On a regular basis, we, either as individuals or groups, are expected to cross-examine our worth in a bid to ascertain the area that is in need of amendment. It also enables us to acknowledge the idiosyncrasies that ought to be maintained as the journey progresses.

The aforementioned method of assessment is not only essential for an individual or group of persons, but also in the case of a corporate body. Hence, it is essentially needed by all existing bodies.

This topic is basically interested in the technological worth of the acclaimed giant of Africa. In other words, we’re x-raying how far and well she has hitherto fared in tech issues and activities.

One might ask, does Nigeria really have technology, let alone x-raying its value? The truth is that the country could currently boast of over ninety tech hubs across the federation, the highest on the African continent.

In recent years, Nigeria has ostensibly become an incubator for some of the continent’s biggest start-ups, including online marketplace such as Jumia and Konga; and these digital outlets are unarguably driven by tech expertise.

It’s noteworthy that Nigeria reportedly has the largest economy in Africa with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of about $448.12 billion compared to its closest rival, South Africa whose present GDP is about $320 billion.

However, it’s worthy of note that the real wealth of any nation is calculated by its GDP per capita, and Nigeria ranks 140 out of 186 in GDP per capita global ranking.

Per capita GDP is a financial metric that breaks down a country’s economic value (output) per person, and is calculated by dividing the whole GDP by the country’s overall population.

In Economics, it’s widely accepted that technology is the key driver of economic growth of countries, regions or cities. Technological progress allows more efficient production of goods and services, in which prosperity depends on.

Technology brings skills, knowledge, process, technique, and tools together, toward solving problems concerning human existence, thereby making their life secure and happy.

It’s very pertinent in today’s world, because it is driving the global community as well as making it appear better. In fact, it is gradually becoming inevitable in our various homes, offices, and workplaces.

Nigeria’s tech patent has grown to be an envy of all who understands its real content. In terms of human and material attributes, it has over the years remains significant in the global society and market.

Take a walk round the world, you would comprehend that, most recent tech inventions and innovations across the globe were mainly as a result of contributions from Nigerians. Similarly, Nigerians remain the reason several countries’ tech sectors have grown beyond limits.

Ironically, Nigeria’s tech sector is presently nothing to write home about. As the days unfold, the sector continues to decline in its value, hence taking the country’s name to a state of ridicule.

Each day, the governments at all levels come up with empty promises and policies as regards tech-driven activity and innovation. The politicians at the country’s helm of affairs have unequivocally, over the donkey’s years, failed us in this regard.

The good news is that, in spite of the lingering hurdles and challenges, the prospects of the country’s tech value remain obviously great, perhaps owing to the fathomless resources lying fallow.

It’s worth noting that countless factors are behind the ongoing impediments in Nigeria’s tech sector. For us to get it right as a people, these barriers continually posing a threat must be severely tackled by the concerned authorities at all cost.

A certain tech-driven contract might be awarded by the government. In the long run, we would be greeted with a myriad of untold stories attributed to paucity of funds. In such case, it could be either the fund made available for execution of the project had been squandered or that insufficient fund was approved ab initio.

The steady economic fluctuation is another glaring factor that cannot be swept under the carpet. This particular plight has left Nigerians tech experts with no choice than to becloud their reasoning with uncertainties and fear of the unknown.

More so, those who – amidst the tough times – insisted on putting something together, would not find the apt market to sell their products or patents. This has continued unabated.

This could be as a result of infrastructural decay occasioned by lack of maintenance culture, or the required physical infrastructures have never been in existence from the onset. The cost of running a tech firm in Nigeria is too high, to say the least.

US tech companies have managed to stay neutral since Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday. Unlike several organizations following the trend of US-led sanctions on Russia by severing ties with either businesses from Russia or the Russian government itself, the Big Tech, especially social media platforms have shown little or no sign of taking a side.

But the story is beginning to change as the conflict escalates. In times of war, governments aim to push media propaganda using state-run media outlets and other platforms they could bend. Social media companies wield enormous global media influence that put them on the spotlight – and they may be forced to either allow government propaganda or get the boot. Facebook has begun to receive that treatment.

Russia said Friday that it would partially limit access to Facebook within its borders over what it alleges is censorship of four state news outlets.

In its announcement, the country’s communications regulator said it asked Facebook earlier in the week to remove the restrictions and explain its reasoning for them but did not hear back. It also accused the company of various other undetailed human rights and freedoms abuses.

Per Insider, Facebook said it had refused requests to stop fact-checking posts from certain outlets.

