Non-Governmental Organizations in the Eyes of Newspapers in Nigeria: 2013 – 2016 in Focus

This study examines the activities of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Nigeria that attracted newspaper coverage. Nine NGO themes in 488 stories of four leading titles – Daily Trust, The Guardian, The Punch and ThisDay – published between 2013 and 2016, were studied. Findings show that 82 reports appeared, representing 17%. NGOs reports occupied the least prominent, inner pages of the newspapers. Whilst Daily Trust appeared as the best NGO-friendly newspaper, 95% of the overall reportage was found positive. Infant and maternal health attracted 28% attention ahead of eight other themes. Also discovered were 12 dailies of “zero report†of NGO activities by all the newspapers. Overall results confirm the assertions that NGOs are poorly reported in Nigeria. The study recommends the creation of newspaper columns for NGO stories and a forum that connects both journalists and NGO operators

Media Coverage of Entrepreneurial Innovation as a Determinant of Sustainable Development in Nigeria

Entrepreneurship has been widely recommended by scholars and professionals as one of the major ways to address the ever growing level of unemployment and continuous dwindling resources in Nigeria. Unfortunately, it is also a consensus among stakeholders that conditions in the country are largely unfriendly for the survival of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Entrepreneurship may not survive without exposure or publicity. This, therefore, crystallizes the role of media coverage in the development of entrepreneurship in Nigeria. Hence, this study examines the extent to which entrepreneurial innovation is given coverage in Nigerian national newspapers and how this can lead to sustainable development in Nigeria. Vanguard, The Punch, The Guardian and Business Day newspapers were purposively selected and issues from 2013 to 2015 for each were used for the study. This paper recommends ways in which entrepreneurship can be enhanced through media partnership

AWARENESS ON DIGITAL SECURITY AND E-BUSINESS IN NIGERIA

This study examined three fundamental threats to the security of digital business transactions in Nigeria. From experiential and personal perspectives of the people, especially as the enthusiasm for internet usage is acknowledged to be exponential, the study presented a variegated micro community as its locus. It touched on the bullying, stalking and extortions on the internet which fed on local desire to be part of the global technology family. With reference to earlier studies, it was recognized that though digital insecurity is a worldwide phenomenon, its prevalence in Nigeria seemed to have reached higher proportions. Founded on the theoretical platforms of identity flexibility and dissociative anonymity, this study examined the awareness level and experiences of phishing, cloning and hacking by residents of a mixed urban/semi-urban/rural community in Nigeria. Adopting a mixed research methodology, the study primarily implemented a qualitative approach involving thirty-two Focus Group discussants of mixed demographics - four male and four female aged 17-45 years, in four contiguous locations in Ota community. The study engaged a secondary methodology of quantitative survey of two hundred purposively selected adults and consistently focused on the electronic business transaction variable and depended on respondents’ willingness to participate, based on a past experience of internet stalking. Victims of either cloning, hacking, or phishing were 55.1% whilst 41.4% suffered damages amongst the respondents. Users’ vulnerability which was discovered, necessitated the recommendation of identity protection techniques, mass media awareness campaigns on digital security, as well as integration of digital security education in schools’ curriculum in Nigeria

Awareness and Perception of Media Campaign on E-waste effects among Residents of Ado Odo-Ota, Nigeria

Scholars’ concern about environmental pollution and the attendant diverse health disorders have grown lately in Nigeria owing to the problem of electronic wastes. The challenge is compounded by citizens’ insensitivity to the damage these wastes can unleash on lives. This paper investigates respondents’ rate of awareness and knowledge, through the media, of e-wastes and how that rate affects attitude to the problem. Findings show that exposure to the media on the e-waste hazards was critically low. The broadcast media and the internet were identified as significant sources of information but residents were less frequently exposed to e-waste issues in the news. The awareness of health and environmental effects of e-wastes among the residents was also extremely low even as the menace was not perceived as a serious problem. The outgrowth of this was an unimpressive attitude toward resolving the problem. In addition to the traditional media and their online versions, it is recommended that interpersonal communication channels should be utilized to educate and persuade the citizens to adopt globally accepted standards for managing e-wastes

Assessing the Media’s Watchdog Role in Ensuring the Accountability of the Nigerian Government

This paper attempts to assess the performance of the media in their watchdog role as it relates to ensuring the accountability of the government to the electorate in Nigeria. The 21st century media are saddled with the responsibility of providing the citizenry with substantial information to help them make informed decisions. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) synergized with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have aided freer flow of information from the media to the electorate. To ensure a successful democratic governance and sustainable development, the media have the responsibility to communicate the actions of the government to its citizens and relaying the feedback to the government through opinion pages and public affairs programmes, among others. Since inhibitions on the path of freedom of information have been removed with the hopes to enhance media capacity to freely divulge information, this paper, therefore, examines how well the media are living up to the expectation of grooming an informed populace. It explores how well informed the citizens are about their rights to demand greater accountability from the government, as a result of media messages. It also investigates the citizens’ views about the media’s fairness in reporting government activities. The study would employ the survey research method. The social responsibility theory and the development media theory will be the axles around which the study will revolve. Suggestions will be made on how the media can further enlighten the citizens to become active participants in national developmen

