I posted this for a seemingly innocuous reason: I needed to check the VIN of a car online, and had to pay about $30, very reluctantly. I wasn't happy about it, I even tried to see how i could get round not paying, but unfortunately, I had to in the end.

And that got me thinking.

You know we Nigerians don't like to pay for any intangibles. We only like to pay for food & drink, finished goods, and maybe sexual favours. But we don't like to pay for information. It tickles me to no end how much we live our lives devoid of information in Nigeria. We basically survive on instinct. And unfortunately, we seem to be wired that way from birth.

Now why did I use the terms Information Cult, and Information-less Society to headline this post? Well, is there an Information Cult? Yes, of course there is. You can see the way the West manipulates media and deploys it to project their worldview, influencing billions of consumers in the process. Advertising is an information cult. Essentially only a few people know the truth, but billions are always suckered into parting with some hard earned coins.

What about an Information-Less society? Well, you don't have to look very far. Lets say I need to leave my office on the Island right now, and head to Badagry. I have absolutely no way of knowing what to encounter, what routes to take, the traffic situation, etc. I just hit the road, and rely on a mix of history, hearsay, and instinct, to get to Badagry. Sometimes it works. Most times it doesn't.

How about the situations where you need to get a service from, say, the government. Information about that service is usually unavailable anywhere. Where it is, it's incorrect. But you need this service, so you head to a government department on one side of town, only to be told that another department on another side of town is actually responsible for providing that service. At the end of the day, I waste time and money, and may not even get anything done.

Another good example. Which is a shorter route? Lagos Island to Lekki via Bonny Camp, or Lagos Island to Lekki via Falomo/Awolowo Road? I could easily find out by measuring the distance when I'm driving, using my odometer. Rather, I 'feel' the Bonny Camp route is shorter, cos I passed through today and there was no traffic. Why am I not able to trust my knowledge (how to carry out an empirical measurement using tools I have already), but rather choose to go with my gut?

So are we information-phobic people? I wonder about this a lot, since I work in the information industry. These days, with the wealth of information we have on the Internet, you wonder why one needs to go to school in the first place. But in Nigeria, people would rather trust their instincts than trust publicly available information. I am not sure if it's a mix of trust issues (we have been lied to so many times by so many leaders!), or the notion that anything freely available can't be worth much. But the thing is, we never explore the available information. I can't count how many times I have paid for something that's right in front of me to start with. What do you readers think about this?

U r very correct.

I however feel the reason that doesnt work in our society is either cos we have no systems, or the existing systems are highly unstructured at best, leading to jettisoning of plans made from available information midway.

Cases in point:
after touting the benefits of biometrics, JAMB had to abandon it midway on saturday. Same with voters accredition.

Lekki via Bonny camp might be shorter distance wise, but Falomo might be faster based on several factors. The route u choose is based on the prevailing conditions prior to deciding, some of which can only be ascertained as u inch closer to MUSON.

With regard to information gathering, Nigerians generally rely on word of mouth and referrals. Crowd sourced information portals might be useful there (with geotagging and mobile versions).

Most times, even with the right information, you still have limited options.

Traffic report says all roads are blocked (cos we have only 3rd mainland and eko bridges), and u still have a flight to catch. What can u do but hit the road and hope to get lucky by improvising along the way?

My point is, information alone isnt enough. It gives an edge, yea; but its best when it can be readily applied.

^^
But, providing information is a start.
On the new Lekki road, there are all types of road signs. In fact, one of the hallmarks of the Fashola administration in Lagos is the reappearance of road signs. I appreciate that a lot. Now you see stop signs, give way signs, speed limit signs, on major roads in Lagos. Some would say, well, he hasn't fixed all the roads, but he has started a new information culture in Lagos.
Most of the Lagos government agencies are online these days.

Let's start by making information available, and showing people how to use the information.

It is not in our culture.

I believe 99% of Nigeria's problems can be solved if we can adequately tackle this 'it is not in our culture' syndrome.

The closest we came to it was during WAI/Idiagbon era. I wonder why we cannot achieve that again when the Ghanians maintained theirs after Rawlings.

I know there is reaclimitisation. Is there reaculturisation? Maybe thats what we need, lol!

providing information, and laying the groundwork is a good start though, but how many good starts with poor or no finishes have we had?

Even with the right policies, frameworks and strategic plans, we need to brainwash or change the existing mindset of most Nigerians, preferably en masse.

yamakuza:

providing information, and laying the groundwork is a good start though, but how many good starts with poor or no finishes have we had?

Even with the right policies, frameworks and strategic plans, we need to brainwash or change the existing mindset of most Nigerians, preferably en masse.

Do you know, that's why I appreciate Fashola.
Most of us Nigerians are so inflicted with the garri-and-soup syndrome (my words!) that we are not even able to recognise when someone is trying to do things differently.
Our biggest problem is lack of exposure. We don't really know much, so we can't even tell when something is good or bad, we can only recognise garri and soup, and that's what we want. Give me money, give me job, give me light, give me water, etc, etc. That's the garri and soup syndrome.

