A Pro-democracy and good governance group, Believe Nigeria Initiative (BNI) has launched an aggressive online campaign, “Believe Nigeria, TrustGoodluck,” 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.”
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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