The imperative analysis of innovation communication model in managing business in the era of insecurity

 

Obasi, Ferdinanad ¹, Omeje Okechukwu Samuel ¹

 

¹ Associate Professor of Mass Communication, Nigeria

 

1. INTRODUCTION

In Nigeria, people cannot stop talking about insecurity in their daily conversation because it has become a bed mate. From East to West, South to North, insecurity has taken over daily activities as it occurs every time in its diverse forms. The show of power by the perpetrators of insecurity in Nigeria, in whatever name they answer, whether Boko Haram terrorists, bandits, unknown and known gunmen, cultists, rapists, kidnappers seem as if they are empowered and encouraged by their sponsors. Every Nigerian today thinks security first before stepping out of the house, boarding a vehicle, going to school or market or even going to bed. It seems nobody is secured especially going by the social media daily reports, and the nation is arbitrary lawless.

Onoja (2013.p.437) admits that insecurity in Nigeria has been a long standing issue. During the military era, there were records of insecurity orchestrated by religious conflict or ethnic misunderstanding, but since the current democratic dispensation, the rate of insecurity has geometrically gone up. The worst of this bitter times was recorded between 2015 and 2022.

It all began with a set of Islamic group that wanted to secede from Northern Borno State. The group embarked on changing every sign board with inscription in English language into Arabic, denouncing Western Education. The then leadership ignored their threat. When they noticed that no attention was given to them, they formed the dreaded Boko Haram. The activities of the group became increasingly terrorizing as they began to attack government facilities and killing of innocent citizens and security personnel. They went off the city Maiduguri and occupied Sambisa Forest between Borno State and Lake Chad in Niger. Their nefarious activities spread all over the North Eastern States of Nigeria, namely Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe and lastly Taraba. They attacked government facilities including military institutions, killing, and maiming individuals and kidnapping and lately demand for ransom collection.

North Central insecurity developed as the millitia Fulani-herdsmen that rose to claim farmlands they come across as theirs. It all began in Benue State where farmers were being massacred in their great numbers, almost regularly. Not only that farmers were killed without any provocation, their crops and houses were destroyed and burnt. The activities of herders’ spread to plateau, Nassarawa and Kwara states where farmers and innocent individuals also suffered terribly in the hands of herders. Kaduna State, especially the southern Kaduna, has remained a killing field where residents were murdered daily on no cause of theirs. In the recent time, not only that these herders kill, they equally kidnap for ransom.

In fact, the team up of Boko Haram Terrorists and Fulani herdsmen gave birth to Banditry who now took over the whole of North East and West, and by extension, North central, including Federal Capital Territory. They operate in day light in great number on motorbikes even at full glimpse of security agents and operatives.

South Eastern Nigeria comprising of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, is another hot zone of insecurity threat. The Marginalization of the region from the scheme of things in the Nigeria project since the Nigerian-Biafra civil war resulted to succession agitation led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who was arrested and kept in detention since June 2021.The burning of government facilities, killing of security personnel, destruction of individual properties has been on the rise.  The sit-at-home order placed on the region every Monday has remained a source of concern. No movement every Monday in the South East and this that has resulted to huge loss of finances as those who dare to violate that order often loss their lives or properties. IPOB members with their ESN agents attack personalities in the zone who have anything to do with the federal government. They kidnap for ransom in Anambra and Imo States. Most of the villages in the region have been taken over by ESN agents. Politicians now fear to go up their villages for fear of being killed.

In South South and south West states, the story of insecurity is mild except the activities of herdsmen who refused to obey the region anti-open grazing laws. But specifically in the west, the formation of states local security outfit at the instances of herdsmen attacks and cult related activities helped to their low elbow. Although in Rivers and Delta states kidnapping for ransom incidences often occur, but not as heavily and frequently happened as in the Northern parts of the country.

Mass media have done creditably well in providing information, education, surveillance and for discussing insecurity problems in the country but the more media contribute towards curbing the problem the new approaches in technical operations of these perpetrators of the act emerge. Some notable media scholars have tasked mass media in Nigeria to do more and contribute professionally in providing solutions to this menace. Some of them include Adisa (2012) on conflict sensitive journalism, Aslam (2014) media role in conflict resolution, Auwal (2015) communication and conflict in Nigeria, Edeani (1994) Nigerian mass media in handling conflict situations, Lynch (2013) A global standard for reporting conflict, Adam (2020) media and peace building, Shehu (2021) & Mohammed (2021) Examining conflict reporting using peace Journalism, in Egielewa (2019) Ibo-self Determination effort and media, peace building conflict prevention and management in Africa, Dauda (2019) on Newspaper coverage of Ethno-religious crises in Nigeria, and Okunna (2020) Escalating rates of crime and criminality others. The list of such studies is endless but the situation has not changed for the better.