Taking the trouble to put government information out there means a lot, especially to some of us who have been swindled severally by unscrupulous agents in a bid to regularise property documents.

we r actually getting close to that, at least with MTNeye u can view traffic at some locations on ur phone.

Swiftng also has online traffic cams. If all these and more can be tied into the new lasg cctv system, i see no reason why private security firms cant spring up and keep an eye on the city 247. Think mtn has a soln for those who want to watch their premises.

All these telco vas coys like mtech and co can actually plugin and generate sms alerts based on pattern recognition.

We will get there someday, morning.we r actually getting close to that, at least with MTNeye u can view traffic at some locations on ur phone.

Swiftng also has online traffic cams. If all these and more can be tied into the new lasg cctv system, i see no reason why private security firms cant spring up and keep an eye on the city 247. Think mtn has a soln for those who want to watch their premises.

All these telco vas coys like mtech and co can actually plugin and generate sms alerts based on pattern recognition.

We will get there someday, morning.

_{very interesting topic, I've read it five times now, still don't know how to where to start from!}

But like a Nigerian politician would say 'it's unfortunate'

Subscribing

I dont know too much about information cult but I know ANYONE can use the information to their advantage, it is upto the other to make a superior argument with their own information/statistics and convince the neutral party

A lot of energy, time and resources are wasted in an information less society, even behavioural patterns are altered due to lack of information

on a normal day,
I can check the weather for the day, to know what sort of jacket I'd take to work or take out in the evening-heavy, light or just normal, you dont want to be looking like a plonker carrying your heavy jacket around inconveniencing yourself and others when you could have checked the weather earlier before you left home;

I can check the exact time or a pretty decent estimate of when the next bus is coming to my nearest bus stop and when it is likely to get to the rail station to get the train i want. If i don't know the route i can check or even avoid lines that have scheduled repairs going on-

I can check surrounding petrol station to know the cheapest ones even though the different might only be 10-20naira
After checking the route to a particular destination you can get information about roadworks, festivals or other important information that can affect your journey- all these saves time, money AND A LOT OF STRESS!!

on many occasions you will wonder why students find it difficult to apply for universities without going through someone in the university
sometimes even basic information on when the school will resume, when exams will be taking place when the semester will be over to plan a vacation all these will affect other plans by the family, which will affect something else, so everyone is groping in the dark or having to pay someone for things that should be available

Applying for a license is another horrible one, you have to approach an official(waste of time,money), the forms are not available online, the process wont be explained so you know when exactly you can get it, and some Arrow on the street can stop you and flatly tell you your license is fake even though they issued it to you! i read somewhere how customs are stopping people on the highway seizing their cars saying their custom papers are incomplete or some levy has not been paid

But then again they say information is power the people responsible for providing these information dont want to lose this power- Ego, illiteracy, local champion

These days, considering that the world itself is driven by the availability of information (i.e. Kabul bombing news affects Asian markets immediately), one wonders how a society can be efficient, productive, and effective, without information. Or should I say, without the ability to produce, provide, process, and interpret information.

The government is unable to produce information about its activities and services. That in a way infects the private sector to some degree. And where the government has produced the information, it is unable to provide public access to the information, despite the availability of modern channels that can aid the cost-free and effective distribution of information. The Internet, social media, etc. Though INEC made a tremendous effort during the elections, i have to say, and i was extremely impressed. They used the Internet, social media, mobile applications like BB Messenger, etc, to spread up to date news of the election, and i have to say it had a positive impact on the outcome of the elections to a large degree.

We now have a situation where, since people are used to the non-availability of information, they tend to not request for any information, or even realize the need to request for this information. So people plod on without any information about the activities they are engaged in on a day to day basis, creating the thick sense of insecurity we find in Naija today. In an absurd way, not only are Nigerians not seemingly bothered by the lack of information, they actively use formal and informal channels, including new media, to spread misinformation .  You can see it on Nairaland here all the time. I can't even begin to count how many hoax messages I've received via Blackberry message, forwarded text, and so on. It's pathetic

Dis Guy:

I dont know too much about information cult

Well, that's just a metaphor I use to represent the controllers of modern media and information, essentially the West.
They are the information cult, because whatever the likes of CNN, BBC, and Sky report is the global picture that is usually seen by everyone. Those media agencies help to create the 'cover story', which in many cases is a radical departure from the truth.

The apparent success achieved with instincts is seen as being 'smart' and that is what gives Nigerians their thrill fix.

Nigerians do not generally believe information from an established source. The military have to take this blame and would always feel there's a catch in every story. There are no traffic information places, price comparison apps or sites. Where they exist, charge a premium (essential app) to get this across. They fail to realise that nominal fees works like magic in a big market.

