric speed. I do not think anything else lends credence to his philosophy more than the incidence of the internet and various innovations that have culminated in what we now refer to as the social media.
In actual fact, things have not been the same since the advent of the worldwide web.  It has pervaded our lives, influenced our perception of sundry things and even dictates how we relate with one another. There is so much information available about just anything and everything, almost with the liberality with which we breathe. The social media have grown with equal rapidity such that every single human being with any device like a phone set could influence any number of people with whom s/he is connected on Facebook, twitter, myspace, LinkedIn, Instagram and millions of blogs which exist all over the world.  However, with the opportunities it present for everyone to ventilate opinion, also comes a demand for social responsibility, a front on which most users of this new media come short.
Being user-driven and devoid of the filtering skills of an editor, the new media is intrusive and often prone to abuse of ethical standards which are essential to the credibility and respect of the media.  Just a few days ago, I saw a tweet in which a young Nigerian said something like “niggas like you should be dead”    to a former Vice President, and I wondered if access to the social media should make a man lose every sense of decency and respect for the dignity of the other person, talk less of a former vice president for that matter.  I consider that to be an anomaly and hold to the opinion that new media users should aspire to understand best practices which show respect for the medium and his contacts on the platform.
It is important for users of the new media, for example, to avoid the use of abusive, vulgar, disrespectful or obscene language. Users of the new media must endeavour to respect the cultural and religious inclinations of others and avoid every derogates from the personality of any other person
There is also the need to ensure the accuracy of information that is passed on social media. Because of the viral nature of the platforms, information should be verified and verifiable before they are shared on any of these networks.  We must get all the facts right before we post the information. True, most of these platforms provide for immediate retraction or deletion of information supplied but we must be conscious of the fact that one or two contacts may go ahead and share this information before we are able to delete them.
I have also found that objectivity is not a strong point for many users of the social media platforms. The demand of social responsibility to report not just the truth but the fact of the truth is something that a lot of users of these platforms do not readily have time for.
Users of the new media must also avoid spreading rumours and unconfirmed information.  It is important to avoid these because of the incredible speed at which news on the social media travels. The temptation to want to share some “breaking news” with our friends and contacts before we confirm its veracity is one of the present and existent things that we must avoid as we make use of any social media platform.
Although the social media gives its user some measure of anonymity, I am of the opinion that every user of these platforms owes it to him/herself and the society a great deal of duty to be responsible and pursue the greater good.  Adherents of the social media should strive to pursue the virtues of fairness, truthfulness, balance and independence which are traditional media ethics. Even as the social media allows appreciable liveliness by the shortening of the distance between the “reporter” and his audience, tweeters, bloggers and all social media users should work towards attaining the best usages of their platforms. I rest my case.

The changing career landscape

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of my favourite authors. Anyone who has read Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun or her very engaging third novel, Americanah, would agree that the young lady is one of Africa’s finest living writers and a strong voice for the new generation.

       Nigerian Media and the burden of objectivity

 By Niran Adedokun

This week, I am hoping that we would be able to generate some discussion or debate on this platform.  Over the past few years, my concern for the need for objectivity in the business of news reporting in Nigeria has grown from worry to fear. I just continue to have the feeling that Nigerian journalists are increasingly being affected by the ills of our society to the extent that the demand for objectivity especially in news reporting has continued to suffer. 

Mo Abudu: A woman and her lofty dreams

By Atim Nkpubre

Mosunmola Abudu, popularly known as Mo Abudu, needs no introduction in this part of the world. She is a talk show host, television producer, media personality, human resources management consultant and entrepreneur. She wears many interesting caps and appears quite comfortable donning them all, to the admiration of many.

The Power of Internal Communications

By Niran Adedokun
Good morning to you good people. It is so good to be with you on this cool Monday morning, which, coincidentally, ushers in a new month and the second half of the year. Wow! We are in the seventh month of the year already, things are moving so fast and before we realise it, 2013 would have expire. Time, really, does
fly doesnt it?  Especially when it matters!