 

2. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Nigerians cannot stop the conversation on security challenges especially now that it has gotten out of hands due to insensitivity of the government towards the situation. People should not keep quiet when lives and properties were being lost and destroyed on daily basis by the perpetrators of insecurity across the country. Security personnel are being slaughtered like bush meats in their numbers in the Northern and Eastern parts of Nigeria. Military establishments, facilities and installations are attacked, vandalized and destroyed from time to time to the extent that the various security agencies seemed overwhelmed. People cannot travel freely on the inter-state roads especially the Abuja-Kaduna road, Benin-Lagos, and Lokoja-Abuja road, Enugu and Nsukka, Enugu and Onitsha, Enugu and Owerri for the fear of being kidnapped and taken hostage until ransom is paid. Even rail transport is not left out as terrorists blew up rail track and cart away innocent travelers for ransom, some six months ago at Kaduna. Even correctional centers are being attacked and inmates released freely by terrorists. Businesses have drastically failed for fear of being molested by the terrorists on high ways.

Media reportage on these horrowful experiences have not helped matters. It might be that the method of reporting these incidences has failed, and therefore, needs a new approach. Does it mean that people are fade up with the style of reporting insecurity or that the perpetrators do not listen nor read stories about their activities? There are lots and a lot of questions to be asked and answered on the better approach to reach the non-state actors that took over nearly all parts of the country.

The study attempts to find these out limitations, and properly proffer communication  model that can adequately address insecurity challenges and how to sustain the growth of business management in Nigeria.

 

2.1. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1)     How is the insecurity situation reported in Nigeria since 1999 till 2024?

2)     What are the people`s feeling about security threat in various geopolitical zones in Nigeria as it affects the business?

3)     To what extent have the communication helped to solve insecurity challenges in the country?

4)     What type of non-state-actors constitute the most worrisome insecurity that prohibits investors in Nigeria?

 

3. LITERATURE REVIEW

Communication processes are the most powerful institutions that consist of several types of communication media such as newspaper, magazines, radio, television and recently websites (social media). These institutions according to Jeffers (1986 p.192) involve the carrier of one to one communication and information from one place to another. The institutions produce and market or distribute similar products such as news and information containing societal or institution set of rulers relating to human behavior. Media assume the status of social institution and so take up some functions formerly performed by traditional institutions like churches, schools, governments and families. In order to perform these assigned functions well, the communication model are divided into three, the print, the broadcast and the website (social media).Day (2005) says that media institutions have particular qualities that differentiates them from other institution in the society because they serve as media institution create awareness and understanding of happenings among the diverse people of the nations.

Mass media institutions interact with other institutions in the discharge of their duties for the purpose of delivering quality information which is power to secure life and develop self. Because of such goodwill to relate with other institutions, mass media have power to influence these institutions and their members on matters concerning them. Mass media, as channel of communication are actively engaged in the gathering, analyzing and disseminating issues of politics and security. Media function in information, education, entertainment, mobilization, persuasion, surveillance, intelligence, government politics, business, commerce and industry and other aspects of human endeavors. Nwosu and Wilson (2004 p.218) agree that mass media have enormous power in conflict management supposing the media message is effectively packaged and implemented.

No society can play with its media in the provision of their function Ogbemi, Chudey, Akpoveta (2019 p79), and no nation can underscore the role of mass media as a critical institution in the exposition, processing and dissemination of information and agenda setting on issues that encourage peaceful coexistence, cooperation and development. Since the power of mass media is unimaginable, no society or individual can doubt what it can do. But the issue remains, how effective is its usage and application? This is a subject of investigation in the study.

