Twitter’s investment in Africa

by Ejiro Obodo

When Twitter announced that it is assembling a team and will soon launch a physical office in Ghana two weeks ago, there was joy and awe in Nigeria.

Joy, because the most boisterous social media platform on earth is finally berthing in Africa. Awe, because many expected Twitter to site its office in Nigeria, a country that considers itself the most vibrant market for the platform on the continent.

In spite of the mixed reaction, Twitter’s venture on the Continent is a big win for Nigeria. And for those who still do not understand what the platform stands for, it is worth noting that Twitter has been described as the “Usain Bolt” of social media.

A microblogging site, Twitter is one of the most sophisticated integrated marketing communications tools ever created. It is versatile, has extensive reach and is famed for disseminating information with record speed.

As far back as 2012, there were circa 400 million tweets per day, and the lifespan of the average tweet was just 22 seconds. Today, the pace and assortment of Twitter users has greatly morphed.

Presently, the platform is used by millions of big and small businesses, government officials and other citizens for customer support engagement, reputation management, polling, product assessment, research, awareness creation, news dissemination, among other things globally.

Africa’s numbers

In Africa, Egypt seems to have more active Twitter users than any other nation. Some sources estimate that with a population of 100.4million people, 3.7million are active Twitter users in Egypt (1 in every 27 Egyptians). But that is a far cry from the U.S. and Japan which host some of the largest concentration of Twitter users globally.

With a population of 328.2million, the U.S. has 69.3million Twitter users (1 in every 4 Americans). Japan with a population of 126.3million has 50.9 million active users (1 in every 2 Japanese).

Nigeria does not have such impressive figures. With a population of 201million, there are less than 3million active Twitter users in the country (1 in every 67 Nigerians), a situation which Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey described as “Not enough,” during a visit to the country in 2019.

If the ration of Nigerians on Twitter were to increase to 1 in every 3 Nigerians, there would be at least 55million Nigerians on the platform!

Behind the numbers

There are discernable reasons for low Twitter uptake on the continent. For many years, Twitter was perceived as an elitist platform even in Nigeria. It was viewed as a platform used by politicians and high caliber celebrities to engage their sophisticated audiences for many years.

Our research at Caritas Communications which covered Ghana and Nigeria suggests that there is paucity in understanding of the full value that Twitter brings. This may not be unconnected with the low participation in both countries.

In a survey of 2,500 individuals (60percent Nigerians, 40percent Ghanaians), 75percent of respondents were unable to identify any specific twitter product or service by name even though 70percent of them reported owning and operating Twitter accounts for over five years each!

Interestingly, 85percent of respondents are interested in knowing more about the products and services, while 75percent are open to subscribing for them in order to improve their user experience.

This finding, among others emanated from the survey, which was conducted between April 1 and 20, 2021 and it perhaps cuts out the work for Twitter as it forages into Africa.

Success on the continent will be as a result of how creatively the organisation communicates its services and products with a view of engendering greater uptake and revenue.

Twitter’s marketing and communications team has the task of demystifying the brand, not just to the elite but to millions of Africans who have handled the platform without a clear strategy and purpose.

Also, based on the survey, a number of issues need to addressed. First is the issue of videos and images. A considerable number of users indicate that they look forward to the day when Twitter will become the platform of choice for short videos.

For countries like Nigeria and Ghana, which are very transactional, a video or graphic may be the bridge to another sale for a small business looking for promotion.

One respondent specifically indicated: “we need more video clip time.” The thinking is that Twitter will match Instagram if this need is met. But of course it must be added that Twitter is not Instagram.

Other respondents indicated that the system should be optimized to accommodate more African languages (and letters). While this is up to the developers and policy makers at Twitter, I am of the view that a change in this regard could unlock Twitter to millions of Africans who may not be attuned to communicating in English.

One interesting aspect of our survey addresses the willingness of respondents to recommend Twitter to friends, associates and acquaintances. Respondents were asked: “How likely are you to recommend Twitter to your friends?” Interestingly, 80percent said “Very likely.” Only 10percent of respondents said they were unlikely to do so. This is a greenlight as it indicates the possibility for further expansion for Twitter.

