From Moshood Karim
Governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the forthcoming Edo guber election, Olumide Akpata has pledged to establish health centres and technological hubs in the 192 wards in the State if elected as governor. This he said, will enable the teeming youth population to be productively engaged.
Olumide who made this vow at the maiden New Media Summit on Friday, however, expressed concern over the poor network which has continued to mar the smooth process of the continuous voter registration exercise in Benin City.
He said: “I believe in the New media movement because of the seemingly inability of those in government to understand that it their responsility to create outlets through which the passion and the energy of the youths can actually be channeled. I don’t think they understand how important that is. It is there responsibility to look for every opportunity to channel that energy in a positive direction.
“We have watched the New media developed before our very eyes. We have watched this space captured the minds and imagination of people all over the world. We recognised that, it is an area where the youths have natural affinity for, but we are not doing enough to harness the potentials in that sector. This is why, I am happy to identify with any undertaking that is aimed at helping the youths find expression. If the youths are gainfully engaged, they will have very little time for anything else.”
While calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address the anomaly, he charged participants at the summit to ensure they are registered as valid voters to enable them vote during September 21, 2024 governorship election.
Themed: “Harnessing Social Media for Positive Change,” the event was organized by friends of Olumide Akpata with the aim of educating participants particularly content creators on the responsible use of social media platforms.
Comrade Idris Zekeri Junior, the Convener and Chairman of the Media Committee for Olumide Akpata’s 2024 gubernatorial campaign, declared the event open. He highlighted the importance of using social media in a responsible manner and outlined the programme, which included lectures on various topics such as Social Media Growth Strategy in 2024 and the Legal Framework Guiding Content Creators Within Nigeria Cyberspace among others.
These sessions aimed to educate participants on leveraging social media to enhance their brands, goods, and services, as well as the legal regulations governing the use of social media in Nigeria.
Zekeri emphasized that the summit also aimed to create job opportunities for participants, addressing the misuse of social media and promoting responsible and lawful use of the cyberspace.
He underscored the significance of instilling political consciousness and promoting entertainment, education, and information dissemination through social media.
During her lecture on “Social Media Growth Strategy in 2024,” Mrs. Ehi Soetan highlighted collaboration, audience targeting, audience segmentation, and consistent content posting as key strategies for enhancing engagement on social media platforms.
Meanwhile, Barrister Saint Michael, who spoke on “Legal Framework Guiding Content Creators Within Nigeria Cyberspace,” emphasized the importance of the legal framework in guiding the actions and inactions of social media users.
He pointed out that while social media has transformed the world into a global village, it has also led to social maladies resulting from the irresponsible use of cyberspace. Michael stressed that legal frameworks such as the Cybercrime Act of 2015 are essential in regulating and curtailing the excesses of social media users.
