GAINS OF BONI YAYI’S STATE VISITS
arely 24 hours after his inauguration as Bénin’s number one man, President Boni Yayi had embarked on his first but curious tour which took him to Nigeria. Since then, he has visited other African countries on what is referred to as working visit. The fallout from these trips has proved that indeed they were working trips. Some of the countries visited by President Boni Yayi include :
Þ Nigeria: President Boni Yayi’s first port of call had to be Nigeria. Undoubtedly, the invitation must have transpired during the swearing-in ceremony in Porto-Novo with Nigeria’s Head of State, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in conscpicuous presence. That trip was not unexpected because, charity, they say, begins at home. And Nigeria being the country in closest proximity to Bénin is like home to many Beninese. Not just that. History has it that a great number of Beninese have their root in Nigeria in addition to trans-frontier economic activities between the two countries both in the formal and informal sectors. It therefore becomes expedient and natural for the two governments to work hands in gloves to harness the already existing healthy relationship between them.
Þ Senegal : Before his election as Benin president, Boni Yayi’s presence in Senegal had been some source of pride not only to the host country but to the banking industry at large, where Boni Yayi occupied the hot seat of the African Developement Bank at its headquarters in Dakar. President Abdoulaye Wade could not have missed being closely related to the banker-turned-politician which advantage he would now exploit to be counted among the first African presidents to play host to Bénin’s first gentleman. President Boni Yayi government’s acquisition of what has come to be known as technocratic embelishment stems from the crop of specially skilled manpower (however few), that he drew from his former banking outfit in Dakar.
Þ Mali/Niger : These are two countries whose nearness and dearness to Bénin cannot be ignored. The volume of trade between these countries and Bénin coupled with the apparent number of migrant traders from these countries really calls for attention.
Togo/Ghana : Though the President is yet to visit these two countries, that does not mean that they are being undermined. Hardly can one get out of Bénin from the side of the equator without encountering Togo and Ghana. Benin on its part has served as land of refuge for displaced Togolese and Ghanaians alike during their moments of political turmoil.
Gabon : The first emigrants from DAHOMEY to Gabon dates back to early 18th century. More than 200 years after the first movement, people of both countries still have a reason to interact culturally, socially, economically and politically. What with the recent donation of a sum of 20 million francs CFA by President Omar BONGO to the good people of Bénin resident in Libreville. This is indeed a clear testimony of the love and hospitality spirit existing between the two countries. Therefore, President Boni Yayi’s visit to Gabon can be perceived as being only natural.
Libyia : Given the prominent role being played by President Moumar Gadhafi in the African Union, it behooves of any right thinking African leader to seek to get as close to him as possible. This is one gentlemen that has publicly denounced acts of terrorism to the admiration of the G-8 and particularly the United States.
The Windfall : To the uninformed mind, these trips embarked upon by President Boni Yayi would look like a further drain on the country’s non-existent savings. But from economic perspective, what he has embarked upon is the most effective way of seeking to revitalise an ailing economy. In the words of this double-laurette economist, during his recent visit to the Hubert Maga University Teaching Hospital, " If an institution that is supposed to cater for sick persons is itself sick, it has to sought remedy first from external source in order to be able to fulfil its function effectively." (emphasis mine). Needless to say, these trips, judging from the economic variables, one should not expect to see the results within a very short period of time. Yet some evidences of bright llight at the end of the tunnel can be noticed in so many quarters. The aviation industry, the agricultural sector, the petroleum products distribution zone, and international trade, to mention just a few, have started breathing some air of revitalisation, and it certainly wont be long before the real windfall will become generally felt. Obviously, Béninese should give kudos to this God-sent regime of President Thomas Boni Yayi.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
ICT as an Enterprise
WHAT IS THE BEST BUSINESS MODEL FOR ONLINE JOURNALISM ?
In suggesting what should be the best business model for online journalism, I am tempted to say that no model can be said to be the best. Forging a workable should depend largely on the needs of the environment. So, for anyone to prosper in this field, one should be conversant with what is needed by the majority of the consumers in his locality. Another factor to consider is what has been already offered by other service providers (i.e. your competitors).
2. CAN THE MEDIA MAKE MONEY ONLINE ?
This question would have received a ‘No’ answer from me some three years back. But having been involved with online buying and selling, I am aware that many people could be said to have accumulated much wealth just by sitting before the magic screen and typing away their time.
3. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CREATIVE WAYS OF GENERATING REVENUE ONLINE ?
One way is to ask for subscription at an attractive (not prohibitive) rate.
Another way is to make your site juicy so that people will prefer it to other sites. By this, I mean to say that one has to diversify his/her scope of coverage. Once, your site is acceptable to 50 persons, and they remain regular clients, there are chances to quadruple that figure in no distant time.
4. WHAT SERVICES CAN WE DEVELOP FOR ONLINE AS NEWS ORGANISATION ?
Apart from regular ‘hot’ news items, one can also provide on-line shopping for scarce commodities. Quiz competitions of intellectual nature will be a good sale for your site. Feedback facility on debates of popular interest will also go. Issues, for example, as whether to try Charles Taylor in Siera-Leon or at the Haigh, will certainly attract large traffic. At the local level, one can get some religious bodies to advertise their activities online. Chat rooms can be developed for debates for similar organisations.
5. WHAT ELEMENTS OF "OLD MEDIA" BUSINESS MODEL CAN WE TRANSFER ONLINE ?
Radio frequencies can be transferred online. Movies, like soap operas can also be moved to the online media for ‘subscribers only’.
6. WHO CAN BE INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING OUR ONLINE BUSINESS MODEL ?
Online business journalism is not restrictive. Once you know what is involved, anybody who has been into media practice can equally do media online. All you need is internet literacy.
In suggesting what should be the best business model for online journalism, I am tempted to say that no model can be said to be the best. Forging a workable should depend largely on the needs of the environment. So, for anyone to prosper in this field, one should be conversant with what is needed by the majority of the consumers in his locality. Another factor to consider is what has been already offered by other service providers (i.e. your competitors).
2. CAN THE MEDIA MAKE MONEY ONLINE ?
This question would have received a ‘No’ answer from me some three years back. But having been involved with online buying and selling, I am aware that many people could be said to have accumulated much wealth just by sitting before the magic screen and typing away their time.
3. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CREATIVE WAYS OF GENERATING REVENUE ONLINE ?
One way is to ask for subscription at an attractive (not prohibitive) rate.
Another way is to make your site juicy so that people will prefer it to other sites. By this, I mean to say that one has to diversify his/her scope of coverage. Once, your site is acceptable to 50 persons, and they remain regular clients, there are chances to quadruple that figure in no distant time.
4. WHAT SERVICES CAN WE DEVELOP FOR ONLINE AS NEWS ORGANISATION ?
Apart from regular ‘hot’ news items, one can also provide on-line shopping for scarce commodities. Quiz competitions of intellectual nature will be a good sale for your site. Feedback facility on debates of popular interest will also go. Issues, for example, as whether to try Charles Taylor in Siera-Leon or at the Haigh, will certainly attract large traffic. At the local level, one can get some religious bodies to advertise their activities online. Chat rooms can be developed for debates for similar organisations.
5. WHAT ELEMENTS OF "OLD MEDIA" BUSINESS MODEL CAN WE TRANSFER ONLINE ?
Radio frequencies can be transferred online. Movies, like soap operas can also be moved to the online media for ‘subscribers only’.
6. WHO CAN BE INVOLVED IN DEVELOPING OUR ONLINE BUSINESS MODEL ?
Online business journalism is not restrictive. Once you know what is involved, anybody who has been into media practice can equally do media online. All you need is internet literacy.
Strengthening the African Media
I wish to make the following remark with regard to what it takes to strengthen the media. Perhaps an empirical example might help. Here in Bénin republic, during the just concluded presidential electioneering campaign, the media distinguished itself as a body to be respected. How did it happen? A few weeks before the campaign flagged off, the media regulatory body did organize seminars for journalists where series of slogans, guidelines, bill boards and sensitizing instruments were shared. Of course, sanctions were attached to any violation of those guidelines. Some two media houses tried to play the old game. They received the sledge-hammer. They were banned from covering the elections. That means loosing a great percentage of their audience/readers for as long as the elections lasted. Other media houses were put on toes as a result of that punitive measure. It might be interesting to note that at least a quarter of the media houses are owned by politicians or have some measure of leaning. Yet, decorum was the order of the day. Many international observers who came to Bénin during the elections did not leave without commending the Bénin media. The level of respect the media in Benin commands, not only from politicians, the government, or from members of the civil society, is unparralleled. It stands to reason that, should any media organisation in Benin seek to obtain some outside assistance to strengthen itself, it will certainly receive positive response, on account of that tongue of good report. Alas, the same cannot be said of many other African media. My submission, therefore, is that building a sustainable institution to bolster the public sphere and help nurture effective states, has to begin with establishing a credible media.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Verification
TRIGGER QUESTIONS What does ICT Journalism means to you?