Impact Investing as the new paradigm in Philanthropy

Mr. Tony Elumelu, former Group Managing Director of United Bank for Africa UBA Plc, is the Chairman of Heirs Holdings, a pan African proprietary investment company with interests in strategic sectors of Africa’s economy. He is also the founder of The Tony Elumelu Foundation. Below are excerpts of an interview he granted Charlotte Bauer of  the South African City Press's

                 Tyranny of the Social Media

By Niran Adedokun

One of the greatest challenges that traditional Public Relations practice currently faces is what I call the tyranny of the Social Media. I don’t know if it’s just me, but things have moved so fast from those days when, as reporters, we relied on those fixed land lines provided by the almighty Nigeria Telecommunication Limited (NITEL) to get our stories across from all over the country. I mean, that may look like yesterday but a couple of things have happened since then.

MTN and the Burden of Transformational Leadership

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre

Last Friday, the 7th day of June, 2013 had started on a rather chaotic note in the mega city of Lagos, Nigeria. The early morning downpour which drenched the city and quite a few of its inhabitants didn’t help matters either. It was an awful combination. A Friday…and a rainy one! Hm. A normal Friday in Lagos is challenging enough, especially with its high traffic congestion occasioned by a mad rush of people either into the metropolis to wrap up business deals or out of it for a quieter weekend elsewhere. A rainy Friday could therefore easily become a recipe for disaster, and could be dreadful and almost nightmarish.

OPEN LETTER TO DR RUBEN ABATI – PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER ON MEDIA AND PUBLICITY

Dear Dr Abati,
   
    I trust that this letter meets you and yours well. Let me start by commiserating with you on the recent transition of your beloved mother.  May the good Lord rest her soul and comfort you and everyone that she left behind.

 Celebrating our future

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre

May 27 is Children’s Day in Nigeria. It is a special day set aside to celebrate and honour our children as well as draw attention to issues affecting them. It is a day to consider who they are and the warmth they bring into our lives. Children’s day is a public day and a fun day off from school.

 

"Attack Dog" Okupe Vs "Liar" Mohammed in the art of political spokesmanship

By Niran Adedokun

As a student of the art of communications, I am fascinated by the endless exchange between Dr. Doyin Okupe and Alhaji Lai Mohmamed.

         

 

Readers react to Saka's "I don port" MTN TVC

           

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre

Welcome to a brand new week. On behalf of the team at The Communicat, I hereby apologise to our esteemed readers and loyal followers of our blog who were unable to share their thoughts with us, owing to systemic issues.

Mobile Number Portability in Nigeria: Matters Arising

 By Atim Nkese Nkpubre


Watchers of the Nigerian telecommunications industry would agree that things haven’t quite been the same since Monday, 22nd April 2013, when
 Nigeria joined other top countries of the world in implementing the Mobile Number Portability (MNP)  regime, albeit, amid recurring challenges in service quality.  

Creative advertising Vs Product credibility as “Saka ports”

By Niran Adedokun


I might be treading on rather controversial paths this week, but then I think that is only part of life? Controversy does provide some spice and I think one should get worried when people agree with one all of the time. So let us try our hands on something that might be controversial this week.

Up, Close and Personal with the “Supreme Commander”

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre


I am passionately curious about a few things, people, places and events. As a student of culture, the politics of North Korea has never ceased to amaze me.
At 28, 29 or perhaps, 30 years of age, Kim Jong-Un, the Supreme Commander of North Korea, is the world’s youngest head of state! No one else outside of the secretive conclave seems to know his true birth detail. His birthday is variously given as January 8, 1982, 83 or 84.

Journalism and the lot of tokenism

By Niran Adedokun

Writing about journalism in Nigeria is an emotional point for me. As my first love and the profession that took the first ten years of my career trajectory, I miss journalism sorely.

“More” as the new slogan for advertising campaigns

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre

  

Today’s world has become a global village where events happening in one continent are beamed “live” via the television and other media channels to different homes in other continents.

Poor Customer Service is Bad Public Relations

"There is only one boss: the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.” Sam Walton

By Niran Adedokun

Whoever came up with the saying “customer is king” could not have had Nigeria in mind. Here, the customer is anything but King. He ends up with the short end of the stick at every turn.

Cheering news from the NCC

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre

Nigerians received with mixed feelings the news from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) about the composite GSM subscriber figure in the country. At a send-forth dinner for former NCC board members in Abuja penultimate Saturday, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC , Dr. Eugene Juwah, gave the number of subscribers in Nigeria as over 113 million with an investment profile currently standing at about a whooping $25 billion! Nigeria has, indeed, witnessed a huge advancement in the telecommunications sector.

