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Information is power. That is a truism. In realisation of this, it is expedient to take a cursory look at the advent of the internet and the upstaging of world governments just as in recent and ongoing wikileaks revelations. Even Nigeria was not spared from the wrath of Wikileaks. Information is now so easily accessible through the internet that anyone that is not in tune with recent events is considered outdated. One of the things that make Wikileaks and other foreign sites so popular and attractive on the internet is the fact that they always update their sites by the minute. The thing about websites
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is not just opening one but also updating it. People will always visit sites that have something new and interesting to show. The Nigerian government and its various agencies have websites that give information about their activities, objectives and other sundry information. But one thing that is easily noticeable is the fact that these sites are hardly updated. You log on to such sites and the content there could be two months old or more. This results in misinformation which could generate confusion and misunderstanding. Only recently, a leading national newspaper was threatened with a law suit by the ministry of transport because of a piece of information published by the newspaper. The information in question was sourced from the ministry’s website which had not been updated for sometime, there was no way to know that the information was stale and therefore no longer valid as at the time of publication.
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This is the usual outcome in a society that is not technologically proficient. The developed countries have turned the internet into their own media gold mine. They keep track of information posted on their websites and follow them up with prompt updates. Even Nigerians rely on foreign websites for the latest news and events in Nigeria. This is one of the things that differentiate the developed countries from the underdeveloped. The technological divide between them is as wide as can be imagined. A website is meant to be an avenue where anyone can log in to view the activities pertaining to that individual or organisation. It is presently an important form of social media, and in this age of ipads, blackberries and android phones, information is literally a finger touch away. The world changes by the minute, events are happening at every given point in time thus, any government that wants to stay ahead in this age should get its website updated as often as the event calls for it. The present administration has been able to utilise the internet to a certain extent, but there is still a long way to go. According to Mr Yinka Olaito, a foremost social media expert,
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“The government does not fully understand the essence and importance of online branding, online reputation and communication. The government and most of its officials are not educated on the impact of online branding”. In his opinion, people no longer make calls to get information but they would rather search the net before checking other sources and this is why the net is so much more important. During the recent commemoration of the 100 days anniversary, the minister of communication and technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, said that the ministry mandated to actualise a Nigerian digitised economy which would create a knowledgeable and informed society. She had said “This would give leverage and a competitive advantage to the country, as is evidenced in the telecommunications industry”. It goes to show, to some extent, that the president appreciates the power of the internet. H
is recent activities on Facebook are evidence of this. A committee, chaired by Professor Raymond Akwule, has been set up to develop a national ICT policy, this is to help utilise the internet to the advantage of the country. It is hoped that these recent efforts will not be another wild goose chase and that they will actualise these plans, as well as implement the policies, instead of just talking about it. Probably soon, the government websites would be up to date for the Nigerian public to be more aware of the happenings in government. ?For Olaito, the only way to move past the era of outdated websites is for the government to give more training to public relations officers in different ministries so they can properly harness the potentials. In his words “Nigeria has a lot of IT experts. It is up to the government to train its officials in technology so they can use it to the benefit of the society, as there is a lot to benefit from it”.
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The focus here is not to seek out who to blame for this technological drawback but to bring the situation to the awareness of the government, as one to be dealt with. Of course the country is going through a lot of strain in recent times. The bomb threats, natural disasters and corruption menace have become a threat to the stability of the country. These are some of the things that foreign media use to brand the country in negative light. But while all of this is going on, there are still so much good left in Nigeria. How can Nigerians in China or America, know what else goes on in the power sector or the agricultural industry of the country if the content of those sites are three months old or more. Even some Nigerians in the country are not aware of most happenings in government which is not supposed to be the case. If these websites were frequently updated, the likelihood of false information would be highly reduced. Most foreign media just pick out major events – mostly negative happenings from around the world, while using the internet to rebrand their country in positive perspective.
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According to Olaito, the internet is a string point for rebranding any country. Countries like the United States regulate and monitor the information on their websites hence it is a very good propaganda tool. The ministry of information is to collaborate with other governmental agencies to sensitise Nigerians on the various gains of the internet. There should be a deliberate emphasis on keeping a website active after opening it in the interest of the public. This is one of the ways to string positive rebranding. When the country recently launched its communication satellites, it was hoped that one of the benefits from it would be improved internet services, apparently that was not one of the purposes it was meant to serve. Every citizen of this country is entitled to correct information this right cannot be, if the government and its ?agencies leave their websites in their present redundant state. A misinformed country is a deformed one.