The National Commissioner, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, said this in Abuja on Friday at Training for DevsInGovernment which had as its them, “Innovating with Privacy: Building Trust in Government Digital Services.”

The U.S.-based company are the operators of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Threads.

The government through the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, recently imposed a $220 million fine on Meta for data breaches.

“We are not necessarily being punitive. However, any institution that fails to cooperate or comply with our laws will be sanctioned,” Olatunji said.

READ ALSO: Excitement in Ibadan as Ladoja is set to be crowned 44th Olubadan

The initiative is meant to equip workers of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, of government with digital knowledge and skills.

Olatunji said the probe of Meta Platforms Inc. required multi-agency approach to ensure a thorough and detailed investigation with appropriate mechanisms to resolve the issues.

“We are concerned about the ways and manners in which data of citizens are collected and managed in Nigeria and outside Nigeria.

“In so doing, we also consider the economic values for the citizens and the country and we want the global best standards and practices to be entrenched here.

“We are not necessarily being punitive. However, any institution that fails to cooperate or comply with our laws will be sanctioned,” he said.

He said given the sensitive nature of data in governance and businesses, the federal government would do everything legally necessary to sanitise the area.

“The future of government is digital, but the success of digital governance will depend on one thing above all. Trust and privacy is the foundation of that trust.

“Deploying trusted digital services is not a task for government alone it requires all of us across public and private sectors, civil societies and citizens working together.

“Together we can build a citizen-centric, innovative digital nation that others will look to as a model of trust and progress,” he said.

Source: NAN

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A Looming Digital Blackout—How Will Nigerians Respond?

Nigeria is facing a potential digital crisis as Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, considers pulling out of the country due to a $290 million regulatory fine. If this happens, millions of Nigerians especially small businesses, content creators, and activists could lose access to platforms that have become essential for communication, commerce, and social engagement.

The possibility of a social media shutdown raises urgent questions: How will Nigerians respond? Will this spark public outrage, protests, or alternative digital solutions? The last time Nigeria banned Twitter in 2021, it led to international backlash, economic losses, and strained diplomatic relations. Are we heading down the same path again?

The Digital Blackout Must Be Part of the Conversation

Beyond the regulatory dispute, the bigger issue is the unintended consequences of shutting down major social media platforms. Nigeria is a country where digital access fuels entrepreneurship, activism, and global connectivity. A forced exit by Meta could lead to:

Loss of digital jobs for influencers, marketers, and online vendors.

Reduced global visibility for Nigerian businesses and creatives.

Weakened political discourse and activism, limiting free speech.

Diaspora disconnect, making it harder for Nigerians abroad to engage with homegrown businesses and communities.

READ ALSO: Much ado about Utomi’s shadow government

Lessons from Failed Social Media Platforms in Nigeria

Nigeria has seen failed social media platforms attempt to replace global giants. For example, Crowwe, a Nigerian-made app launched as an alternative to Twitter, struggled due to low adoption, poor user experience, and lack of trust. This raises a critical question: Can Nigeria realistically replace Facebook and Instagram with local alternatives?

The $290M Fine Justified or Negotiable?

The Nigerian government imposed the $290 million fine on Meta for alleged data privacy violations, anti-competitive practices, and unauthorized advertising. While regulation is necessary, the harsh penalties and strict demands could push Meta to exit rather than comply.

Nigeria must balance regulation with digital access. While data protection and fair competition are crucial, the government must avoid policies that harm businesses and citizens.

Is there room for negotiation? Could Nigeria and Meta reach a middle ground that ensures data protection without crippling digital access? Other countries have negotiated settlements with tech giants. Nigeria must consider dialogue over confrontation.

The USA vs. Meta: If America Can’t Win, What’s Nigeria’s Hope?

The United States has taken Meta to court multiple times over data breaches and privacy violations, yet securing a decisive victory has been difficult. If a global superpower struggles to hold Meta accountable, what are Nigeria’s chances?

This raises concerns about whether Nigeria’s regulatory approach is effective or if it risks alienating tech giants without achieving meaningful change.

Will WhatsApp Be Affected?

Meta owns WhatsApp, which is deeply embedded in Nigeria’s communication and business ecosystem. If Meta pulls out, will WhatsApp also be affected? While WhatsApp operates differently from Facebook and Instagram, a full-scale withdrawal could disrupt business transactions, customer service, and personal communication.

