The Paradigm Initiative

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Not quite a Newb Joined: 03 Dec 2011 Posts: 31

Something positive in Lagos.

I'm listening to BBC Radio4 this morning and they've been running a series lately called "Young and Jobless". Today's focus was on cyber crime in Lagos. A group called The Paradigm Initiative is setting up in cyber cafés trying to show lads that their IT and money making skills can be put to legal means.

Volunteers are teaching them about web design, graphic design, writing their cv's, starting a web based business and there's even a pigeon anti-cyber crime theme song.

Granted, the end result could be some even more saavy lads, but it was a nice program with a positive message stating that there is a real possibility that Lagos could someday become a techno hub as places like Bangalore are now.

Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 6:44 am

Here's the video (and it plays from overseas accounts, I'm in Australia)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-16192839

Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:44 am

Heard it this morning too, and a snatch of the song "Maga no need pay". I admire the initiative and I thought what the guy they were interviewing about peer pressure being responsible for a lot of youngsters getting into scams was very telling.

However Nigeria has a huge hill to climb as it's become synonymous with fraud and corruption so...

Quote:

there is a real possibility that Lagos could someday become a techno hub as places like Bangalore are now

... if your bank told you that they were moving their IT processing and call centre to Lagos, would you still be banking with them?

Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 3:48 pm

^^ No.

But ten years from now? It's possible that the perception of Lagos could change.

Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 4:05 pm

bearkat419 wrote:

It's possible that the perception of Lagos could change.

It would be nice for them if it could - an unintended consequence of the 419 industry is that Lagos must have one of the most IT savvy youth populations anywhere, in Africa at least, which must be worth something in the world of legitimate business.

Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 1:06 pm

10 years is pretty optimistic considering the amount of change needed to the education system. The change to their reputation will not be an overnight event. Some will pick up ethics and try, but will be facing discrimination as the good jobs go to overseas professionals with better education and business ethics. For many years, the area will be a low skill labor pool that is paid low wages. Because of this, the ethical issues will remain for a long time. As result the reputation will also take a long time to fix.

Change will come. It will take time. Our part is to make crime not pay.

Compare an average lad photochop to some from other areas. This not a highly skilled workforce.

http://pop-art-yarn.com/whynophoto.html

Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 10:29 pm

The Lagos MegaCity Regeneration Project was covered in the BBC3 mini-series 'Welcome to Lagos' last year. Much is being done, and both Area and Thug Boys (gangs) have been recruited to (paid) work on 'beautification' projects, but the endemic corruption.....sadly, it is difficult to foresee an end to it.

Look at mighty India; a massive sub-continent, no longer 'third world', now 'up there' with China in its manufacturing and IT industries, with a burgeoning economy and expanding middle-class, but still riddled with corruption.