Information and Communication Techniques Journalism is the art of using modern technology to disseminate information with professional touch.
Can ICT makes a difference in Journalism?
ICT will make a big impact in journalism as it is already doing. That is to say, journalists who possess the additional capacity to source information via the internet, and have the modern technology such as the PC and its accompanying soft and hardwares, telephone, et cetera, perform better, deliver faster and are more accurate.Are we going to see the death of newspapers due to ICTs?
I do not envisage any threat to newspaper publishing as a result of ICT. Newspapers are only going to be more worth-the-while and substantial when the ICT revolution is brought to bear on its content and final publication .How does ICT change Journalism?
Journalism will no longer be boring. Interviews that usually take long period of time to schedule can be arranged and done with in a twinkle of an eye. Facts cannot be obliterated, because the one journalist is aware that whatever information is is processing can always be verified independently whenever people are in doubt.What was the most useful information did you get through reading of lecture notes and readings?
I never knew that blogging was one useful tool for posting private information. I am also excited about the innumerable opportunities that about with ICT development. What is the most important ICT tools in your news organisation?
My radio station have since adopted the processing of reportage via the mobile phone. Minidisk recorders have replaced the antiquated cassette recording mechanism. Computers are available for word processing. With that, one can hardly encounter serious spelling or grammatical errors that used to be common especially with the print media. Copies of texts can simply be scanned and converted instead of having to re-type a whole bunch of texts.How can we generate more stories about ICTs?
Our individual and collective contributions born out of enthusiastic research work and personal experiences can form a big story about ICT.
Vincent NNANNA,
03 BP 1628, Cotonou, Benin.
Tel: +(229)97444619 & 93478254
Information and Communication Techniques Journalism is the art of using modern technology to disseminate information with professional touch.
Can ICT makes a difference in Journalism?
ICT will make a big impact in journalism as it is already doing. That is to say, journalists who possess the additional capacity to source information via the internet, and have the modern technology such as the PC and its accompanying soft and hardwares, telephone, et cetera, perform better, deliver faster and are more accurate.Are we going to see the death of newspapers due to ICTs?
I do not envisage any threat to newspaper publishing as a result of ICT. Newspapers are only going to be more worth-the-while and substantial when the ICT revolution is brought to bear on its content and final publication .How does ICT change Journalism?
Journalism will no longer be boring. Interviews that usually take long period of time to schedule can be arranged and done with in a twinkle of an eye. Facts cannot be obliterated, because the one journalist is aware that whatever information is is processing can always be verified independently whenever people are in doubt.What was the most useful information did you get through reading of lecture notes and readings?
I never knew that blogging was one useful tool for posting private information. I am also excited about the innumerable opportunities that about with ICT development. What is the most important ICT tools in your news organisation?
My radio station have since adopted the processing of reportage via the mobile phone. Minidisk recorders have replaced the antiquated cassette recording mechanism. Computers are available for word processing. With that, one can hardly encounter serious spelling or grammatical errors that used to be common especially with the print media. Copies of texts can simply be scanned and converted instead of having to re-type a whole bunch of texts.How can we generate more stories about ICTs?
Our individual and collective contributions born out of enthusiastic research work and personal experiences can form a big story about ICT.
Vincent NNANNA,
03 BP 1628, Cotonou, Benin.
Tel: +(229)97444619 & 93478254
Sunday, March 26, 2006
intjet
Three types of journalists exist. The next-of-kin journalist, who happens to be there because the media house is a family property. The cocktail journalist, who appears at state functions and does not miss any of those grandoise that are peculiar to the environment. The conscientious journalist or journalist of conscience is there because of his honest and soul-touching conviction that what, who, why, when, where and how issues should be critically analysed and addressed to the satisfaction of all concerned, thus guaranteeing a society free from suspicion and mistrust. Few there are that venture onto this path. I am proud to belong to the minority group. What about you?
Vincent NNANNA
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