Social Media as Nigeria’s Digital Marketplace

Beyond entertainment, Facebook and Instagram have become Nigeria’s digital marketplace. Entrepreneurs, vendors, and service providers rely on these platforms for:

Marketing and sales

Customer engagement

Networking and brand visibility

A shutdown would cripple e-commerce, forcing businesses to seek alternatives that may not offer the same reach or efficiency.

Demanding Digital Rights: What’s the Way Forward?

Whatever the regulatory justification, Nigerians must demand transparency and fair digital policies. The government must:

Clarify the reasons behind the fine and ensure it aligns with global standards.

Engage in open discussions with Meta to find a workable solution.

Protect digital access for businesses, creators, and everyday users.

Unintended Consequences: A Risk Nigeria Can’t Ignore

Shutting out Meta could lead to economic losses, reduced global influence, and weakened digital innovation. Nigeria is already facing international scrutiny over the arrest of Binance executives, which has damaged investor confidence. A Meta exit could further strain Nigeria’s global reputation.

A Call for Equity and Fairness

Nigeria must balance regulation with digital access. While data protection and fair competition are crucial, the government must avoid policies that harm businesses and citizens. The solution lies in dialogue, transparency, and a commitment to digital rights before Nigeria faces another international fallout like the Twitter ban.

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The company joins other major U.S. tech firms in announcing significant spending to leverage advancements in artificial intelligence.

Meta plans to develop a massive data centre with a capacity of more than two gigawatts, capable of spanning a significant area of Manhattan.

READ ALSO: Police arrest ‘fake’ pastors with fetish items in Rivers

Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg anticipates that Meta’s AI assistant, integrated across platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, will reach more than one billion users in 2025.

Meta’s projected capital expenditure of up to 65 billion dollars represents a substantial increase compared to its estimated spending of 38 billion dollars to 40 billion dollars in the previous year.

Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post that, “This will be a defining year for AI.”

Source: dpa/NAN

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Zukerberg makes huge amount of money from the three media platforms through advertisements, and he gives back part of the money to those with large followers who create content that get people entertained on those platforms, but to earn the money, the content must be original and it must appeal to a wide audience.

Some Nigerians, especially the youths, are making huge sums of money creating contents on several social media platforms. But since the July 1st monetization of content on Facebook, the desperation to get a chunk of the Megabox is now driving many desperate skit makers and content creators to do the unthinkable.

Just last week, a short video posted on Facebook went viral after a woman, later identified as Favour Igiebor, tore what looked like the International Passport of her husband upon their return to Nigeria from Italy. Many Nigerians were shocked that a woman could go to such an extent to embarrass her husband publicly and they called for her arrest. Many rightly believed that the passport she tore was a government property.

Following so much noise from many angry Nigerians, the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Mrs. Kemi Nandap, was forced to issue a statement, assuring members of the public that the matter would be investigated. According to the statement: “The individual has been identified and invited for further investigation. If the allegations are substantiated, her actions would have constituted a breach of Section 10(b) of the Immigration Act 2015 (as amended), with corresponding penalties outlined under Section 10(h) of the same Act.”

Within 24 hours, Igiebor was arrested and flown to Abuja. But the husband came out immediately the wife was picked up to inform Nigerians that the Airport drama was a skit and that his passport was intact. The whole idea was conceived by the family as a skit through which they believed that they would trend and thereby, increase their followership on Facebook and earn money from Zukerberg.

Skit-making, content creation, and playing pranks on others to make people laugh or gain viewership have become the new oil-well for Nigerian youths where they make as much as millions of Naira every month. Even before Facebook approved the monitisation policy for Nigerian and Ghanaian skit makers in July, other social platforms such as Tiktok, Instagram and YouTube have been money spinners for most of our youths who are into the trade.

In its report titled: ‘Skit Economy: An Assessment of Digital Content Creators in Nigeria’, the African Polling Institute (API) submitted that skits were useful in creating awareness about social trends. While 83 per cent of respondents identified the role of skits in correcting societal ills, 90 per cent acknowledged the potential of skits for employment generation in Nigeria.

One of the most popular skit makers in the country, Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Ejekiru, popularly known as Mr. Sabinus, admitted that making money on social media had gone beyond Instagram and Facebook platforms and has become a money spinner for him and several others. “Right now, I can boldly say TikTok is pulling it much more than Instagram. We have a YouTube audience, too. Instagram is just the main platform, because you get to meet the audience there, but there’s a massive audience on Facebook.” Little wonder, it’s bursting at the seams at the moment. Creating content, he added, has become so lucrative on YouTube that content creators now earn roughly N15 to N20 million every month.