“Russian authorities ordered us to stop the independent fact-checking and labelling of content posted on Facebook by four Russian state-owned media organizations. We refused. As a result, they have announced they will be restricting the use of our services,” Nick Clegg, Facebook’s vice president for global affairs and communications, tweeted on Thursday.

https://twitter.com/nickclegg/status/1497279120853590025?t=zN1z9FPJI_u5lzYCgzZ78w&s=19

It’s not clear if the planned restriction will impact other apps in Meta’s portfolio, like WhatsApp or Instagram.

Ukraine has been under serious unprovoked attack by Russia, as President Vladimir Putin flexes its military muscle to enforce his political will. Ukraine has picked up arms to fend off the heightened aggression which is expected to advance to more cities in the country in coming days.

The conflict, which brewed a lot of tension in the past weeks, became a full-scale war on Thursday after Putin recognized the independence of two breakaway regions of Ukraine – Donetsk and Luhansk. Putin said he moved into Ukraine to stop unproved genocide against the separatists.

More than 137 Ukrainians were dead as of early Friday morning, and one official said Friday would be the “hardest day.” The Ukrainian government claimed over 2,000 Russian troops have been killed.

Against this backdrop, the desire to control the narrative is forcing Russia to take aim at social media. According to Politico, a handful of Russia-backed media outlets have posted stories on Facebook and Twitter containing false claims that Ukrainian military forces were the ones who launched unprovoked assaults on Russian-allied troops.

Social media companies have been under intense scrutiny over what they allowed to be in their platforms, especially in times of crisis. Google’s YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and others have been pressured to pour more resources into handling false information related to the pandemic, the 2020 presidential election, and political disinformation more broadly.

The Lagos state high court sitting in Ikeja, on Friday, the 25th of February, 2022 finally sentenced the popular billionaire Kidnapper Evans and two of his accomplices to life imprisonment.

Evans was arrested in a sting operation after investigation proved that he and his cohorts were the masterminds behind the kidnapping of Mr Donatius Dunu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Ltd on February 14, 2017, and a ransom of €223,000 was collected from his family. Evans and his accomplices before then had been accused of other numerous kidnap cases and they were subjects of police investigation until he was busted and arrested with his gang. 

What the Nigerian laws say about the crime of Kidnapping and abduction for ransom:

The crime of kidnapping was duly provided for in the criminal code act in S.364 of and it reads thus:

S.364. Kidnapping

Any person who?

(1) unlawfully imprisons any person, and takes him out of Nigeria without his consent; or

(2) unlawfully imprisons any person within Nigeria in such a manner as to prevent him from applying to a court for his release or from discovering to any other person the place where he is imprisoned, or in such a manner as to prevent any person entitled to have access to him from discovering the place where he is imprisoned,

is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for ten years.

In the criminal code, the crime of kidnapping carries the punishment of ten years imprisonment but some  state legislators and even federal legislators have in some many plenaries argued that the punishment of 10 years jail term for a kidnapper is not efficient to punish a kidnapper and to deter other prospective kidnappers from committing the crime and this led to some states and federal legislators proposing and even passing a bills/laws to provide stiffer punishments for the crime of kidnapping.

Lagos state is one of the states that are openly against the 10 years jail term for kidnappers provided in the criminal code. Though the federal law which is the Criminal code already provides for the crime of kidnapping and its punishment, Lagos state have passed a state law that provides for stiffer punishments for kidnappers; stiffer than the punishment of 10 years jail term provided in S.364 of the criminal code.

The Lagos State promulgated a law in 2019 captioned “The Lagos State Kidnapping Prohibition Law, 2019” and Section 3(3) of this law punishes kidnapping with a jail term of 25 years to life imprisonment and when the kidnapper is liable for the death of the hostage, he will be liable for for death penalty as provided in s.2(2) of the law.

The senate has also proposed a bill to amend s.364 of the criminal code which provides for the punishment of 10 years jail term for a kidnapper.  The federal lawmakers have incessantly argued that stiffer punishments like  death sentence or life imprisonments for the crime of kidnapping will be the best alternative punishment. A bill was then proposed by the senate: captioned “Abduction, Wrongful Restraint and Confinement Bill 2021. The bill’s primary goal is to introduce stiffer punishment for kidnapping, wrongful restraint and wrongful confinement for ransom.

In summary, although the punishment for the offense of kidnapping is Nigeria as provided in s364 of the criminal code is 10 years jail term, some states of the federation have made a law which provides for stiffer punishment for kidnappers; Lagos for example provided for 25 years to life imprisonments for kidnappers and in some cases death penalty for the kidnapper(s) if the hostage died in the custody of the kidnapper.

The Evans,  the kidnapper’s case was a very notorious case and he and his cohorts finally met their Waterloo as they had been sent away for life.