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President Buhari to depart Nigeria for London on April 9 by Akinyemi Akinrujomu

This article from Naij.com breaks the news that President Muhammadu Buhari will be departing Nigeria this Monday, April 9th for the United Kingdom. Buhari is scheduled to meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May and other prominent leaders. This official visit comes ahead of the Commonwealth Head of Governments Meeting (CHOGOM), which is scheduled for the 18th-20th of April. In the official statement from the office of the president, Buhari is there to discuss Nigerian-British relations with Prime Minister May, as well as with the Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Plc, Ben van Beurden in a plan to invest $15 billion into Nigeria’s oil industry.

According to the statement, “These investment ventures will lay the foundation for the next 20 years production and domestic gas supply, bringing with it all the attendant benefits both to the economy and the wider society.” This trip will also include conversations on religion: “President Buhari is due to renew discussions with the Archbishop of Canterbury…on inter-religious harmony in Nigeria and World-wide.”

Nigeria is a country under the British Commonwealth, an intergovernmental system of member states formerly part of the British Empire. According to the Secretariat of the Commonwealth, this system dates back to the end of colonization of the British Empire through the increased self-governenance of its territories. Member states have no obligation to one another, however share a common history and elements of democracy, rule of law, and human rights.

This article is important because it showcases the deep connection between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, even though Nigeria is no longer under British rule as a colony. The leaders of Nigeria and Britain still meet annually to discuss shared interests, investments, and trade policies. It is interesting to note, however, that many Nigerians have opposing views on the authenticity of Buhari’s democracy, as his administration has had several corruption scandals. So despite these close ties to Britain, the Commonwealth value of “freedom of speech” might be prioritized differently outside of Britain in places such as Nigeria (as discussed in previous global news posts).

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President Buhari (Source: http://theinfonerds.com/benue-killings-i-wasnt-aware-igp-disobeyed-my-directive-buhari/)

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Army reacts over Sergeant David Bako’s involvement in Dapchi Girls abduction by Nwafor Sunday

This article from Vanguardngr.com shares another story about the abduction of the Dapchi girls and the government’s reaction towards the media coverage. The news report that was making rounds in the media (this article does not specify the source of the original report) implicated Sergeant David Boko of the Nigerian Army in the abduction plot.

The Nigerian Army issued a statement via its Army Public Relations spokesperson, Brigadier General Texas Chukwu, who denied knowing Sergeant David Bako and according to this article, noted that “such publication was targeted to hear and drag the Nigerian Army into politics of calumny by mischief makers,” implying that these so-called mischief makers are in the media. The Army claims that is has crossed checked its own personnel records and cannot find a Sergeant David Bako who has ever served in the Army.

In the statement, the Army seems to suggest that fake news had a factor in the spread of this story: “It is imperative to know that these baseless and inane allegations are not new in the cyber space, knowing the fact that we are in the age of information warfare. Open Source Intelligence reveals that the website Dailyglobewatch.eu with country code top-level domain (ccTLD) .eu used in publishing stories is obviously fake and therefore not correct…However, it is really worrisome to the level at which some people could condescend so low to fabricate facetious allegation against the Nigerian Army and the military at large for cheap political gains or simply an act of pure wickedness, thus the public should disregard such facetious allegation.”

This article showcases yet again the contentious relationship between the Nigerian government and Army with the media, as well as their handling of an embarrassing accusation. Although the Army strongly denies any claims of Sergeant David Bako serving in any capacity, the Nigerian people are left to decide who to trust (the government or the media) for their information, because the government has such a strong history of corruption. This article also shows the global impact of the fascination and misappropriation of the term “fake news,” which has quickly become a global obsession following the election of Donald Trump in the U.S. This article also discusses the Nigerian Army’s focus on the idea of living in an age of “information warfare,” which we know from our Active Reading is a term that is sometimes used to further political agendas.