There is no doubt that the landing of Twitter in Ghana is a plus for Nigeria. Not only because Ghana and Nigeria are sister countries but because of the common heritage both countries share in terms of language, neighborliness and history.

It is worthy of note that as Twitter berths in Africa, the biggest winners are the millions of African youth, businesses and governments that will be lifted by this new presence. Twitter policy is likely to better accommodate this pool of potential users.

Indeed, the evidence suggests that there is Twitter fever in Nigeria and Ghana already. Recent happenings, especially in Nigeria have proved it. But there are veils which have to be systematically ripped off to enable more Africans embrace the platform. That is job which the company’s communications team has to handle in the following weeks.

 

An award winning editor, Ejiro is a senior communications manager at Caritas Communications

 

The Nigeria Police Force: A reputation assessment

 Events and initiatives dating back to 1820 led to the formation of the Nigerian Police Force. By the late 1950 – early 1960s, a merger of the armed paramilitary Hausa Constabulary, the Niger Coast Constabulary, and the Royal Niger Company Constabulary became the Nigeria Police Force as we know it today. At present, the force is estimated to be 371,800 strong and is the principal law enforcement agency in Nigeria. It has 36 distinct State Police Commands which are grouped into 12 zones and administrated through seven organs, all under the supervision of the Inspector

Caritas Communications, a reputations management consultancy based in Lagos conducted a survey to assess the reputation of the Nigeria Police Force by randomly sampling 3,787 Nigerians online between 1, April and 31, July 2020, well before the protests began later in October. Drawn from the six geopolitical zones, respondents are within the 18 to 61-years age bracket.

A complex situation

What we discovered is that even though the moto of the Nigerian police is, “Police is your friend,” 93 percent of respondents said they “do not agree that “Police is your friend.” Eighty-eight percent indicated that they would not allow their children join the police even if the opportunity presented itself on a platter of gold. In terms of specifics, respondents pointed to divers experiences which have molded their opinions about the force. “I was arrested because of a tattoo on my neck and had to get my family to bail me at Ughelli,” “a policeman from Agbaroh told me that when he is done with me my suffering will be more than that of Job in the Bible, I didn’t commit any crime,” two respondents noted.

“It takes me seven hours, instead of three to travel from Lagos to Benin when I need to see family because of over 15 police checkpoints on the road,” another said.

Other comments include, “I had an accident on the road because police barricaded the road and left huge logs of wood there,” “police places logs of wood on the road leaving just one lane open thereby forcing Nigerians to struggle for that lane, causing terrible traffic and suffering for miles on the Lagos-Benin express way,” “police quest for bribes is just mind boggling,” over 85 percent of respondents noted.

Asked why they feel the police is not living up to expectation, respondents pointed to Poor Leadership (42%), Poor Salary and Welfare Package (72%), Illiteracy and lack of exposure (68%), Bad Economy (45%) and poor work equipment (51%).

However, a number of respondents describe the police as an organisation that lives up to expectation when it matters citing cases including that of alleged kidnap kingpin Chukwudi Onuamadike (popularly known as Evans) and the apprehension of the alleged rapists who murdered Vera Uwaila Omozuwa, the 22-year-old University of Benin microbiology student in Benin as examples.

In all, the outcome of the survey confirmed that there is palpable dissatisfaction with the police force, in line with the global trend of distrust of law enforcement agencies as manifested in the #BlackLivesMatter Campaign in the United States and other parts of the world. These sentiments were however heightened in 2020 as the global misery index continues to edge north.

While the highhandedness of the now defunct FSARS is a manifestation of a more pervasive problem, the major challenge which the police seems to face is a disconnect with the aspirations of the Nigerian people. Like much of Nigeria’s society, the police has “marched on its stomach” for many years. It is poorly paid, poorly housed, poorly

trained and poorly equipped. However, many in the force seem not to understand that most of Nigerian society is also poor in all ramifications. Therefore, those members of the force who consider the rest of society a viable “bush kitchen,” fit to forage on, should have been more cautious.

