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Freedom of Expression: Do the Media have the Teeth to Bite?

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Author is: Aondover Eric Msughter

In Nigeria, apart from the executive, the judiciary, and the legislature, the media are regarded as the Fourth Estate of the Realm. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides freedom of expression as part of fundamental human rights. At the level of the African Union (AU), the right to freedom of information and freedom of expression is also recognized. The Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) equally guarantees the freedom of expression, specifically Section 39 of the Constitution which assigns a constitutional right, power, role, obligation, and duty to the press. Nigerian Constitutions since then have upheld this role. Section 22 of the same Constitution recognizes the media as the “Fourth Estate of the Realm”. It, therefore, means that the media oversees the government and its agencies, thereby keeping them on their toes.

Surprisingly, the watchdog of the society is in the chain, and the million-dollar question is, if the watchdog of the society is in a chain, how will it bite? In other words, the investigators are being investigated, or the guidance in Nigeria is being guided. The inference could be drawn from section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, subsection 3, which states that “nothing in this Constitution shall invalidate any law that is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society for the purpose of public safety, public morality, or public order”. Invariably, the right given to the media by the “right hand” in section 39, subsection 2 has been also taken away by the “left hand” in subsection 3 of the same Constitution.

The implication of sub-section 3 in section 39 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution is that journalists have no entitlements to any right in the Constitution that is not available to other citizens. For example, it is unethical for journalists to disclose the sources of their information. But it will amount to Contempt of Court in Nigeria for a journalist to withhold information from a judge that would enable him or her to deliver justice on a case forming the basis of a judicial inquiry. This is because journalists have no legal entitlements protecting them against anti-press provisions in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, unlike the US Constitution where journalists cannot be compelled by the judiciary to disclose the sources of their information.

Incidentally, the law of defamation, copyright, contempt of court, privacy, sedition, obscenity, among others also serve as an impediment to the practice of the journalistic profession in Nigeria. Assessing some of the comments and reactions I have read so far, these laws have removed the teeth of the watchdog on one hand, and on the other hand put the watchdog in a chain, which means that it can only bark but cannot bite.

In a democratic system, where the media can only bark, but cannot bite, it becomes difficult to achieve freedom of expression. However, in a democratic system where the watchdog is operating without much control, there is a tendency that the media will hold the government accountable to the people. No wonder, Jefferson’s preference for “newspaper without government” over “government without newspaper” appears apt in this context.

Thus, for the media to have absolute freedom of expression, there is a need to put on a thinking cap by all Nigerians to ensure that the media are given the mandate to operate without much restriction or interference. Again, the chain that is on the watchdog neck informs laws must be removed, so that it can be able to run or go after people. There is no doubt that today, the guidance is being guided in Nigeria, and this may take one to the question of who guides the guidance in Nigeria? This question should remain a thorn in everyone’s mind for now as it will be addressed in the next article.

 

Aondover Eric Msughter,

Department of Mass Communication,

Skyline University Nigeria

Msughter can be reached via: aondover.msughter@sun.edu.ng

 

 

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Bitrus Lawrence has been appointed as the Area Council Service Secretariat in the FCT

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Bitrus Lawrence has been appointed as the Area Council Service Secretariat in the FCT.

Poverty is mostly indegenous, we would tackle it from the root- Garki

…express readiness to collaborate with other Mandate Secretaries

The newly inaugurated Mandate Secretary Area Council Services of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Mr Bitrus Lawrence Garki has said that President Bola Tinubu led administration would tackle poverty from the root.

Mr Bitrus Lawrence Garki, stated this when he was reveived by the management staff of the Secretariat in his office after immediately after his inauguration by the Minister of FCT, His Excellency Nyesom Ezenwo Wike in Abuja on Tuesday.

Mr Lawrence Bitrus Garki who is the youngest Mandate Secretary ever appointed, noted that it is an opportunity to be appointed, adding that the office is for the entire Nigerian Youth.

According to the Mandate Secretary, the energy of the youth and wisdom of the elders are all that is needed to succeed as a Mandate Secretary, and sue for collective collaboration between every department of the Secretariat in order to achieve success collectively.

“This position aligns with my principle and concept of operation. I am a youth that listen to the advice of both young and old.

” As an indigenous person, poverty is most indigenous, and we have to deal with that. We have to bring excellence into the civil service.

“We need the energy of the youth and wisdom of elders to succeed. We must work collectively to achieve success in this office,” he said.

Expressing his heartfelt gratitude to His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, His Excellency Nyesom Wike, for his appointment as Mandate Secretary Area Council Services of the Federal Capital Territory Administration for the great task ahead, Garki assured Mr President, Bola, F.C.T Minister, and other Nigerians of his resolve to liaise and work collaboratively with other Secretariat, promising not to disappoint.

He explained that his appointment as a Mandate Secretary represents not only a fresh start but also a remarkable opportunity for progress as it signifies a commitment to harnessing the energy, creativity, and potential of youth.

