Can African politicians really win the battle against high tech companies as represented by the current ban on twitter by certain regimes?
By Professor Chris Imafidon – A deeper understanding of technology and the current dispensation, described as the hashtag generation or digital natives will easily resolve the power tussle between tech companies such as Twitter vs politicians. It is an expensive misconception that any government, or politician – irrespective of their military, or economic muscle – can ever defeat the weakest innovative tech organisation. One doesn’t need any prophetic anointing or psychic powers to predict how the current tussle between African political actors and tech giants will end. Innovative Tech always wins, ask President Donald Trump.
In early 2013, I was invited by world renowned publishers – Macmillan to contribute to a new textbook. My brief was Social Media Technology and its power, particularly to massively communicate to an endless audience that were geographically dispersed, culturally diverse and across international boundaries almost effortlessly with little or no cost. I was invited because I led in the delivery of a Master’s degree programme via social media including Twitter. In my main chapter which is now a course [https://bit.ly/3goKUkL], my colleagues and I reviewed our 2012-13 experimental experience of the unimaginable efficiency and productivity gains from social media tech. IT was clear that the future of earning and learning was NOT only going to be influenced by tech, but determined and dictated by tech. Till date this book is still a bestseller to Undergraduate, and post-graduate students. It later became the most recommended textbook in its class across British, European and America universities and leading institutions.
TECHNOPHOBIA OR PURE IGNORANCE
In my sessions, I always correct the erroneous impression of my students that “ignorance is bliss”. I get everyone to understand that in the dark ages, ignorance may have been blissful but in today’s world, ignorance, at best, causes blisters! Ignorance destroys. Even the good book says “My people are destroyed for (because) they lack knowledge”. So when I saw my twitter feed and other social media suggesting that another government has “ban twitter” a few days ago, I almost fell off my chair in laughter. It was the most hilarious piece of news but I quietly hoped it was “Fake New”. But I was terribly wrong, because the news was confirmed and quickly started trending. After a few hours some of my previous students who are now leading practitioners sent the arrogant tweet banning twitter to me via DM.
It was very clear that the politicians who wrote the original message were thoroughly ill-informed or mis-advised by their tech staff. Alternatively the poor politician who published the banning tweet via twitter, (the very platform it wants to ban) poorly understood the current times, season or dispensation we all now live in. Otherwise, it’s comical that anyone can ban such tech now. Such a ban was possible in the stone-age, but NOT in the data age, where power now rests with technology twined with data. Data is more valuable than GOLD, SILVER, OIL, or money. It is more valuable than cash. It’s more powerful than any military or political might. IT IS POWER ITSELF, and in a lot of ways it is the ultimate power. Ever heard that “Knowledge is power”? If anyone gets a true revelation of the link between data, information and knowledge, then they will understand why our social media tech programmes are the most oversubscribed courses. The youths of every nation, developed, or under-developed understand this simple truth instinctively. This is because there are “digital natives” or they are the hashtag generation! Most of us, if you are aged 21 or older are natural tech ‘dinosaurs’. We inherited outdated information about power-play, politics, economics, medicine and communications, amongst others. Our current orientation will disadvantage us for the rest of our days, except we deliberately refresh or thinking or renew our minds. Our current mental software is too outdated and not fit-for-purpose in the current climate. If in doubt ask Presidents Donald Trump, or Barack Obama, they once occupied the most powerful positions but tech taught them they same lesson.
NUMBERS
Africans are unaware of the fact that more than 120 million Nigerians have regular access to the internet, and over 40 million of them have a Twitter account. That is over 20 percent of the population, Meanwhile, France, which is a global power, by comparison, has only 8 million Twitter users. The sheer love of technology by Nigerian youths known for their creativity, genius and tech savvy tendencies makes any new law to tame their tech activities a categorically comic activity which will end in pure futility. From the past experience, even Silicon Valley, California, the behive of tech innovation know that the average Nigerian youth is more than three steps ahead of the best computer departments in the world (not just the country) and light years ahead of the government and its antiquated agencies. An example is the case of tech-wizard Sam Udotong, of Imo and Akwa Ibom state extraction who recently received $19 million for a tech app from Silicon Valley, USA. The world knows that there are youths in Naze, Imo state, or Uyo where Mr Udotong parents are from originally – who will write the computer codes for the next Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Clubhouse or Fred.FireFlies.ai.
MISSING POINT
So it was instructed that the current United States government has officially condemned Nigeria government for suspending or banning Twitter and targeting institutions or individuals (including media practitioners, and others) who legitimately use social media as tools in their lawful endeavours.
In the formal message to the African government, the US government states “Unduly restricting the ability of Nigerians to report, gather, and disseminate opinions and information has no place in a democracy. Freedom of expression and access to information both online and offline are foundational to prosperous and secure democratic societies,” U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
Mr Price observed that the Nigerian National Broadcasting Commission, a government quango, has instructed all television and radio broadcasters to stop using Twitter, also referring to it as a “concern”. But this is wrong. It is NOT a concern, it is comical. Perhaps Mr Price is being diplomatic by mislabelling it a “concern”. Any junior undergraduate student or a keen teenager knows that the new social media policy is impossible to ever implement, an impracticable even with the most organised or efficient law enforcement outfit. Based on the state of insecurity in Nigeria, law enforcement is at its weakest ever. The country has not be able to implement the most basic law that protects lives or properties, how can it implement “imagined” breaches of hastily, and ill-thought regulation on what the best minds find difficult to understand?
The USA, ended their statement saying “We support Nigeria as it works towards unity, peace, and prosperity. As its partner, we call on the government to respect its citizens’ right to freedom of expression by reversing this suspension”
Any support for Nigeria, or any African country must first be the education of its people – particularly of its youths and women. One really means education, which entails the detection, development and deployment of talents till genius is achieved in everyone, rather than the current obsession or unhealthy focus on certification. This certification-driven mentality, has reduced majority of its institutions to paper factories, -issuing worthless certificates which gives neither job nor entrepreneurial skills. This leads to massive youth unemployment, and breeding ground for criminality, and insecurity.
It is in the interest of future progress, peace and prosperity of Nigeria all legislators, members of the judiciary and citizens of good-will should educate policy makers, not just condemn the folly inherent in banning or suspending Twitter which has more followers in Nigeria than France.
Professor Chris Imafidon a multi-Guinness World record holder; internationally renowned adviser to monarchs, governments, presidents and corporate leaders; Mentor to multi-millionaire tech entrepreneurs & many world record holders. His research and innovation have been recognised internationally, winning multiple awards in many continents across multiple disciplines and his mentees are global leaders in pioneers. Mentor to New York Times Bestellers and a Sunday Times Op-ed author. [Twitter @ChrisImafidon; Instagram @CoImafidon; Facebook/Linkedln/ClubHouse –Professor Chris Imafidon]
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