Going forward

As a result of the fallout of the #EndSars protest, the federal government took some important steps at addressing police brutality by way of meeting the five initial demands of protesters. However, there are pervasive reforms that are necessary to bridge the gap between the police and society.

As a starting point, an online platform where members of the public who are violated (or have been violated) by the police can lodge complaints has to be created and made accessible to all Nigerians. This platform should make provision for the name of complainant, detail of incident, time and location of incident and (if possible) name of

officer involved. This should be managed by the police provost in each state with direct

oversight by the Commissioner of Police. Cases which are not satisfactorily dealt at the state level should be referred to Abuja.

Officers who offend should be adequately addressed in line with laid down rules of engagement. Officers who have taken lives as a result of impunity or committed other criminal offences should be paraded alongside other criminals and it should be known to the Nigerian people that the police does not condone injustice or impunity at any level.

As noted by the respondents to Caritas’ survey, welfare is at the heart of the shortcomings of the police. Therefore, the welfare of officers should form a major leg of reform. Higher salaries, better housing, better health care schemes and better retirement packages should all be on the table. Additionally, regular psychiatric evaluations, trainings and leave packages should be accorded officers.

However, we note that the roadmap to ending torture, unlawful detention, extortion, extrajudicial execution and other human rights violations must incorporate the reorientation of the police and society. The inspector general of police has to commission a massive media campaign that will clean up the image of the police, project its contribution to security in society while also educating the public on how to engage police officers.

The campaign to be launched by the Inspector General should educate Nigerians on the expectation of the police from the public and how to avoid incidences that have led to these unfortunate incidences of deaths, impunity and abuse. We note that in many cases impoliteness to officers is a contributory factor to police brutality. Outright breaking of the law is also a cause of some of the mishaps that have involved officers.

In Africa, the Nigerian police is promoted as one of the most efficient police forces on the continent, that is why it has been involved in many peace keeping exercises outside the country in the past. It need not have a bad reputation at all.

Ejiro is a  Communications Strategic and Research Manager with Caritas Communication

COVID-19: How Nigerians used media during the lock down

 It took less than two weeks of lock down for major newspapers in Nigeria to reduce the number of pages they publish daily from 48 to 32. Our research at Caritas Communications had indicated that that would happen. In the first few days of lock down, we asked Nigerians through an online survey if they were still purchasing newspapers, 91 percent of respondents said no.

Reasons adduced for the change ranged from the logistics challenges occasioned by the lock down, to the fear that newspapers could be carrying “more than news.” We note that these fears have largely been allayed as Nigeria gradually emerges from lock down.

During the lock down, our research identified discernible patterns in media consumption. For media and public relations consultants, it is worthy to note that there was a systematic shift from print media consumption to digital/electronic media consumption. (Interestingly, television and radio were very critical in the media consumption mix during the period.)

Not that this pattern is new, but the magnitude of the shift should suggest to media and public relations consultants that there is no going back on the contraction of revenue models built on print advertising.

Drawn from across Nigeria, 98 percent of those we surveyed are between the 21-45 age brackets and though young, constitute a major part of the media consumption market in the country. It is instructive to note that 84 percent of them relied on social media platforms (including Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube) for news and updates during the lock down.

Interestingly, television was the major source of news and information for 61 percent of those surveyed, while newspapers (in print format) served only 11 percent. But 30 percent of them pointed to newspaper websites as their major source of news and updates.

During the lock-down, two things drove respondents to particular media platforms: Ease of access and Brevity. Therefore, while a disproportionate number of respondents pointed to social media platforms like Twitter as source of news and information, what was revealed in the analysis is that the news which was consumed on Twitter and other social media platforms was provided by the same newspapers which millions of Nigerians had marooned.

Based on the research, radio and word-of-mouth were also deemed veritable sources of news and updates during the lock down, 28 percent of respondents, mostly older citizens were tenaciously inclined to radio. In the period, we observed that there was voracious consumption of television and YouTube.

This is understandable. Social distancing and a compulsory lock down did not mean that millions of Nigerians stopped craving entertainment, intimacy and fellowship.