“In this appointment, we see the recognition of the important role that young people play in shaping the destiny of our beloved country.”

“My appointment is a testament that President Bola Tinubu acknowledges the contributions of the youth, their aspirations, and their determination to build a better Nigeria.

“It is a recognition of the fact that when the youth are empowered and given the opportunity, they can be a force for positive change.

“This appointment is indeed a win for the youth, and it is a testament to the wisdom of our father President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in recognizing the need for intergenerational cooperation and youth inclusion in governance,” said Abuja.

Responding on behalf of the management staff, Director of Administration and Finance, Mrs Olanipekun, pledge the readiness of the staff of the Council to make the newly inaugurated Secretary a successful one and sought the support of other staff to make it work.

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Bootstrapping Your Business From the Ground Up

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Bootstrapping Your Business From the Ground Up

Author: Emmanuel Otori

The term “Bootstrapping” is derived from the phrase “to hoist oneself up”. It is a method of starting one’s own business utilizing one’s own resources.

A bootstrapped startup is a business that began and grew without the help of outside investors. Bootstrapping a  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/microsoft-project-management-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” business does not imply that the company will not seek outside funding. In fact, a bootstrapped firm could be self-funded or wholly funded by its founders and founding team. These businesses do not solely rely on outside  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/data-visualization-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” investors such as venture capitalists to support them. Bootstrapped businesses are usually slower than funded  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/digital-marketing-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” businesses because they often start and scale without the intervention of investors.

Process of Bootstrapping

Customers/audience – are usually the hope of bootstrapping businesses as they seek to provide services and sales to the  HYPERLINK “http://www.abujadataschool.com/courses/” customers Businesses offer quality and services of value to establish a customer base.

Organic growth – customers are used as a way to grow the business as hinted earlier. Its growth does not have to be fast as It is more focused on bringing customers into contact with the business rather than acquiring  HYPERLINK “http://www.abujadataschool.com/” capital from venture capitalists.

Cash flow – the cash spent and received in the period of operation makes its cash flow. Future investors can look at the books of its cash flow to have a glimpse into the business history.

Reinvesting in the business – revenue generated in the course of running the business is ploughed back to generate more for  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/quickbooks-and-sage-50-accounting-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” growth and expansion purposes.

Viable business model – at this point, the business takes a structure that is realistic, feasible and solid worthy of investing in.

Improved customer base – loyalty is earned when the customers can rely on the  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/geographic-information-system-training-in-abuja/” business, hence, growth kicks off.

Sustainable ways of Bootstrapping

Debt and owner financing – putting your own money into the  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/cloud-computing-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” company.

Sweat equity – putting a significant amount of effort yourself rather than employing people to run the operations. It is not sustainable in the long run, but a good approach to raising your business from the ground up to make some headway.

Cost management – Bringing your  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/ui-ux-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” operating expenses to a bare minimum.

Income-based financing – earning early revenue through the sale of services and products, the cashflow can be used to fund the business continually.

Pros and Cons of Bootstrapping

Pros

Flexibility – this cannot be over emphasized as founders have the liberty to carry out business  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/website-design-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” operations in ways and manners that suit the process of growing it. This means being able to adjust swiftly to new situations as they emerge. Business owners can adjust their strategies to negotiate or overcome unexpected challenges.

Growth mechanism – Bootstrapped  HYPERLINK “https://www.msmehub.org/tips-and-tricks-of-choosing-a-business-name/” businesses take the risk of growing from scratch without money being pumped into it. Such businesses solidify if it thrives through the hurdles of raising from the ground up.

Business perception – Customers, revenue and profit are the main focus to keep the business going rather than scalability. In as much as Bootstrapped businesses want to scale, usually the founders concentrate on unit economics, considering the company’s revenue and profitability. Profits are what will allow the  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/administrative-management-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” company to grow and scale, especially because it is a self-funded venture. A bootstrapped business will be more successful and long-lasting in the long run unlike funded startups as they are more concerned with rapidly accelerating their businesses and expanding at 5 to 10x pace than with profit or a long-term business strategy.

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Business control – Bootstrapped founders have 100% control of the startup vision and operations unlike funded businesses that lessens its ownership by external support.In a shared ownership business, founders are likely to lose their own companies due to investor funding, even at an early stage. Bootstrapped  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/data-analytics-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” businesses have the power to make full decisions in regards to the business.

Cons

Slow scaling – Due to insufficient funds, bootstrapped businesses must rely on revenue and profits to scale their operations. This affects the growth level unlike funded businesses with full access to capital and only have to keep the business running more on a faster pace. Bootstrapped businesses must contend with slow growth in their early years until they accumulate enough customers, revenue and profits for fast growth.

Limited network connections – Bootstrapped businesses are oftentimes faced with the challenge of limited to no network connections unlike funded  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/architecture-design-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” businesses who get introduced to other venture capital companies. These companies connect their investee companies to other venture capital companies for collaboration which fosters a more rapid growth.