David Bako Source: Gist36.com

Lai Mohammad insists FG acted promptly over abduction of Dapchi girls by Kess Ewubare

This article from Naij.com, the 7th most visited website in Nigeria and a prominent online news source, discusses the state response to last week’s abduction of 110 girls from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Nigeria. The minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammad, stated that the current Bukari Administration has done more to locate these girls that the Jonathan Administration did back in 2014 when 100 girls were also abducted by Boko Haram. While speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of the editor’s plaza of the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Abuja, Mohammad stated that the government had so far spent over 200 hours of air search for the missing schoolgirls.

Mohammad went on to say that the current administration’s counter-terrorism operations have limited terrorist groups, such as Boko Haram, to “cowardly acts” of bombing soft spots and kidnapping, suggesting that this administration has made it a priority to fight terrorism. Mohammad also made a plea for help to the media in his closing statements: “As of yesterday (Wednesday) we deployed over 200 hours of air search for the girls. Our appeal to the media today is to solicit for their support. We are now in trying times, it does not matter who is involved, we seek your support. We are not saying don’t criticize us but be very fair and do it in context.”

This is an important article because it highlights some parallels between the Buhari Administration and the current Trump Administration in the US in terms of maintaining a powerfully vocal stance against terrorism. Both countries have made counter-terrorism operations a top priority; it is important to understand that terrorism is a worldwide phenomenon and does not just affect US relations (despite what American media chooses to showcase). Additionally, this article highlights the often awkward relationship that the Nigerian government has with the media. In this instance, a state official is requesting assistance from the media, however, as seen in my first Global News Post, the state is often attempting to limit the influence of the media and suppress journalists, using force if necessary. Mohammad’s statement clearly indicates that the government is aware of this precarious relationship, as he acknowledged the criticism the government often finds itself fighting back against.

Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammad. (Source: OrderPaper.ng)

 

Buhari assures Nigerians on poverty reduction, unemployment

This article written by Nigerian journalist, Gabriel Ewepu from Vanguard Nigeria, reports on President Buhari’s new mission towards reducing poverty and unemployment through the implementation of new economic policies. On Saturday, February 24th, President Buhari sent a representative, Deputy Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) Prof. Chinedu Mafiano, to the 22nd convocation ceremony of the University of Abuja to deliver assurances of these new policies.

In the statement, Prof. Chinedu Mafia read President Buhari’s statement: “My government is working hard to reduce the unemployment rates through several programmes and initiatives including the N-power, agriculture, small and medium scale businesses, all of which are supported by government guaranteed loan scheme. I encourage you all to key into any of them for national growth and development.” While at the University, President Buhari made sure to also share his commitment towards improving Nigerian education: ““If we must keep up with this global trend, education must be given its right place. My government is determined to continue to improve access to quality in our educational system.”

This article also included comments from Pastor William Kumuyi, founder and General Superintendent of Deeper Life Bible Church; he stated on behalf of the awardees a commitment to a contribution to help develop the university. Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Michael Adikwu, appealed to President Buhari for additional “e funding” to help grapple some of the funding challenges and complete vital academic projects.

This article gives insight into the relationship between the President of Nigeria and the Nigerian higher education system. This article portrays President Buhari as receptive to the requests of some of the leaders of Nigeria’s universities and suggests a commitment from the executive level of government towards improving the economy through a renewed focus on education. Vanguard Nigeria is considered one of Nigeria’s premier newspapers and is praised for journalistic integrity. The author of the article, Gabriel Ewepu, wrote in an objective manner and included several primary source quotes from the speakers at the event.

Ewepu , Gabriel. “Buhari Assures Nigerians on Poverty Reduction, Unemployment.” Vanguard News, 24 Feb. 2018, www.vanguardngr.com/2018/02/buhari-assures-nigerians-poverty-reduction-unemployment/.