Forty-six percent of those survey indicated that they watched more television during the lock down than before. Twenty-nine percent spent an average of 2-3 hours watching television daily, while 26 percent spent between 3-6 hours watching television daily.

Their content of choice ranged from News (74 percent), Foreign Movies (42 percent), Nigerian Movies (38 percent), Documentaries (28 percent), Religious programs, Telenovelas, accounted for less viewership and time. The media, advertisers and public relations consultants must take these changes to heart as many organisations have elected to continue their work-from-home regimes.

Based on the foregoing, it is easy to conclude that there has been a shift in marketing budgets from Above-the-line, print and experiential, to public relations that are entrenched in electronic platforms. Smart marketers who are interested in meeting upper and middle class consumers quickly will track them online. However, because a large portion of Nigeria’s population is still not sited around the global-digital-camp-fire, radio and television will remain potent platforms to reach millions, especially the older generations.

In the next few months, we expect that working from home will continue in various forms. And because of this, advertising spend will gravitate more towards digital media. Therefore, digital skills will become more imperative for successful public relations consultants and marketers.

Public relations consultancies will be compelled to develop competencies in digital marketing and content creation or risk the consequences of not innovating. We also expect smart newspapers to broaden their advertising horizons. It is time to broaden the advertising mix on the shelves to include adverts that are only on the PDF versions of newspapers. In other words, a newspaper can print 32 pages (including adverts), but have a PDF version of 36 pages. The extra pages should cater for adverts that are strictly on the PDF version.

With the reality of COVID-19, the media remains a fluid environment. As changes continue to take place, newspapers and content creators should critically consider models that will enable them generate more revenues from their content. Otherwise, social media platforms will in a sense continue to reap bountifully from where they have not sown. 

 

EJIRO OBODO & ESTHER ABU

Ejiro is Senior manager, Communications Strategy & Research. Esther is Senior Executive, Client Services. Both work with PR Consultancy, Caritas Communications.

Notorious for apathy

Complaints about the poor reception patients get at government hospitals are getting louder, OBODO EJIRO writes.

“That was the fourth government-owned hospital we had taken our ailing mother to on that hot afternoon. We were however told the same thing that we had been told in the three before and as my sister heard those words again, she broke down and began to sub loudly,” Nonso Obiukwu says.

“We were told in all four hospitals that there was no bed to admit our mother,” Chinyere Obiukwu, Nonso’s elder sister, says.

Shadow Migration

More Nigerian families are having their babies in the United States and Europe. This is costing the country hard earned foreign exchange, and is sparking fears of future loss of valuable manpower, writes OBODO EJIRO.

When Mike Ogundipe’s wife was seven and half months pregnant in December 2016, he sold his only car. He had bought the car, a Toyota Camry 2013 model, a year earlier with funds collaboratively raised by himself, his wife and close friends, before his wedding ceremony.

“We had to sell something valuable to fund our ambition of having our baby in the United States,” the 29-year-old property developer and his wife, who works with a newspaper told me in their living room in Surulere, Lagos. 

“Today, my daughter has an American passport and birth certificate, which is a head start,” Mrs Ogundipe cheerfully told me as she revealed that her second child will follow the same path (she is already carrying her second pregnancy).

Eating the rainbow

Nigeria’s soil supports many species of fruits and vegetables, but the level of their consumption lags behind what it should be, writes OBODO EJIRO.

 

“The oranges are brought in from Gboko, Benue State, the watermelon comes from either Kano or Kebbi State, while the pineapples are brought in from Cotonu, Benin Republic or Edo State. We small traders have to rely on big fruit merchants for supplies from different places so our businesses can continue,” says Idris Adamu, a trader who has made a fortune off selling fruits in Apapa, Lagos.

 

Chapter Zero

More local children and teenagers’ storybooks are being published, but they face many challenges, writes OBODO EJIRO.

"I want that one. No, not that one, I want the one with the dancing princess on the cover,” says a teenage girl, as she stoops over a pack of short storybooks under the Ojuelegba Bridge in Lagos.

Photo Credit: AC Nielsen