Sabinus’ revelation seems to be a timely answer to those investigating the opulent lifestyles of Nigerian skit comedians. Painting a broader picture, he said: “Facebook is the only one that is even monetised, not even Instagram. And YouTube is monetised. So, if Instagram is no longer available, I still have Facebook, which will pay me, and YouTube, which will also pay me. So, content creation is right now for me, a career. It’s helped so many people.”

First gaining prominence in 2015, skit-makers have continued to boom, with unprecedented collaboration between actors, comedians and those in the entertainment industry.

With the creative economy increasingly contributing to the Gross Domestic Product of the country, as multiple reports and statistics attest, the Nigerian skit-making industry is not only flourishing, but redefining the landscape of entertainment.

The COVID-19 pandemic served as a catalyst for the exponential growth and attention garnered by Nigerian skit-makers as the total lockdown necessitated innovative forms of entertainment. Skit-makers seized the opportunity, devising new ways to captivate audiences through collaborations that featured prominent actors and musicians.

According to Dataleum, a global talent accelerator, skit-making ranks as the third-largest entertainment industry in Nigeria, with a net worth surpassing ₦50 billion ($31.2 million). The industry now doubles as a source of amusement and a substantial source of employment. As noted by the Africa Polling Institute (API); 90% of Nigerians polled viewed comedy skits as a viable means of employment, highlighting the industry’s socio-economic impact.

Shortly before he left office, former Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, said Nigeria’s creative industry was positioned as the second largest employer with a potential to produce 2.7 million new jobs by 2025. He said: “After agricultural, the creative sector is the second largest employer of labour in Nigeria today.”

Worldwide, the creative economy is estimated to be worth $985 billion with no signs of slowing down. G20 Insights has predicted that the creative economy could account for 10% of global GDP by 2030, and Deloitte hinted that up to 40 per cent growth in creative sectors would be witnessed by 2030.

READ ALSO: Sustain #SmokeFreeNollywood, CAPPA urges film industry

In a bid to earn big, many upcoming skit makers in Nigeria are now creating skits, content and pranks that are dangerous to themselves and to fellow Nigerians. In the process of making a short skit, a young skit maker known as Churchill lost his life while filming a stunt as part of a video content for his fans in January. Churchill, who was still a student of Nasarawa State University, ended up slamming his head on the ground, which eventually led to his death.

If Igiebor is eventually taught a lesson by the Immigration, whether what she tore was the original passport of her husband or not, other skit makers would develop brain on the kind of skits and contents they can post on social media.

Barely a week after Churchill’s accident, two young ladies also reportedly drowned while filming a skit in Delta State. The unfortunate incident occurred on Saturday, January 20th, when the two girls decided to visit a river in Second Amekpa, Ekiugbo-Ughelli community in  Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state to perform and record a stunt which they intended to upload on social media. The last word that was heard from one of the ladies before gesturing to her friend to join her in the river was “My daughter, come, come, come, let me initiate you. Mami water, I say come.” Her friend later joined her in the water and that was the last time they were seen as they were swept away by the water’s current. The footage was recorded and later posted on Instagram by one of their friends known as Goodluck. The corpse of the two ladies were recovered few days later.

Skit-makers and pranksters, if they are not endangering their own life for show, are putting the life of their fellow citizens at great risk. In June last year, a popular Ibadan-based skit maker, Abdullahi Adisa, popularly known as Trinity Guy, released a skit video in which he pranked unsuspecting people. In one of the videos, Adisa could be seen begging an unseen person not to kill him as passersby approached. As the passersby got close enough, the prankster’s pleas were followed by sounds of gunshots, which made him fall to the ground, playing dead. This frightened some passersby and forced them to flee in different directions, with some even tripping and falling on one another. In another scene of the same video, Adisa was seen running to a woman in an uncompleted building to take shelter, claiming a group of bad people were after his life. Another scene showed where he stood before a stranger and asked for his manhood, the confused man ran for his dear life before he started shouting for help. Adisa was seen continuously harassing the man by running after him and threatening to shoot him. He met his waterloo when he recorded an inappropriate video with a young girl which led to him being arrested and detained by the police.

