Broadcasting
Here’s How We Need to Think About Digital Skills in 2024
By Zuko Mdwaba, Salesforce Area VP / Africa Executive
It’s no secret that, in addition to a persistent youth unemployment crisis, Nigeria has an acute skills shortage. Some might view those two things as a paradox. In reality, however, they feed into each other. Without the requisite skills, many companies struggle to scale and grow, which would ease the unemployment crisis.
Photography for SAS in April 2017 by Jeremy Glyn.
There are few sectors where this skills shortage is felt more acutely than in the digital arena. In fact, a report released earlier this year found that more than 100 million young Nigerians lack the digital skills needed to take up good job opportunities
A good example of how big the shortage is can be seen in the software development space. At present, Nigeria is home to just 83 000 software developers. By contrast, the US state of California is home to more than 630 000 developers. Its population is just 18% as big as Nigeria’s. Of course, developers are just one slice of the digital skills pie. Other in-demand digital skills in Nigeria include cybersecurity, data analysis, and digital marketing.
But how can the country ensure that it builds those much-needed skills in a way that’s impactful and sustainable in the long term? One important step is to reframe how we think about digital skills development. It’s an approach which, among other things, means that the country will be better prepared for new technologies rather than reacting to them and which centres the whole person rather than focusing solely on a specific hard skill.
Embracing new tech
When it comes to embracing new technologies rather than fearing them, it’s hard to think of a more powerful example than artificial intelligence (AI). At the extreme ends of AI discourse, there are accelerationists, who believe that the rapid development of technologies in the field will benefit humanity and doomers, who take a far more pessimistic view on the future of AI and its implications for humanity.
In truth, much probably depends on how we choose to use the technology. For now, however, it’s important to remember that AI can be a significant enabler for digital workers and even create jobs. We know this because it’s already happening. In the programming space, for example, AI tools have helped developers program faster, be more productive, and even enjoy enhanced job satisfaction.
The same will likely be true across a broad spectrum of industries but only if people have the necessary skills to utilise AI effectively. As such, workers and businesses alike need to stop viewing AI as a threat, start thinking about how to use it to their advantage and build up their skills accordingly.
Focusing on the whole person
Getting people to the point where they can take this forward-looking approach to skills development is, however, not as simple as telling them to do so. And even if someone already has this attitude, you can’t just provide them with that specific skill. You also have to develop the whole person.
That means ensuring that skills development always happens within a relevant context. Within this context, people are equipped with more than technical capability but also given the support and resources to flourish in the environment where the acquired skills will be applied. Among the many benefits of this approach is that it means people will likely pick up future skills faster than they otherwise would have.
An important whole-person approach is the promotion of life-long learning. Here again, organisations cannot simply say they support life-long learning. They have to demonstrate that they do too. That means creating a supportive environment that encourages lifelong learning and learning agility as the foundation on which effective skills training and talent development can happen.
Understanding that skills development is a collective effort
Finally, it’s important to remember that skills development cannot be truly effective if it happens in isolation. Instead, organisations across all sectors must remember that they exist in an ecosystem and that real, transformative skills development can only happen when all the players in that ecosystem are pulling in the same direction.
It’s an approach which we’re confident will create tens of thousands of new jobs and generate billions of new dollars in business revenue. And the more players from across the industry who get involved the bigger the impact will be.
Act now or fall behind
Given the incredible need for skills development in Nigeria, along with the rapid pace of technological advancement, it’s clear that urgent action is needed. And if it’s not taken, the country risks falling behind and becoming uncompetitive. But it should also be clear that we need to be very careful about how we think about skills development in 2024. Ultimately, the idea isn’t to patch holes but to build a cohort of workers ready to face the future with full confidence.
In today’s fast-paced world, where every penny counts, finding ways to save on essential services is more important than ever. And as part of its commitment to customer satisfaction, DStv has reiterated its “Price Lock” feature.
This is in response to the upcoming tariff increase, which the company understands may impose some financial strain on its valued customers.
What exactly does the “Price Lock” feature entail? The “Price Lock” feature offers customers the opportunity to retain their subscriptions at the current rate for 12 months.