 

4. INSECURITY CHALLENGES IN NIGERIA

If there is anything Nigerians talk much about in the recent time, it is insecurity at home, churches, market places in the buses, drinking parlors, schools, everywhere. In clusters, people discuss the rate of insecurity in Nigeria. Insecurity is the state of being open to danger or threat, or total lack of protection. Insecurity is the feeling of yourself (https:www.vocabulary.cominsec) Uchegbue (2018 p.98) absence of security is tantamount to insecurity. Security as socio-political and economic nomenclature is a condition of not being threatened, especially physically, psychologically, emotionally, religiously, traditionally and financially from the legal point of view, security is designed to enforce laws, rules and regulations cum maintaining order for peace and social justice. In fact, the overall concept of security is to encourage stability and development.

Onoja (2013 p.437) human security is the pursuit of human welfare through economic growth and improved economic and social infrastructures that yield job, high living standard, affordable transportation, level playing political field and protection of minorities rights. In Nigeria, security translates to insecurity for some, while insecurity translates to security for others. Each political zone in Nigeria has its own form of insecurity. For instance North East is bedeviled with the menanace of Boko Haram terrorists. North West has Banditry terrorism on the ground, while the North central faces Herders insecurity, South East suffers the insecurity orchestrated by the self secessionist agitators group, indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB) that now holds the whole region into hostage and curtails movement of people on Mondays and some other days. South South and South West are confronted with pocket of insecurity caused by herders and cultists. These perpetrators of insecurity terrorize people, killing, maiming, kidnapping for ransom, destroying of both government and individual properties and farm lands. Nigeria looks like a banana republic where anything goes, and life has lost its sacred values. The country now sits on the precipice of economic collapse due to unprecedent insecurity in the land, (Ekwo 2022). But how can we come back from brink?

 

4.1. Security Management, Through Budgetary Provision

Since the emergence of Boko Haram in Nigeria government and its citizenry have not experienced peace. From one administration to another, the hydra-headed monster kept increasing in operation and scope. It all started as a rebel group in Borno state or separatist organization but when President Olusegun Obasanjo administration ignored them, the group evolved another tactics and started attacking military and government of Borno State. When the leadership fell into President Goodluck Jonathan, the attack by the group increased tremediously, as their members embarked on senseless bombing of critical public places including motor parks, recreational centers, market and eventually began kidnapping students from secondary schools, within North Eastern Nigerian States of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Bauchi. Their incessant attacks formed the political Campaign point for All Progressive Congress (APC) party in 2014/2015. Nigerians believing that their party`s presidential candidate with military background would put a stop to the menance, hence the party was voted into power.

Seven years down the line since the Buhari government came to power, the insecurity situation has been worsening per day, not minding that over eight trillion naira has been spent by the government on securing Nigeria and Nigerians. A breakdown of the country`s Annual Budget including security expenses between 2015 to 2021 shows that much has been expended on security (below is the 7 years Budgetary Allocation).

Fiscal Year	National Budget N (in Trillions)	Security Sector N (in Trillions)	% of the AB
2016	6.06trn	1.07trn	17.66%
2017	7.44trn	1.15trn	15.46%
2018	9.12trn	1.35trn	14.80&
2019	8.92trn	1.4trn	15.70%
2020	10.59trn	1.8trn	17.00%
2021	13.59trn	1.96trn	18.51%
7 Years	N59.765trn	N9.73trn
Source Field Study, 2022.

 

Not with standing this huge amount of money the senate Committee Chairman on Army, Senators Ali Ndume (guardian/ news/ worsening 2021) told Guardian that the budgets so far approved and released to tackle insecurity in Nigeria were far too poor when compared to the degree of insecurity, banditry, kidnapping and even armed robbery challenges across the country. He advocated for increased budgetary allocation. If such amount of budgetary provision could not equip our security personnel to secure lives and the nations critical infrastructures like correctional centers across the six geopolitical zones and FCT from the ugly incessant jail and unconditional release of thousands of inmates by Boko Haram insurgents, bandits, terrorists and other non-state actors like unknown gunmen, one then wonders how much money can do it. Military personnel and their installations are not safe even the police and its stations are always under attack, then who will secure Nigerians.

The Nigerian senate, civil society organizations, security stakeholders, often express worries as defense budget in the last seven years rose from year to year, the performance of security agencies declines. For example, the 2020 Global terrorism index, Nigeria emerged as the8th least peaceful country in Africa (64 countries) and ranked 163 countries covered in the report.