L-R: Pro Chancellor, University of Abuja, Alhaji Kabiru Maikudi, Awardee, General Superintendent, Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi and his wife, Sister Esther Kumuyi, during the conferment of Doctorate award on the Pastor at the University of Abuja 22nd Convocation Ceremony in Abuja Saturday. (Vanguard)

 

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Navy impounds boat, arrests nine fuel smugglers by Etim Ekpimah, Uyo

This article, published on February 4th, 2018 on The Punch, shares the story of a foiled attempt to smuggle contraband goods into Nigeria. The Nigerian Navy, specifically the Forward Operating Base, Ibaka, Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, seized boats and outboard engines attempting to bring in illegal goods. The FOB was able to seize 62 drums of automotive gas oil moving from Rivers State into the Akwa Ibom waterway around 5:30 am on Saturday. Four suspects were arrested and detained for the crime. FOB captain Yusuf Idris issued a statement saying that “And during that handing over, I made a promise that the Nigerian Navy under the present leadership will not relent till our waterways are rid of all illegality.”

 

This article illustrates the Nigerian Navy’s lack of tolerance toward illegal smuggling via the country’s waterways, and a state trend towards cracking down on the crime. Captain Idris made a promise that “…we would continue to make more arrests and seizure as long as the illegality and criminals are not willing to stop.” This article exposes both a specific problem facing the country and the state’s response to it.

 

This article was on the front page of the weekend edition of thepunchng.com. It was written by Nigerian journalist, Etim Ekimpah Uyo, who does not have a author’s page on the source site. The article did not include any external links or citations, but did incorporate quotes from the Navy’s Captain.The article was presented in an objective style without personal commentary from the author.

Smuggler Boat (Image Credit: Wall Street Journal)

 

 

Nigeria: Information Network Version 1

Vanguard: This is a daily newspaper in English straight out of Lagos, Nigeria that has been published by Vanguard Media since 1983. I will be able to access the latest news on politics, business, technology, style, and entertainment from Nigeria. According to the source: “Media: Is Bola Tinubu The Biggest Media Entrepreneur in Nigeria?”. M2 Marketing Management, 2008, this is one of the few publications in Nigeria thought to be free from political control and influence. As this corruption is a big problem in Nigeria, Vanguard will be an invaluable source of objective information. I selected this source because of its reputation and popularity in Nigeria.

I will be utilizing the online version of the newspaper, https://www.vanguardngr.com, as well as following the publication on Twitter, @vanguardngrnews. This source I updated hourly and accessible through. Although this publication is not available through the app store, I am able to stay up to date via tweet notifications.

 

The Punch:  Much like Vanguard, this is a daily newspaper in English with an online version, http://punchng.com, and an official Twitter, @MobilePunch, which I will be following to keep up to date with news from Nigeria. This newspaper was founded in 1971 in Nigeria and is published by Ajibola Ogunsola.

According to the website, The Punch is the “most widely read newspaper in Nigera.” I could not find any independent sources to verify this claim, but a 2014 article from the “About Us” page on the website alleges that the Research and Marketing Services (RMS) Lagos conducted a “current” survey in which The Punch, Saturday Punch, and Sunday Punch constituted the most widely read publications in Nigeria. (https://web.archive.org/web/20031015215403/http://www.punchng.com/aboutus#mission).

I also selected this source because of its reputation and popularity in Nigeria.

 

 

Naij.com: According to Alexa, an Amazon Company tool, Naij.com is the 7th most visited website in Nigeria (https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/naij.com), and according to another news website, YNaija, naij.com is a “Nigerian news and entertainment portal that features aggregated news content,” (https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/naij.com). The official website is https://www.naija.ng, and the accompanying Twitter is @naijcom, which I will be following to keep up-to-date on the hourly news flow.