So I agree, we are 'established information-phobic' and need people to actually take the bull by the horn and bring forth information portals and points to reach as many as possible. For a nominal fee, I would like to know the price of goods before I hit the stores

^^ methinks what makes the fees high is probably the cost of gathering the info and keeping it current, divided by the immediate market size.

Lower one, increase the other and maybe we just might get nominal fees if the get-rich-quick syndrome is not in play.

Lolz.

@lola:

nice concept. Yours? Hope its profitable? How easy has it been?

I admire your staying power. The way you juxtapose ur ads on NL, rather unlike most.

Problem i have with directories is duplication of effort. How do you know which is more current? Its a good thing most are free, else one might just subscribe to the wrong one. Wonder how they pay their bills with the free sms and telesearch services. Cant be ads.

Hope you weather the storms of time.

i remember going online early this year to get contact details of top mtn superdealers (a closed group, no more entry). For some reason, it took extensive research. The other networks were worse.

So, i hit the road with a list of say 20 companies i want to visit, and one by one i hear: ah, dem don comot. Dem no dey here again. Where dem dey? Oga, i no know o!

Only 3 addresses were current. Most had no websites or google links, and even if they did, could i trust the info? Forget telephone. If they finally answer and are not rude, its still: come to our office.

I mean, you cant get 'actionable intelligence' from your comfort zone in naija.

Kamusta Erica, ikaw ay sumusunod sa akin?

Knock yourself out

http://www.guardian.co.uk/data

this was put together by a newspaper, making some sense out of govt data

and for overall information

www.direct.gov.uk

just imagine if we have something a bit like this!! ^^

Dis Guy:

Knock yourself out

http://www.guardian.co.uk/data

this was put together by a newspaper, making some sense out of govt data

and for overall information

www.direct.gov.uk

just imagine if we have something a bit like this!! ^^

Truth is, literacy level is low in Nigeria, compared to the countries most of us look up to. That fundamentally changes the landscape to a significant degree. If you are not literate or maybe at best you are semi-literate (i.e. you can count money, understand spoken English, etc), you can only have at best a peripheral appreciation for information and data. You'd most likely go by instinct, superstition, and hearsay, which is what happens in Nigeria to a large extent.

AjanleKoko:

Truth is, literacy level is low in Nigeria, compared to the countries most of us look up to. That fundamentally changes the landscape to a significant degree. If you are not literate or maybe at best you are semi-literate (i.e. you can count money, understand spoken English, etc), you can only have at best a peripheral appreciation for information and data. You'd most likely go by instinct, superstition, and hearsay, which is what happens in Nigeria to a large extent.

True, but most of these information come from govt departments, I really wonder sometimes what they actually do especially their information departments, or how they measure performance. Do they have records they don't share with the public however literate they are or they don't even have any incentive to measure or keep records

Even when the majority are not appreciative of these information or data, potential investors or entrepreneurs would very much find it useful! research students will have their work cut out too- no need to grease some palms to get vital information that should ordinarily be in the public

I think our govt is very afraid of giving out data.

Not that they have it or know what to do with it, but even if they did they'd still be afraid of sharing.

The less we know the better, or so they think. No wonder the FOI bill took awhile.

At least with that, the private sector can access the data/info if available and imitate stuff like the site above.

Just that it will come at a premium compared to if it had been an FGN initiative.

Good post ajanlekoko! Just like someone put up a post yesterday asking why the Ministry of Defence hasn't paid its employees. Like what the actual f**k. Are u not supposed to have first hand information.

I get a lot of people asking me about how to apply to schools in Canada, I'm always like- can't you google?

So many examples an information-less Society abound on Nairaland.

nice thread. but I will play the devil's advocate. . .

on the other hand of your point, there is something called information overload that westerners are suffering from.
most have lost their ability to think intuitively. since everything has to be performed scientifically and methodologically.
people can't even brush their teeth without reading an instructional guide. joking.

this is a good way to have order and control in society though. in fact, democracy can never work in a country without an organized information system. In order for a democracy to be orderly, you want people to assimilate a lot of propaganda information. rather than having everyone following their gut instincts.

I guess a good balance is the best. and Nigeria does have a long way to go.

Jenifa_:

nice thread. but I will play the devil's advocate. . .

on the other hand of your point, there is something called information overload that westerners are suffering from.
most have lost their ability to think intuitively. since everything has to be performed scientifically and methodologically.
people can't even brush their teeth without reading an instructional guide. joking.

this is a good way to have order and control in society though. in fact, democracy can never work in a country without an organized information system. In order for a democracy to be orderly, you want people to assimilate a lot of propaganda information. rather than having everyone following their gut instincts.

I guess a good balance is the best. and Nigeria does have a long way to go.

Very true.
You find that everybody, even Nigerians, who live in the West, believe there is always some instruction that needs to be followed, to do anything. They never follow their instincts for anything. As you say, a good balance is ideal.