It seems that kinetic model in handling insecurity situation in Nigeria is not yielding any desired effect so the option remains to effectively use grass root communication model such as innovation communication. All these non-state-actors in our insecurity operations live with us, we can talk to and with them in order to change their minds and actions. And that can only be achieved when we apply innovation communication model in our daily conversations.

 

5. METHODOLOGY

Researchers in this study applied mixed research methods. This type of research design is where both qualitative and quantitative approaches are used in terms of types of questions, research method, data collection and data analysis procedures, because the researchers were out to determine the truth or the falsehood that solution to Nigeria security challenges is heavily dependent on mass media for its successes or failure.

This method afforded the researchers the opportunity to involve survey research, in its various types, qualitative and quantitative researches in order to ensure that all necessary data needed to answer the necessary questions were collected. For example, survey method provided opportunity for the researchers to apply measurable indicators like (questionnaire and Opinion polls) to verify claims of some social media reports on the level of security threat and actual number or level of gravity of attacks and destructions by terrorists.

 

6. POPULATION

The researchers were confronted with the infinite population of the study that cuts across the six political zones in Nigeria. It became difficult to study the whole Nigerians, and so the researchers decided to study the members of the population that have identical characteristics needed for this investigation, i.e. those that reside in most terrorists attacked areas. The researchers have assistants that are  scattered across the states chose the study population thus: North East (250), North West (200) North Central (250) South South (200), South West (200), South East (250). The selection was based on move endemic and less endemic zonal threats.

The study was guided by its intention, and the whole population of 1,350 raised from the six zones could not be studied all. The researchers employed simple random (RS) sampling technique that eventually gave a sample size of 380 for the actual study. A total number of 380 copies of questionnaire were produced and distributed accordingly across the states in the zones through contracted trained agents. But 360 copies were returned, while 20 lost.

 

7. DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

Question 1: How is the insecurity situation in Nigeria since 1999 till date?

Responses were of the same opinion across the zones that since 1999 that insecurity situation in Nigeria has been on the increase. Although the rate of increase differs from zone to zone. North East rated the increase at 94.4% North central voted for 97.2%. south East said it was 83.3%, North East went for 70.8& for South West and South South, responses rated the increase at 69.4% and 63.9% respectively. Summary reponses show overwhelmingly that Nigeria has witnessed astronomical insecurity increase since the return of democratic rule in 1999.

Q2: What are the people`s feelings about security threat in various geopolitical zones as it affects businesses in Nigeria?

Report from various geopolitical zones indicate that people are feeling sad. At every quarter, every cluster, every home, people express sadness about the security threat around them. Virtually movement from state to state or even from home to farmlands or from house to the market, school or church is restricted. For instance, according to our respondents some areas were totally closed from human and vehicular movement for years or months. From the North East, 94.4% assert that many inter local government roads, schools, farmlands and markets were closed for years and months due to security threat by Boko Haram terrorists. In the South East, movement and other human activities were shutdown every Monday by the IPOB terrorists since the arrest and detention of its leader in 2021.  So, the zone recorded 97.2% affirmation that people live under security threat especially like on Mondays as government offices, public places like schools, markets and all vehicular movements were totally shutdown.

North central recorded 88.9% security threat as Fulani herdsmen and terrorists forced the residents especially farmers and other villagers out of their ancestral homes and farmlands. The most affected states in the zone are Benue and Kaduna States. Another dangerous state is Kastina in the North West zone, where people live in fear due to security threats. Generally, respondents aggregate percentage rate for security threat across North East, North west, North Central and South East at 83.3%.

Q.3: To what extent have the communication model helped to solve insecurity challenges in the country?

Respondents across the six geopolitical zones agree that mass media have power in solving crises, conflicts and even stopping wars. They acknowledged the contributions of the media in the present security challenges but with some reservations. Across the zones, respondents gave mass media 51.8% pass mark for their contributions towards solving the dreaded challenges. 32.2% faulted the modes of communication applied by mass media families or platforms especially the social media. Accordingly to this group, social media in particular has rather promoted the activities of terrorists and bandits in their killing spree and kidnapping for ransom business. They therefore, called for a change of communication model by the mass media so as to comprehensively tackle the challenges of insecurity in Nigeria.

Q.4: What type of non-state-actors constitute the most worrisome insecurity that prohibits investors in Nigeria?