Factors of Gender Inequality and Development among Selected Low Human Development Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

Gender inequality and poor women empowerment retard improvement in living standards of women and act as a clog in their contributions to governance and economic development. Gender inequality lower quality of life and culminates in limited productivity, hinder economic efficiency and growth. For over three decades, gender issues have been at the front burner of international summits. In spite of much progress in recent times, gender inequalities remain pervasive in many dimensions of life in various regions around the world particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Treatment of women is yet to be fairer and related policies can be more effective to improve the status of women. No-doubt studies have been carried out on gender inequality, but less emphasis has been raveled with respect to hindrances and implications of gender inequality. Hence, understanding the nature of gender inequality will not only promote sound awareness among African countries, but also ignite government efforts as well as NGOs toward effective interventions for reduction of gender inequality especially in the economic and political realms where women are made worse off by the socio-cultural milieu. The methodological approach to this paper was based on reviews of published multiple documents to draw up statistical profile of the situation of women in selected countries of low human Development index in SSA to show the existence of gender inequality. The paper found among all the 12 low human development countries and SSA region examined that gender indicators such as human development index, expected years of schooling, mean years of schooling, estimated gross national per capita, share of seats in parliament, population with at least secondary education and labor-force participation rate are all in favor of men. The paper concludes with recommendations to narrow the gender gaps

HEALTH COMMUNICATION AND AWARENESS OF ALUMINIUM-WASTE DISPOSAL EFFECTS AMONG OGUN STATE HOUSING CORPORATION RESIDENTS

This paper surveyed residents of the Ogun State Housing Corporation who have resorted to collecting aluminium waste as a cheap alternative to assuage the deplorable state of road networks in the estate. 200 copies of the questionnaire were randomly distributed to residents of the Housing Estate. The resolve of the survey was to determine the level of awareness (about the health and environmental implications) of aluminium waste, as well as decipher their level of involvement in the collection, use and contact with these waste materials. In cases of awareness about these health implications; the medium through which they gained such awareness was further queried. It was recommended upon findings that harnessing the participation of all stakeholders (the Residents association, the Industrial wing and the Ogun State government) would bring stability to the growing demand for these materials within the Estate. Similarly, coordinating educative and informative campaigns through the existing meeting platforms in the Estate would expedite enhanced consciousness and eventual cessation of the possibilities of contact and inhalation of aluminium waste in the Housing Estate

To Whom Much Is Given: Prioritising Corporate Social Responsibility Among Nigerian Banks (2010-2015)

This study used the corporate social responsibility (CSR) spending of the First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) and Guarantee Trust Bank (GTBank) from 2010-2015 to determine the priority of each bank in giving back to the society. The nature of banking has greatly evolved in the 21st century. Not only has the advent of technology made new products and services available, fierce competition among similar brands has also offered customers a wide variety of choices. This brings to the fore the importance of relationship building through Public relations and CSR. The study, therefore, examined the corporate social responsibility of FBN and GTBank over a period of six years. This paper adopted the methodological approach of reviewing the banks’ published annual reports from 2010 to 2015. Statistical analysis was drawn up on the company’s practice of corporate social responsibility which included spending on education and community development among others. The findings revealed that the First Bank of Nigeria spent more on CSR within the period studied while Guarantee Trust Bank had a higher percentage of yearly increase in spending. It was, nevertheless, discovered that both banks recorded significant cut in their spending from 2014.Consequently, it was recommended that banks should embrace CSR as a salient part of their existence and not as an activity to adopt when convenient

Palm kernel;machine efficiency; machine design; performance evaluation

Entrepreneurship has been widely recommended by scholars and professionals as one of the major ways to address the ever growing level of unemployment and continuous dwindling resources in Nigeria. Unfortunately, it is also a consensus among stakeholders that conditions in the country are largely unfriendly for the survival of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Entrepreneurship may not survive without exposure or publicity. This, therefore, crystallizes the role of media coverage in the development of entrepreneurship in Nigeria. Hence, this study examines the extent to which entrepreneurial innovation is given coverage in Nigerian national newspapers and how this can lead to sustainable development in Nigeria. Vanguard, The Punch, The Guardian and Business Day newspapers were purposively selected and issues from 2013 to 2015 for each were used for the study. This paper recommends ways in which entrepreneurship can be enhanced through media partnership