Book Review Joseph Wilson and Nuhu Diraso Gapsiso Overcoming Gender Inequalities through Technology Integration: Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2016, ISBN 9791466697744 , p324

Education is one of the most troubled sectors in Nigeria. There are series of industrial actions in the sector to draw government’s attention to a range of problems that has continued to hinder meaningful progress in the sector. One of such industrial actions was the six months nationwide strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) between July and December 2013, that disrupted the University academic calendar. This industrial action was widely reported in local and international media, with spectacular public debates across the country that seemed to draw mostly upon media reports on the crisis. Given the centrality of media coverage to public understanding of the crisis, we considered it significant to examine how some of Nigeria’s leading newspapers – Daily trust, Vanguard, The Nation and The Guardian reported the crisis within the categories of the demands made by ASUU. The specific objectives of this study were to determine the areas of salient emphasis and directions of coverage in the selected newspapers. An aggregate of 736 units of analysis (articles) were coded from Lexis-Nexis database and hard copies of the newspapers. Findings show that the newspapers paid little attention to the background and in-depth analyses of the crisis, thereby narrowing public understanding to straight news, which dominated the coverage genre. Specific issues in the contending FG-ASUU 2009 agreement were largely avoided in the coverage by way of casual citations, while Earned Academic Allowances and revitalization funds were presented with salient emphasis. The study concluded that the newspapers have failed to provide the adequate information required to educate and aid public understanding on the FG-ASUU educational crisis and the general problem in the higher education sector.

Migration from African countries to especially European nations has in recent times gained more global attention and the media are awashed with disturbing reports, particularly on the migrant slavery in Libya. Therefore this paper examines pictorial framing of the migrant slavery issue in Libya by Daily Trust Newspaper. The objectives of the paper are to examine: whether the slavery issues are pictorially framed by Daily Trust newspaper as dehumanising ; whether the slavery issues are pictorially framed by Daily Trust newspaper showing physical Trauma among the migrants ; whether the slavery issues are framed showing chronic conditions of the victims as depicted by overwork, insufficient clothing or ill clothed; whether the slavery issues are framed depicting of deaths; and whether the ‘migrants slaves’ are framed as physically trapped; whether the migrants are framed as people for sale (commodities). The study developed a content analysis of pictorial representation of the slavery in one of the national newspaper in Nigeria: Daily Trust. The study found that the pictorial framing of the migrant slavery in Libya by Daily Trust Newspaper tilted predominantly as mild as resolved/rescued situation. The study concludes that in spite the horrifying reports and footages about the issue, Daily Trust newspaper framed it as mild and as a resolved/rescued situation, thus downplaying the horrifying the situation in picture.

Dakkada is a change communication strategy initiated by Akwa Ibom State Government to rebrand the State. Dakkada is an Ibibio word that simply means ARISE! The Dakkada initiative is the brain child of the Akwa Ibom State Government. It is a call to the citizens of the State and need to rise above pettiness and move into greatness founded on good ethos. It is about attitudinal cum mental reformation and economic regeneration. This study examined Uyo audience perception of re-branding Akwa Ibom State with Dakkada mantra. The study investigates how Uyo residents perceive Dakkada campaign message, to examine what interest Uyo residents in Dakkada campaign message and to determine the medium through which respondents access the Dakkada campaign messages. The study employed survey research method. Results showed that residents of Uyo metropolis perceived the Dakkada campaign initiative as a positive development. Uyo residents preferred the content of Dakkada message and they accessed the Dakkada messages through radio medium. The study recommended thatAkwa Ibom people should develop more positive attitudes towards Dakkada campaign and embrace it whole heartedly.