Airtel Unveils New Advertising Campaign in Nigeria

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre

• Celebrates Robust Network Coverage across Country

• Reassures Nigerians of Reliable, Fast 3.75G Internet Coverage

Lagos, Nigeria; Tuesday, March 19th, 2013: In demonstration of its robust and extensive network coverage across the country, Airtel Nigeria has unveiled a new campaign to capture its numerous corporate milestones and emphasize its readiness to take advantage of the huge benefits of the soon-to-begin Mobile Number Portability (MNP).

Knorr and Sweet Mother’s Day Menu

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre
My eight-year old daughter came home from school penultimate Wednesday with two miniature samples of Knorr seasoning mix for soup and stew, respectively. She said representatives of Unilever Nigeria had visited their school and distributed the packs to the pupils to take home to their mothers. Typical of kids, she didn’t leave my room that evening until she had extracted a promise from me to use her secret ingredients to cook for her as soon as I could.
The note that accompanied the gift read “Sweet Mother’s Day Menu.” And from the wordings of the love letter from Knorr, I reckoned the samples were meant to reach the recipients before Mother’s Day, but that couldn’t be achieved city-wide owing to the sheer logistics of covering a mega metropolis like Lagos. I got my

Pope Francis as a metaphor for changing times in the Roman Catholic Church

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre

The emergence of Pope Francis as the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church has ended the debate about who would become the new Bishop of Rome, as the Pope is known, following the retirement of Pope Benedict, who left the papacy last month, to begin the first papal retirement in 600 years. Interesting times of drastic changes are here.

Pray, what is Dana Air's current status

I received the above message from Dana Air last week.
Expectedly, a lot has happened to Dana Air and Nigerians generally, since the tragic incident of June 3, 2012, when a Dana flight from Abuja crashed in a residential area in the Iju-Ishaga neighbourhood of Lagos. The crash, believed to have been caused by dual engine failure, resulted in the deaths of all 153 people on board as well as about 10 deaths on the ground.

 Americans and (dog) citizenship diplomacy

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre
A few weeks back, George W. Bush, former President of the United States of America from 2001 -2009 and his wife, Laura, released an emotional statement to announce the demise of their famous 12 year-old dog, Barney, who had lost the battle to lymphatic cancer. Poor thing!

Atiku’s Enduring Public Relations Structure

By ‘Niran Adedokun

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is an interesting personality. I may not fancy his brand of politics but any discerning person would agree there is something intriguing, trusty and almost compelling about the Turaki Adamawa. Love him or hate him, you cannot easily ignore this enigma.

International Women’s Day: Celebrating the Nigerian Woman!

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre
The eighth (8^th) day of March is marked the world over as the International Women’s Day. Women’s Day is held every year to celebrate the achievements of women throughout history and across nations.

Changing perceptions through Entertainment 

By ‘Niran Adedokun
“A country is made not by policy alone, but by its music, it entertainment shows, all of it" Gleen Beck

I learnt the other day that the rating of the Nigeria’s national team, the Super Eagles, went twenty places up as  a result of the team’s African Nations Cup victory.

Sharing Nigeria’s soccer glory

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre

“The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” Vidal Sasson.

When British born hair-care magnate, businessman and philanthropist, Vidal Sasson, uttered these words of wisdom, he, certainly, was not thinking about the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles, but the saying of the man whose forward-thinking techniques and innovative style revolutionised the hair industry,

First Bank of Nigeria and its luxurious lounges

By Atim Nkese Nkpubre
Keen observers of the Nigerian marketing communication terrain would remember the blitz that heralded First Bank’s 100th anniversary in 1994. The historic occasion had provided a great opportunity for the hitherto conservative financial powerhouse to reinvent itself, as it were, re-launching with a blast into the consciousness of Nigerians.

POLICS AND PUBLIC RELATION :My perspective

By ‘Niran Adedokun

Barack Obama, the 44th and first black President of the United States of America is a unique personality. Unlike a few that have occupied the exalted office, Obama is one person who is admired by friends and foes alike. Even people who openly disagree with this man find it difficult not to love him. Such is the level of admiration that the husband of Michelle tends to draw from people.