Another 19-year-old Lagos-based comedian, Eyinatayo Iluyomade was arrested and charged to court for playing a prank on innocent Nigerians. The skit maker had dropped a threat note of his intention to rob a bank in Ondo town, on August 12, 2022. In the note, he wrote, ‘We are coming to rob, and there’s nothing your police can do’. That was a mad move, considering the insecurity situation in Nigeria and Ondo State as at that time. On the day he and his ‘gang’ threatened to strike in Ondo, not a single Bank opened for business. Prank or no prank, he was arrested by the police and charged to court.

In a bid to make money through skit-making, many of those in the trade have thrown caution to the winds all in an effort to get a chunk of Zukerberg’s money. From the sublime to the ridiculous, many of the skit makers now openly reveal their private parts, daring to be bold and reckless in their actions to qualify for a piece of the Zukerberg’s pie. Consequently, “challenges” began popping up on TikTok. These were wild stunts performed by users and when these videos went viral, they prompted other users to follow suit. Many have died while doing those stunts.

One of the earliest stunt challenges to appear on the app was known as the ‘milk crate challenge’, which involved people stacking crates as high as they could and trying to climb on them without falling. Of course many fell, losing limbs in the process.

The Police have on several occasions warned skit-makers to be mindful of the kind of contents that they post on social media. Muyiwa Adejobi, the Force Spokesperson, said that the Force would continue to encourage positive creativity amongst the youthful populace but urged content creators to use social media responsibly and in a positive manner.

That should be one of the major challenges facing Michael Nwabufo, also known as Mike Premium, who was recently elected President of The Practitioners of Content Creation, Skit Making, and Influencers’ Guild Of Nigeria.

The Association should, as a matter of urgency, get most of the skit makers and content creators on board and organise seminars and peer-review their activities so that dangerous skits and contents won’t find their way to the social media space.

If they fail to review the activities of their members, the National Film and Video Censures Board may have to be more proactive in ensuring that skits and contents that could promote violence, rubbish the image of the country, or pose a danger to people never find their way to our social media space. If Igiebor is eventually taught a lesson by the Immigration, whether what she tore was the original passport of her husband or not, other skit makers would develop brain on the kind of skits and contents they can post on social media.

Indeed, the desperation for Zukerberg’s money is real.

See you next week.

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The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at a meeting with a team from Facebook.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Mr. Segun Adeyemi, the minister said having been proscribed and classified as a terrorist group, it was improper for  Facebook to continue to allow IPOB to use its platforms to carry out activities capable of destabilising the country.

Said Mohammed: “I have called this meeting to enable us to discuss the increasing use of Facebook by separatists and anarchists, especially those of them based outside the country, to instigate violence and ethnic hatred in Nigeria.

“For whatever reason, they seem to have now chosen Facebook as their platform of choice. And their tools include disinformation, incendiary statements and hate speech. They use Facebook broadcasts to reach their followers, who are in the thousands. They tag those opposed to their violent ways as ‘saboteurs’ who must be attacked, maimed and killed. They use both English and their local language as it suits them.”

He added: “By purveying hate and inciting violence, people are getting killed while the private and public property is being attacked and destroyed. Security agencies and other symbols of government are their choice targets.”

The minister said  although there had been some complaints by the government on the use of Facebook by the proscribed group, nothing appeared to have been done.

“Our social media people have been monitoring these separatists, anarchists and purveyors of hate, and have been reporting their atrocious actions to Facebook, but all they get are default responses that their complaints have been received and are being looked into.

“Most often than not, nothing is done about such complaints… The truth is that whatever Facebook is doing to check these people is mere tokenism and is totally ineffective,” he said.

He added: “We have always advocated responsible use of social media, and consistently called on all stakeholders to join us in achieving this. Some have tagged our efforts as an attempt to stifle social media. They are wrong because we have no intention of preventing Nigerians from using social media responsibly. All we have been advocating is a responsible use of social media.”

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The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed disclosed this in Cairo at a meeting with his counterpart, Egypt Minister of Communication and Information Technology, Dr Amir Talaat.

The meeting was on the sidelines of a bilateral discussion with Africa Export Import Bank (Afreximbank) on how Nigeria can access funding to support its growing creative industry.

Mohammed had led some private sector stakeholders involved in Digital Switch Over, DSO, to Afreximbank to assist them on how they can source fund to complete the wholly private sector financially driven project.

