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  • How Facebook and social media can foster digital engagement

    How Facebook and social media can foster digital engagement

    The conversation on how social media can foster political attachments through digital engagement has begun.
    Stakeholders from Government Agencies, the private sector and the civil society alike have continued to hold talks and lively debates on issues affecting internet freedom and digital engagement by government agencies in Nigeria.
    A round-table held in Sheraton Hotel, Lagos, last week, and several issues were discussed on the matter bordering on: data privacy and protection, law enforcement, libel, fake news, and digital engagement by the government. The round-table followed the first edition held in Abuja last year.
    Effective digital engagement by government agencies remains a big priority for the Federal Government because of its immense potential, this was the position of Tolu Ogunlesi, the Head of Presidency Office of Digital Engagement (PODE). Ogunlesi was speaking at a stakeholder meeting on digital rights and digital engagement organised by Paradigm Initiative, Facebook and PODE.
    Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative, Gbenga Sesan emphasized the need for continuous conversation between stakeholders in the private sector, civil society and the government on digital rights issues in Nigeria.
    “Digital right issues are far too important to our democracy and it is crucial that we engage in conversations with security agencies and public servants on how we can ensure freedom of people online while keeping the nation and citizens safe.”
    In her remarks, Public Policy Manager, Africa of Facebook, Akua Gyeke said:
     “Facebook is an important platform for political conversation in Nigeria, and we are happy to be a part of this. Facebook is dedicated to keeping people safe online, foster civility and responsible behaviour whilst promoting free expression and sharing.”

    Read Here: Facebook’s Nigerian tech hub coming

    Tolu Ogunlesi, who led the conversation on a proposed Digital Engagement Policy for the Federal Government admitted that the Government had no current workable social media policies on ground.
    He however assured all stakeholders in attendance that his office was working hard on creating digital engagement standards that would guide all government offices in their use of digital tools to ensure effective communication with the public.
    “There is currently no social media policies for the Federal Government. This is understandable as social media use is relatively new in government circle. But this situation has led to inconsistency in the way government offices use digital media.
    “We are currently working on creating a digital engagement policy for the federal government. It will provide guidelines on platforms to use, accounts administration, logo and naming standard, editorial policies, archival system, content process and management, among other things.”

  • Social media clinic holds in Abuja

    Social Media Clinic (SMC), a platform which seeks to counter the irresponsible use of social networks, will hold in Abuja on Friday.

    In a statement issued on Wednesday, Razaq Ivori, coordinator of the event, explained that the platform, in its second edition, was set to up “to encourage the coming together of well-meaning journalists, writers and bloggers.

    “And concerned citizens into a countering force for inciting, false and sometimes evil media threatening a people’s right to a good reputation, peace and prosperity”.

    “Social media is set up to be a socio-conscious check for today’s upscale instant journalism in sachet media, a free for all to write and publish whatever.”

    “The idea of a Social Media Clinic as a forum to sanitise the social media space and general blogsphere has become necessary.

    “In the face of the onslaught of multiple platforms for information dissemination, the growth of citizen journalism and the ease and spontaneity with which information can be shared and spread globally, we know live in a world where no one is safe and nothing is hidden.

    “The space between private life and the public has since been eroded.

    “As social online news media becomes widespread, the leeway of using it inappropriately putting at risk hard earned reputation of individuals and corporate bodies has become a norm.”

    Ivori also said the forum would seek to interact with users of the internet space and to inculcate in them a new sense of responsibility in the way they spread, share, generate and report news and information.

    “For every right enjoyed, there is a corresponding responsibility.

    He said the clinic has ” a collective believes that the only safe and recommended way to regulate social media is through social media itself,” he said.

    “A body of people must come together and stand for the forthrightness of journalism. We must begin to disseminate news with virtue and ethics that the profession demands.”

    According to Ivori, Online journalism is in need of serious refinement.

    He explained further that the clinic comes as a body to synergise and sensitise the art of journalism in mainstream online media.

    Founded by Sunday Dare, an executive commissioner at the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), the clinic has the mandate of correcting ills in the society through engagement and sensitisation.