Migration from African countries to especially European nations has in recent times gained more global attention and the media are awashed with disturbing reports, particularly on the migrant slavery in Libya. Therefore this paper examines pictorial framing of the migrant slavery issue in Libya by Daily Trust Newspaper. The objectives of the paper are to examine: whether the slavery issues are pictorially framed by Daily Trust newspaper as dehumanising ; whether the slavery issues are pictorially framed by Daily Trust newspaper showing physical Trauma among the migrants ; whether the slavery issues are framed showing chronic conditions of the victims as depicted by overwork, insufficient clothing or ill clothed; whether the slavery issues are framed depicting of deaths; and whether the ‘migrants slaves’ are framed as physically trapped; whether the migrants are framed as people for sale (commodities). The study developed a content analysis of pictorial representation of the slavery in one of the national newspaper in Nigeria: Daily Trust. The study found that the pictorial framing of the migrant slavery in Libya by Daily Trust Newspaper tilted predominantly as mild as resolved/rescued situation. The study concludes that in spite the horrifying reports and footages about the issue, Daily Trust newspaper framed it as mild and as a resolved/rescued situation, thus downplaying the horrifying the situation in picture.

Social media has been adjudged an innovation which can be utilized to propel socioeconomic and political transformations in the modern society. Given the liberty in access and use of social media, Nigerians have in recent times, put to use the platform to express their views on national issues. Recent occurrences have revealed that the use of vile and hateful comments dominate the discourse among Nigerians on the social media space, particularly Facebook. This development indicates the potentials of social media to pose serious threats to peaceful coexistence through the proliferation of hate comments. This paper examines users’ comments on Biafra agitations and the Arewa youths’ ultimatum to Igbo residents in the North, with a focus on the Facebook accounts of selected media organisations. The critical discourse analysis approach was employed to explore the tone of comments (that attack or express support for a particular ethnic or religious group, and those that attack the personality of the president based on his regional and ethnic affiliations) and their implications on peaceful coexistence in Nigeria. Findings reveal that users were polarised along regional and religious lines in their comments, posting negative and injurious comments capable of turning the nation against itself. This is attributed to the ubiquitous nature of social media, making it possible for users to anonymously read contents and react with derogatory comments that insult or ridicule the ethnic, political, regional and religious affiliations of the diverse population of the country. Thus, there is the need for an articulate policy framework to moderate what goes on in the social media, to counter the negative effects of the platform on peaceful coexistence.

This study examined media sensitization on financial literacy among residents of AkwaIbom State. The research adopted the survey method, a sample of 400 respondents from3,902,051 population of the state were polled using thequestionnaire.. The research objectives wereto find out the percentage of people who are exposed to financial literacy message; to ascertain the outstanding media source of financial messages available to residents; to assess the nature of financial messages from the media..The responses showed that 52 percent of the respondents had exposure to financial literacy messages while 42 percent claimed they never had exposure and six per cent remained undecided. The banking agents accounting for 55 percent of sources of awareness on financial literacy and 45 percent the mass media sources. A total of 78 percent of respondents claimed messages on financial literacy werecomplex, too complex while 22 percent of them said the messages were simple. From the test of hypothesis, this study concludes that media sensitization on financial literacy in AkwaIbom State is low. It recommends that more financial literacy programmes should be designed to reach the residents by empowering the banking agents to serve.

Upsurge in social media use owing to internet access perhaps through mobile phones has enhanced information sharing within and outside political terrain in Nigeria but currently breeding socio-political imbroglio. Social media usage, which was much pronounced during 2015 general election and is presumed to have enhanced transparency and democratic process, has generated mixed feelings on whether it should be regulated or not. It draws a battle line between the advocates of human rights to information freedom (publics) and the protectors of human rights from information abuse (Legislators). Aiming to establish empirical justifications for or against social media misuse in the Nigerian political fold, content analysis approach was used to explore the abuse of Facebook and Twitter contents during 2015 election. With a focus on posts and tweets on the Facebook and Twitter accounts of the two major presidential aspirants (Mohammadu Buhari (APC) and Goodluck Jonathan (PDP), the abuse of the platforms was found apparent. The public obsession in social media use is considered the consequence of the platforms boundless accessibility and interactivity that merited its need to reiterate public agenda. Considering the state of the abuse, monitoring and rewriting sordid and campaign of calumny posts and twits by governments at various levels as well as concerned Nigerians, without compromising the right to free speech, can bring sanctity to the social media platforms.