The activities of non-state-actors in our insecurity discourse are evidenced across the geopolitical zones, in every state and even in every community in Nigeria. From Borno to Kastina, to Benue and Anambra, the ugly stories are everywhere in the media. Reports from our zonal researchers show black moments in the Nigeria insecurity situation. Between 2015 to 2022, the country has lost well over one million, eight hundred and forty lives (1,800,040) in the hands of Boko Haram terrorists, Herders terrorists, Bandits and unknown gun men scattered across North East, North West, North Central, South East and South West.

These non-state-actors had within the period under review kidnapped over nine hundred and seventy six thousand (976,000) people and over a trillion naira paid in ransom. Many who could not meet up with their ransom demand still have their relatives held captive by their abductors-Boko Haram, bandits, herdsmen and unknown gunmen across the forests in Nigeria. Our study further revealed that over fifty three thousand five hundred and forty eight (53,548) schools at all levels were closed between 2015 to 2022 in Nigeria, as a result of insecurity, especially in the Northern part of the country and students forced out of schools.

Also within the period, over three Million peoples were displaced from their ancestral homes and forced into make-shift-homes, christened IDPs (Internally displaced persons) camps. Government facilities, especially military and police and individual farmlands, crops and houses were massively destroyed by these groups of human Nigerians. The nefarious activities of the heartless individual have plunged Nigerians into severe famine and hunger, and increased Fear in the people.

 

8. CONCLUSION

Every conflict including those that resulted to war is settled using dialogue and media at the centre of every dialogue. This is because resolution taken at the dialogue table must be disseminated to a larger population through the mass media. So the role of mass media in conflict resolution is key to peace building which is the solution to insecurity challenges in Nigeria. If there is peace and love among the ethnic groups, religious sects, political classes, leadership elites, communities and even family members, security must be assured. The study looked at the insecurity situation in Nigeria especially under the seven years rule of Buhari administration and assessed the role media has played in managing the challenges posed by the activities of non-state-actors that took over the Nigeria state, killing, maiming, destroying, kidnapping for ransom, raping and committing other types of heinous crimes.

After a look into the ugly scenario, the study drew the following conclusion:

1)     That within the period under investigation (2015-2022) Nigeria witnessed the worst insecurity situation in its nationhood and this has drastically reduce the rate of businesses in the six-geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

2)     The period witnessed the greatest threat to Nigeria unity as some ethic groups seriously wanted and still want to leave the entity known as Nigeria and become independent nations. Biafra and Oduduwa nations agitators heightened.

3)     The administration seemed to have been over powered by the insecurity perpetrators to the extent that they threatened to kidnap Mr. President and Governor of Kaduna State. Equally, the government of this day has spent more than 9.73 trillions of naira, yet no solution found.

4)     Mass media played major role in reporting the incidents and nefarious activities of the Boko Haram terrorists, bandits, unknown gunmen, kidnappers and dreaded herdsmen that were in every forest across the country.

5)     The study also observed that approaches and models of communication are needed to be applied by the communication experts and professionalism in solving the insecurity challenges in Nigeria as to create clear environment for businesses across the nation.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

From the result of the study, we recommend as follows:

1)     Every administration in our present democratic dispensation must be proactive in tackling security issues instead of shielding a group or ethnic interest thereby encouraging insecurity in the land the event taking place will be an eye opener to new government.

2)     In order to remain and maintain unity in Nigeria, every administration should run an open and inclusive government where every part, region or ethnic interest is well represented in way to effectively curb and discourage separatist agitations and ensure enduring unity in the country.

3)     Every Nigeria government should learn a lesson from what happens in other parts of the world in fighting insecurity. Government should see insecurity as a war situation and face it squarely without encouraging interests, or allowing her citizens to be slaughtered as animals.

4)     Mass media should do more on its role in combating or managing insecurity challenges. It should find a convergence point between the offline and online media, so as to reduce promoting insecurity activities by unverified reportage.

5)     Media should adopt international intellectual and interdisciplinary measure to tackle the insecurity since some of the terrorists had a link with outside organization.

6)     Government and Media should partner to achieve a common goal than to accuse the media of reporting fake news most of the time.

7)     Media should generate new thinking or contemporary security issues with deepen channels of communication across opinion leaders and experts duly centred on information security in all geo-political zone in Nigeria.

 

CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

None. 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

None.

 

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