To use the “Price Lock” feature, customers simply need to renew their subscriptions before the due date each month, ensuring uninterrupted access to their favourite DStv content at the current rate for the next 12 months.
But here’s the catch: only customers with an active subscription by the 30th of April qualify for this offer, when the tariff adjustment comes into effect.
Make sure you don’t miss the price lock offer! Simply download the MyDStv or MyGOtv app or dial *288# to subscribe, upgrade, or set up Auto-Renewal.
Civil Society Organisation (CSO) under the auspices of Open Justice Initiative (OJI), has threatened to drag the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to court if it fails to ban Netflix, TikTok, and others over the alleged broadcast of offensive same-sex content on Nigeria’s airwaves.
The CSO, also urged NBC to ban other social media platforms, including X, formerly known as Twitter, Facebook, etc with regard to the subject matter.
Donald Ayibiowu, lawyer and programme officer of OJI, gave the warning in a letter addressed to Mr. Charles Ebuebu, director-general of the NBC.
The certified true copy of the letter titled: “Need to ban and bar the continuous broadcast of offensive same-sex contents on Nigeria’s airwaves by Netflix and other specialised broadcast outlets”, made available to newsmen in Abuja, was received by the Commission on April 23, 2024.
The letter said, “We write to draw the esteem attention of your commission to some obnoxious and repugnant same-sex contents being aired or transmitted by some broadcast outfits operating within the Nigeria broadcast space, which platforms includes Netflix and some social media entities.
“These abhorrent contents being campaigned about borders on the promotion of amorous relationships between persons of same sex on the said platforms.
“We received complaints on this topic from well-meaning Nigerians and religious organisations and further discovered that the broadcast contents/materials on these platforms are laced with embedded scenes/episodes where same-sex relationships are practically being propagated.
“We also conducted research on some social media platforms like TikTok, Twitter (X), Facebook (Meta), etc with regards to this subject, and found same hazardous and illegal same-sex content being promoted and transmitted.
“It is clear that there is an agenda to surreptitiously lure the unsuspecting young population of this country to this satanic habit/lifestyle of same-sex practice in Nigeria by subtly introducing same through entertainment and showbiz industry, albeit through the airwaves.
“It is now commonplace to see some of these illegal contents being conveyed on social media and specialised platforms in Nigeria.
“We wish to point out that these contents are clearly being aired or transmitted in contravention of our extant laws such as Sections 4(2) and 5(2} of the Same-Sex Mariage (Prohibition) Act, 2013,” he said.
The lawyer said the act being subtly propagated and promoted via the mediums was targeted at destroying the moral fibre and rectitude, erode, dislodging and polluting the society with unacceptable inhuman values.
He said it was also to erode the age-long cultural practices and sacred religious belief system of male and female gender only as created by God Almighty.
Ayibiowu said, that if the commission failed to block, restrict or scrap the same-sex promotional material/contents from Nigeria airwaves, “we shall proceed to seek further redress in pursuit of our goal of saner Nigeria airwaves”.
Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has promised to review recent price increases in MultiChoice cable subscriptions to ensure subscribers in Nigeria get value for their money.
Recall that the leading pay TV operator, recently announced increase in the subscriptions for its DStv and GOtv packages by at least 25 per cent.
Multichoice announced the increase in tarrifs in a message sent to subscribers on Wednesday and said that the new regime will be effective May 1.
The company stated this in the statement signed by John Ugbe, chief executive officer was titled, ‘Price Adjustment on DStv and GOtv Packages.’
The pay-TV firm cited the rise in the cost of business operations as the rationale behind the price increase.
The company said, “We understand the impact this change may have on you – our valued customer, but the rise in the cost of business operations, has led us to make this difficult decision.
“It remains our mission to provide the best entertainment and viewing experience to you and are committed to continue to deliver high-quality content and unparalleled service. So, from Wednesday, 1 May 2024, the price adjustment will take effect.”
But Adamu Abdullahi, acting chief executive officer, FCCPC, in a chat with Channels Television on its Dateline Abuja programme on Thursday, provided an update on the summons issued to the owner of a Chinese store in Abuja accused of discriminatory and sharp practices.
He also commented on the adherence to the order given to the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, stating that sanctions are imminent for all verified infractions identified by the agency.
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