A Pro-democracy and good governance group, Believe
Nigeria Initiative (BNI) has launched an aggressive online
campaign, “Believe Nigeria, Trust Goodluck,” to ensure
the success of President Jonathan re-election, as well as
enhance the credibility and transparency of Nigeria’s
democracy, according to reports from Leadership.
The group is also targeting no fewer than 56 million
internet users, 28 million of which are Nigerian youths
who have embraced global information technological
revolution through the use of mobile phones, computers,
laptops, iPads and other ICT gadgets, the National
Coordinator, Mr Idris Usman said during the launch of the
online campaign According to Usman, “The youth are
demanding accountability from their leaders at all level,
vocally and openly and damning the consequences.
This is why the BNI is targeting the youth who are a more
web savvy and politically active generation. We want to
ignite a political revolution that will bring about a change
in the nation’s democracy and also consolidate on the
gains made so far by the Jonathan administration.
” He said the group plans to showcase the achievements of
the administration to the Nigerian populace and the world
through social media channels like YouTube, Facebook,
WhatsApp, Yahoomail, MySpace, LinkedIn and Twitter.
He said the group was confident that it would succeed in
view of the fact that many youths today spend nothing less
than 12 hours on the internet, mostly on the social media
network platforms: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the
likes.
But how many of us know that right in our hands are
devices that can change our country for the better and
enhance good governance? Usman further quoted Aver
Anweh(2014) in his opinion article titled “The Nigerian
Youths, The Internet And The Brewing Revolution,”
saying “The youths are mainly at the centre of this
industrial revolution as the main custodians of the internet
know-how, unlike their much older counterparts, only a
few elderly folks in the contemporary Nigeria were able to
gain the acquaintance of these new IT gadgets, most of
them were contented with the simple cell phones which are
not too complex for their already occupied minds.
The younger ones have, however, become intrigued with
this new and faster means of spreading information
amongst themselves mainly for their purpose of social
interaction via ‘New Media’, and thus the outburst of the
use of social media.”
“Of the 115 million mobile telephone subscribers in the
country, 35 million use their handheld devices to access
internet data services.
With a large youth population (one-third of the population
is between the 10-24 years age bracket) and a growing
middle class (appx. 39 million), Nigeria has a fast-growing
number of the two classes which traditionally drive
internet usage around the world.”
“Today with over 28 million youths in Nigeria connected
to the internet, it is indeed true that the internet has
achieved the primary goal of its introduction, the cellular
phone has greatly eased internet access to citizens all over
the country. With the youth from ages 15-45 taking over
the internet in Nigeria, it has proven to be a credible threat
to the Nigerian government and its agencies, as there is
hardly any government policy that can evade the internet
and miss the scrutiny of a million prying eyes.
Pressure groups have arisen, whistleblowers have rallied
around and a new bond of integration has been found on
the internet or on social media to be specific.
“These groups are highly productive regardless of the fact
that they are sometimes missing in the physical,
information gets circulated at the speed of light and in a
matter of minutes the whole country gets put in the know
of any event or incident affecting the masses, it is like
taking off a hoodwink or better still like giving sight to
the blind. It shakes the tree hard enough to remind the
‘powers-that-be’ that a revolution is imminent in a land in
search of good governance.
“Before the advent of social media in Nigeria, it was an
almost impossible task to get the average youths interested
in politics or National issues, this is because there was no
easy avenue to rally round their thoughts and sample
opinions or capture their attention, since the only
approach would at that time have required physical
interaction, which was almost unrealistic.
But today it is impossible for a government policy to be
implemented without proper scrutiny from the internet
community and the users of the social media which largely
comprises of the youths. And for us, BNI, we are
harnessing the potentials of the social media towards a
successful re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan.”
As a mark of seriousness of the online campaign, the
National Coordinator of BNI, Mr Idris Usman distributed
25 iPads, 25 Samsung tablets and 30 ICT gadgets to online
influentials who are the driving force of “Believe Nigeria,
Trust Goodluck.”
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