    Some of the expected  speakers include,  Tolu Ogunlesi, special assistant to the president on digital media; Simon Kolawole, chief executive of Cable Newspaper Limited; Gbenga Olonrunpomi, media aide of current Kogi governor, and Tunji Lardner, communication specialist.

  • Buhari: APC diaspora condemns death rumour

    Buhari: APC diaspora condemns death rumour

    • Charges presidential media team on information management

    The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Scandinavia chapter, Ayoola Lawal, has called on villain individuals to stop peddling and spreading ill rumours of the death of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is on vacation in the United Kingdom contrary to death rumour.

    According to him, apart from the President’s age and the demand for his office, a routine check-up and break from work is an ideal habit to allow for refuelling of the body and soul.

    The APC Chief spoke with journalists in Ifako Ijaiye, Lagos, Nigeria after his courtesy visit to the newly elected Federal House of Representative member representing Ifako Ijaiye/ Ojokoro constituency, Hon. Akinwunmi Nurudeen.

    Recall that Hon Nurudeen was elected after the untimely death of late Hon. Adewale Elijah Oluwatayo.

    Further speaking about the rumour of Buhari’s death, Lawal observed that the President needs all the supports and prayers for his administration to deliver on the electoral promises rather than wishing him death.

    “It is naturally absurd to me reading the rumour about the death of an individual. I tend to think that those selling that news never thought of the families and the loved ones of those they are spreading their fake death news.

    “Sometimes, reading about our own obituary could serve as a wake-up call, in terms of our story in other people’s life, though, and late Alfred Nobel was a typical example.

    “However, I implore all and sundry to get the fact right before spreading information especially in this new age of social media. President Buhari and his team need and deserve our supports and prayers for his tenure to make meaning to Nigeria and Nigerians,” he said.

    The APC chief further advised the Presidential media team on effective information management, especially as concerning the President, on who is everyone’s attention.

    Lawal observed: “To be candid, President Buhari is the first leader in Nigeria to officially embrace the New Media as a crucial part of the media team. It is, therefore, uncalled for if both the digital media specialists and the conventional publicity and media advisers fail to adequately manage the information about the President to the point where rumour was almost causing chaos in the country.

    “Malam Garba Shehu, Mr Femi Adesina, Tolu Ogunlesi and everyone on the media team may need to wake up to the challenges and avoid such information mismanagement in the future. There are ways to keep the enemy of progress mute, but if the bearer of truth keeps quiet then falsehood may be accepted for truth instead. I cannot teach them their jobs because I believe the President chose them wisely.

    “May God grant Mr President a speedy recovery and long life in great health. Long live Nigeria. Long live President Buhari. Long live APC.”

  • Buhari appoints Ogunlesi as head of new media team

    Buhari appoints Ogunlesi as head of new media team

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday appointed Mr. Tolu Ogunlesi as his Special Assistant on Digital/New Media.

    Ogunlesi, who is a renowned blogger and journalist, graduated from the University of Ibadan in 2004, and obtained an MA in Creative Writing from University of East Anglia, UK, in 2011.

    Before his appointment, a statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said that Ogunlesi had worked as a Features Editor and Editorial Board member of NEXT Newspaper.

    He also worked as a West Africa Editor for The Africa Report magazine from 2014 to 2015.

    Ogunlesi is a two-time winner of the CNN Multichoice African Journalism Awards, and a 2015 New Media Fellow of the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP).

    Ogunlesi will be assisted by Bashir Ahmad, who is a Personal Assistant to the President on New Media.

  • 2015 Women in Journalism conference

    2015 Women in Journalism conference

  • Nigerian journalists win CNN/Multichoice awards

    Nigerian journalists win CNN/Multichoice awards

    Two Nigerian journalists, Oluwatoyosi Ogunseye of Sunday Punch and Tolu Ogunlesi , freelance journalist with Ventures Africa have won two categories of this year’s  CNN/MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year awards.

    Ogunseye, Editor, Sunday Punch won the Environment prize, while Ogunlesi, bagged the Economy and Business reporting prize.

    They emerged at the awards ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa on Saturday.

    Msindisi Fengu and Yandisa Monakali of South Africa’s Daily Dispatch Newspaper emerged the overall prize winner.

    Twenty-seven finalists drawn from 11 countries were shortlisted for the 14 categories of the award.