Risk taking – Bootstrapped businesses bear all the risks there is to raising a business from the ground up. The operational risks rest on the founding team who takes  HYPERLINK “http://www.thebroadnews.com/” responsibility for whatever goes on in the growth process. They bear the financial risks also as there are no investors yet.

One can consider running a rapid growing or slow scaling business. Rapid growing businesses often use funding from venture capital. Here external investors can provide capital, security, scaling speed, and advice/network, but they can also exert influence over you based on their preferences. Whereas, slow scaling businesses using bootstrap have complete control over the rate at which the company expands.

However, even if you want to raise venture capital, bootstrapping is a great way to get your business started.

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Improving Service Experience to Increase Customer Satisfaction

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Improving Service Experience to Increase Customer Satisfaction

Author: Emmanuel Otori

 HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/microsoft-project-management-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” \t “_blank” Customer satisfaction should be a business aim as it is vital to success for all brands. Customer satisfaction can be improved through user experience, which can have a favorable impact on your company’s return on investment (ROI).

A happy customer is a satisfied customer.  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/microsoft-office-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” \t “_blank” Customers that are dissatisfied with your service are less likely to return. From research, after a series of poor experiences, 59 percent of customers will abandon the  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/digital-marketing-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” \t “_blank” company, 18% tend to leave after one poor experience.

It is worthy to note that 98% of customers who have changed brands are due to user experience encountered in the past. Customer experience should be one of the things to look out for as it contributes greatly to keeping a business running.

You can improve your customers’ experience, boost customer satisfaction, and increase retention rates by using consumer data obtained through  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/software-development-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” \t “_blank” market research and customer surveys.

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What is user experience?

A user’s interaction and experience with a product, system, or service is referred to as the user experience. User Experience encompasses a person’s views on usefulness, usability, and efficiency of a product, system or  HYPERLINK “http://www.abujadataschool.com/” \t “_blank” service. Therefore, User experience is the experience, observation and feel users get through practical contact with a solution. This solution takes different forms which can be a product, service, project, company and other organizations.

First, for there to be a  HYPERLINK “http://www.abujadataschool.com/courses/” \t “_blank” user experience surface for interaction, there has to be a representation or a plan to give a glimpse into what should be expected to give maximum satisfaction to the end user. This plan is known as the design for user experience. Providing solutions based on personal ideas of what the needs of consumers are without viewing them from the perspective of the consumers often lead to giving solutions that are not right.  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/quickbooks-and-sage-50-accounting-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” \t “_blank” Customers not served well are most likely not to return.

Seeing that user experience is essential in giving value to users, offering a top notch and excellent service is important because it has a ripple effect on the  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/blockchain-development-and-cryptocurrency-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” \t “_blank” customer base and return on investment. Let us consider some useful tips in improving customer experience.

How to improve user experience 

    Feedback Mechanism: Be aware of what your customer’s desire. Therefore, listening to your  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/stata-for-data-analysis-training-in-abuja/” \t “_blank” customers will help you better grasp their wants and know how to meet their needs. Surveys and  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/ui-ux-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” \t “_blank” questionnaires are coordinated and a convenient way of gathering feedback reports.

    Action Step: Knowing customer’s needs to give insight on what is relevant is made easier through feedback. The action step requires you turn feedback gathered from  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/business-plan-writing-course-in-abuja-nigeria/” customers into practice.

    Product and Service Touch: As much as you take action in responsiveness of feedback obtained, there should be a flexibility to improve the product and services you offer. It portrays the image you have of the needs of customers at heart.

    Feedback Evaluation: Make comparisons of the feedback before and after action has been taken. Respond to customer feedback as this gives the feel you have  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/administrative-management-training-in-abuja-nigeria/” customers at heart.

    Ongoing Basis: Customer satisfaction should be assessed on a regular basis to keep up with demands in case there are changing desires as there are factors which can cause demands to change.

    Responsive Support: Oftentimes, customers need guidance to get the best of what they want through what you offer. A support that is responsive and quick to action is an excellent way to improve user experience. This could be live chat support, email support, on-the-phone support, In-person support and social media support. Customers will give you positive feedback if you pay more attention to their experience, and you’ll get a larger return on  HYPERLINK “https://www.abujadataschool.com/geographic-information-system-training-in-abuja/” investment.

Not limited to the above are other approaches to improving user experience which will take effect on the satisfaction of  HYPERLINK “http://www.thebroadnews.com” customers. Depending on the kind of service offered and platforms showcased, the steps to improving user experience are not a “one size fits all” approach as some other will require creating personas, sketching wireframes, building prototypes, testing the model to have a feel of what the design could actually turn out to be.

Excellent user experience is beneficial as it minimizes complaints and negative reviews. Irrelevant cost and waste of resources is brought to bare minimum as services become more efficient. How about your customers? Excellent and improved services that meet their needs give them ultimate satisfaction and make them loyal. Lastly, there’s a high revenue generated from their loyalty.

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