In his interaction with Talaat, the minister disclosed that Nigeria was amending its National Broadcasting Act and  Broadcasting Code to ensure that all online platforms operating in the country must comply with stipulated conditions.

Mohammed said the decision was borne out of the recent development on suspension of Twitter operations in the country and the agreement reached before the suspension was lifted.

“The beauty of the engagement with Twitter is immense.

“Whatever applies to twitter will apply to all other social media platforms, be it WhatsApp, Facebook or any other.

“That is why we will be having a retreat to amend  the NBC Act and the NBC Code to incorporate these new gains we made with the engagement with twitter,’’ he said.

On the agreement reached with twitter which the minister said would be applicable to other online platforms, he said the micro blogging site had agreed to open the Nigerian office within the first quarter of 2022.

He said twitter agreed to appoint a designated country representative within one month of lifting its suspension while its global policy team would also be available to engage directly with the government

The minister said Twitter agreed to meet all regulatory demands, including Companies and Allied Matters Act, Nigeria Communication Commission laws and rules and National Broadcasting Commission Code.

“Twitter has agreed to comply to all payable taxes as they are operating under the Nigerian laws and this they agreed to do within one week of restoring their operations.

“Twitter agreed to immediately work with the Federal Government in the area of code of conduct which is in line with global best practices

“Twitter agreed to immediately enroll Nigerians in its Law Enforcement portals and Partners Support Portal.

“The law enforcement portal will provide dedicated channels for the Nigerian laws enforcement agencies to escalate reports on contents that violate the code of conduct or the national laws.

“Similarly, the partner support portal provides a direct channel for government to engage twitter staff to manage prohibited contents,’’ he said.

The minister explained to his counterpart that Twitter operation was not suspended in Nigerian because they wrote something about the president as being carried about in certain quarters.

He said the operation was suspended because Twitter had become the platform of choice for those who wanted to destabilise Nigeria and create disunity and heat up the polity.

“We met with a barrage of knocks, we were accused of running authoritarian government, trying to infringe on freedom of press, violating the constitution but we were sure in our mind of what we were doing.

“We were glad that after seven months of serious engagement with Twitter, we can say that what we achieved is what the suspension of the operations of Twitter was all about,” he said.

Also speaking, the Egyptian minister said his country had similar challenges in the area of dissemination of policies and programmes of government.

He said he was a recent victim of fake news report which was very devastating to him.

To combat the menace, he said a department was established in the office of the Prime Minister where they monitor on hourly basis what kind of fake news was being cooked up.

He said government would immediately react to such news by giving the truthful perspective to the issue.

Source: NAN

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The Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management (ECSM), NCC, Adeleke Adewolu, stated this when he spoke at a panel session at the 2021 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association held in Port Harcourt.

The general theme of the conference is, ‘Taking the Lead’.

Adewolu, who made the declaration in a panel discussion focused on Government Regulation of Innovation and Technology, said, “In specific terms, we are taking action in the following areas: We are adjusting regulatory instruments and management tools to ensure regulations are fit for the future. An example is our ongoing review of the Telephone Subscriber Registration Regulations to strengthen the framework for digital identity; and the review of the Spectrum Trading Guidelines to ensure more efficient use of spectrum.”

Also, the ECSM said NCC was laying institutional foundations to enable co-operation with other regulatory institutions and international organisations such as the International Telecommunications Union, ITU.

The Commission, according to Adewolu, was also developing and adapting governance frameworks to enable the development of agile and future-proof regulation; and equally adapting regulatory enforcement activities to the “new normal”.

He said that was to ensure alignment with the rapid technological changes and innovations that were emerging at a high speed and with sophistication.

On censorship, particularly tackling illegal and harmful content on over-the-top (OTT) platforms, Adeleke said NCC had to opt for “a middle ground that promotes safe use of digital service platforms without necessarily stifling the exercise of the citizen’s right to free expression as guaranteed in the Nigerian Constitution.”

He explained that on technology platforms, censorship manifests in three scenarios, namely, restriction of person-to-person communications; restriction of Internet access generally; or restriction of access to specific content, which governments find objectionable.

That, he said, was pursuant to constitutional provisions such as those in Section 39(3) of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution, as amended, which approves “any law that is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society to prevent the disclosure of information received in confidence, maintaining the authority and independence of courts or regulating telephony, wireless broadcasting, television or the exhibition of cinematograph films.”