Unlike my other two sources, naij.com is not a newspaper, rather a news website created in 2012 in Lagos and is part of the global consumer internet company, Genesis Media. Another unique feature to this source is the available content based on user-submitted stories. I think that this source will provide a different, and more personalized, approach to the news in Nigeria because of this user involvement

 

Social Media Source-President Buhari: I will be following Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) on Twitter. My first 3 sources are following this account, and I believe that it is important to stay up-to-date with what the leader of a country is telling his own country and the world about news, politics, and policy, whether this information is propaganda or unreliable, or accurate and reliable. This will serve as a point of contrast between what the press is saying and what the head of state is saying. This account does not provide information on who is running the account, but several tweets are in first person, maybe to convince people that the President is doing the tweeting. This account was created in December 2014.

 

Data Source: The World Bank Nigeria: I will be using the official Nigeria page of the World Bank database website (http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/nigeria) to keep informed about Nigeria’s population, GDP, economic growth, and development statistics. This website is published by the World Bank, and Nigeria’s page specifically is directed by Country Director, Rachid Benmessaoud, who is based out of Abuja, Nigeria. The World Bank does not have a Nigeria-specific Twitter account, but rather a “World Bank Africa” account (@WorldBankAfrica). I find this to be odd, seeing as Africa has over 50 independent countries, each with their own regional, cultural, political, and economics needs and differences, but the World Bank is a valuable and reputable source of data.

 

Visual/Audio Source: Channels Television is an independent 24-hour news and media channel based in Lagos, Nigeria that is run by owner John Mamoh. This source classifies itself as a “watchdog” of the government, which I believe is invaluable to the press in every country. According to the African Press Organization (APO), Channels TV won the best Nigerian TV award for the 8th time in 2014. I subscribed to the Youtube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/channelsweb) to keep up to date with Nigerian news via visual information, including interviews with politicians and locals, and events in real time. This source provides live streams daily.

 

 

Reflection 

To find the sources, I first Googled “top Nigerian Newspapers” and then verified each source with its respective Wikipedia page, then its website, another website that mentions it, and finally, its Twitter account, as Twitter seems to be the easiest and most effective way to stay up to date. Googling terms like “Nigerian Twitter” was not as successful because dozens of unverified accounts were the first to pop up. I learned that searching for international information requires a lot more digging and verifying than American and British publications which I am more familiar with and which I know for a fact are reputable. To add additional sources, I plan on repeating my searching strategy, as well as digging deeper using the LibGuide and other library databases for lesser known sources. Although more difficult than finding news sources from America, finding Nigerian sources was not very difficult. I think this could be because of Nigeria’s close ties to Britain, its status as the most populated African country, and the official language being English; these factors could contribute to the output of readily available information.

Nigerian Police Arrest a Journalist and His Brother Over a News Article They Didn’t Write by Nwachukwu Egbunike

This article shares the story of a Nigerian journalist, David Elombah, and his brother who were arrested on suspicion of writing an unflattering article criticizing  the Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris. The two were arrested by Nigerian Police in their home in Anambra on New Years Day, and then quickly moved to Abuja in the early hours of the morning. The article that caused these arrests, published in Opinion Nigeria, suggested that the Inspector-General had been involved in an “unending baggage of controversy.”  Even though it came to light that David had not written the article, his brother Timothy remains in detention under an extension order given by the Magistrate Court in Abuja. There is evidence that the two brothers had been badly beaten by the police in transit from Anambra to Abuja.

The Nigerian military and police forces have a history of corruption and violence, as evidenced by their treatment of the Elombah brothers. This article demonstrates the problematic treatment of journalists in Nigeria, as well as the government’s crackdown on freedom of speech.

This article was written by Nigerian writer  Nwachukwu Egbunike, who specializes in social media, youth political cooperation, politics, and identity. Egbunike included links to his primary source, Premium Times, the local newspaper in Abuja which originally reported on this story. Egbunike also cited several quotes, including one from the Inspector-General’s interview with the Daily Post: “whenever you commit an offence it is our duty to ensure that we respond.”

Nigerian police officers complete their training in 2015. Photo by AMISOM, released to public domain.