In particular, Adewolu declared that the third scenario was globally recognised as the ideal situation because one of the core responsibilities of government (as enshrined in Chapter 2 of the Nigerian Constitution) was to safeguard the lives and property of citizens.

Explicating further, Adewolu said that social media platforms allowed instant communications without regard for impact or consequences.

He insisted that self-regulation was possible, but “as we have experienced over and over again, an ill-considered post on social media can easily incite unrest and crises.”

He bemoaned the fact that leading social media platforms had demonstrated a rather unfortunate reluctance to moderate the use of their platforms for subversion and harm.

“So, we cannot trust them to self-regulate,” he emphasised.

According to him, self-regulation has not been very effective, and interestingly, “the largest platforms are global platforms and many of them are protected by their home governments.”

For instance, “Sc.230 of US Communications Act provides immunity to firms like Facebook and Google from responsibility for content disseminated on their media, although they still apply fair usage and community rules which enables them to self-regulate. However, as we saw with the case of the former US President Donald Trump – people are often able to disseminate negative content for a while before they are cut off. Mr Trump had over 87 million followers he engaged directly with,” the ECSM stated.

Another example he cited happened just few days ago when CNN reported that Facebook deliberately failed to curb posts inciting violence in Ethiopia despite the fact that its own staff flagged such posts, and that Ethiopia was listed as a high-priority zone, which had been fighting a civil war for the past one year.

As Adewolu recalled, the UN Secretary General recently called for the regulation of social media platforms, and even the CEO of Facebook had made similar calls in the past.

“So, we cannot wholly depend on self-regulation. And whilst we cannot prevent citizens from freely expressing themselves on these platforms, it would be irresponsible for any government to allow unbridled use of these mediated communication to cause chaos and imperil lives and property. Government must act to protect social cohesion and national security,” he counselled.

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The founder and chief executive officer of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, made this known on Thursday in a statement.

According to him, the change was to reflect “who we are and the future we hope to build.”

Said he: “I’m proud to share that our company is now Meta.”

He stated further: “Our mission remains the same — it’s still about bringing people together. Our apps and their brands aren’t changing either. We’re still the company that designs technology around people.

“But all of our products, including our apps, now share a new vision: to help bring the metaverse to life. And now we have a name that reflects the breadth of what we do.

“From now on, we will be metaverse-first, not Facebook-first. That means that over time you won’t need a Facebook account to use our other services. As our new brand starts showing up in our products, I hope people around the world come to know the Meta brand and the future we stand for.”

Speaking about what to expect, Zuckerberg stated: “In this future, you will be able to teleport instantly as a hologram to be at the office without a commute, at a concert with friends, or in your parents’ living room to catch up

“This will open up more opportunities no matter where you live. You’ll be able to spend more time on what matters to you, cut downtime in traffic, and reduce your carbon footprint.”

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For fashionistas, stylebooks describe how to clothe a public figure for different occasions. It will list colour combinations, fabrics, shoes and accessories. By extension, a stylebook for a newspaper house would contain its standardised usage conventions for how to write. It would usually include which dictionary should be taken as definitive for spelling. The stylebook would describe the accepted style of writing. It would include sentence structures, headline, spellings and capitalisation rules. It would also have font types and ethics.

As a guide, it is used by editors, reporters and writers etc. In the publishing world, the first stylebook was published in 1909 by Associated Press. It was called The Associated Press Rules Regulations and General Orders. Now, in its 55th edition, the classic, practical spiral-bound is published every other year. The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law has more than 200 new or revised entries. It contains chapters on data journalism. It covers business, religion and sports terms.

My opinion is that the technology companies and the banks should take the customers more seriously. This would assist Facebook, Fintech firms, banks and others in the ecosystem to communicate clearly with the end-users.

Stylebooks would help the readers to understand the message. Set the tone of the organisation. Avoid mistakes. Prevent unwittingly offensive or insulting language. Eliminate buzzwords. Cut down the work for editors and proof-readers. The stylebook guides the organisation on how to present itself. It may also list its logo and other symbols that represent its values and ethos. This is done to ensure the brand images are used consistently. Clearly, the stylebooks are usually produced for internal consumption. So, it may not be accessible to the public. Is this Fintech?

Aha, come with me. Please. We will get there together. Just some background information.

Can I infer that you also have a stylebook that guides how you write this column?

Aha, you have looked into your crystal ball!

Please, don’t change the subject matter. Is this Fintech or branding? To calm your nerves, it is soft technology.

What is soft technology?

Soon, you would know.

Recently, millions of people all over the world could not access Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp apps. The outage lasted for more than six hours. It portrayed the world’s reliance on the platforms owned by one Silicon Valley giant. In a 249-word statement, Santosh Janardhan, Facebook’s vice president of infrastructure, tied the interruption to some configuration changes on the backbone routers that coordinate network traffic between Facebook and its data centres. These changes, Janardhan said, caused issues that interrupted Facebook communication. Because of this shutdown, Facebook’s 2.89 billion users were shut out.

On the flip side, MTN Nigeria equally experienced a shutdown recently. MTN subscribers witnessed hours of network disruption. This was caused by an outage that left subscribers without a connection. To calm its subscribers’ nerves, MTN announced compensation for its subscribers to make up for the network disruptions. Beyond extending time-bound subscriptions for its customers, MTN gave a refund. The refund covers the data and airtime that the customers used between 12pm and 7pm on October 16, 2021. In addition to this, MTN issued a 406-word press statement.

To win the hearts of the 65 million subscribers, MTN CEO, Karl Toriola, made a YouTube video. He apologised in the video. He sent the video to each of the 65 million subscribers. In the video, Toriola said, “On behalf of the entire MTN team, I want to start with a heartfelt apology. We are truly sorry for the disruption this caused for so many in our MTN family. We know that millions of people rely on us to stay connected to their loved ones, to manage their businesses, to coordinate their lives. We take that responsibility, and privilege, very seriously.”

Dayo Adefila, Head of Digital Strategy PZ Cussons (Africa region), while writing on his LinkedIn page, said the apology from MTN CEO was so shocking to some people. “Because they thought it was an attempt by hackers to lure them to click a phishing link”. According to Adefila, the response from MTN is the new reality of corporate organisations. Organisations need to pay greater attention to customers when there is a service outage. “Customer experience quality should be closely watched by everyone from operatives to the C-Suite and even the board! Corporate organisations need to demonstrate accountability to the customer. We have to do more. We have to do more in order to continually earn the trust of our customers,” he said.

Is this a soft technology?

Yes. Because there are millions of Fintech start-ups that earn their living on the MTN MoMo and Facebook platforms.

With over 2.89 billion monthly active users, Facebook needs the MTN Stylebook. Because this may not be the last outage.

Okay. But which one is momo again?

I cannot go into details here. That is not the focus of this discourse.

Okay, you have dribbled me there, Neymar! I will tackle you next time.

Aha, it is not a dribble.

Ok, it is what? Focus, please.

You see, in a world where denial and buck-passing is the trend, MTN has shown character. Facebook should read the MTN Stylebook. Other Fintech firms and the banks should read the MTN Stylebook also.

Are you saying all of them should start shooting apology videos?

No, Big Mummy!

Ok, what is your point, Neymar?

My opinion is that the technology companies and the banks should take the customers more seriously. This would assist Facebook, Fintech firms, banks and others in the ecosystem to communicate clearly with the end-users. It will help them to show empathy. To display clear leadership. To become more responsible.

With over 2.89 billion monthly active users, Facebook needs the MTN Stylebook. Because this may not be the last outage. Facebook would need the MTN Stylebook in the future.

Are you making a prediction or what?

No, ma.

I think you also need the MTN Stylebook.

What?

*Olaegbe (psalmsonolaegbe@gmail.com)

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The Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the DSS, Dr Peter Afunanya, who disclosed this in a disclaimer on Monday in Abuja, said that the service did not operate other social media platforms.

Afunanya said the disclaimer followed the creation of a Facebook group, SSS/DSS Recruitment 2019/2020 by one Jesustofunmi Nifemi Alabi to deceive gullible job hunters.

“This is to inform the public about the fraudulent activities of one Jesustofunmi Nifemi Alabi, who has created a Facebook group, SSS/DSS Recruitment 2019/2020 to deceive gullible job hunters.

“Alabi is the CEO/Chairman of Tunrok & Son Nigeria Limited and uses phone number 08112597703.

“The Service is not recruiting and does not own a Facebook account or operate other social media platforms,’’ he said.

Afunanya advised job seekers to make recruitment enquiries from the Service’s Headquarters, Abuja, its formations nationwide, or official website –www.dss.gov.ng.

Source: NAN

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