By Ammar Muhammad Rajab A website represents who you are, what you do, and what your mandate, vision, and mission are. Every responsible o...
By Ammar Muhammad Rajab
A website represents who you are, what you do, and what your mandate, vision, and mission are. Every responsible organization in today’s world, whether government-owned or private, operates a functional website.
In the digital age, having a responsive and user-friendly website is crucial, especially for public entities. Agencies that serve as vital resources for information and services need to ensure their online presence is accessible and efficient.
This led DAILY STRUGGLE Newspaper to monitor NBC, a prominent and influential agency from December 2023 to May 2024. For over 5 months, the agency hasn't had a functional website despite referring individuals seeking information to www.nbc.gov.ng. “But whenever you click the website, it fails to respond”, Zainab Mahmoud said.
Our reporter tried to access the website many times, but all attempts proved abortive. On May 21, 2024, he tried for the last time before publishing this report, and this message appeared: “Your connection is not private. Attackers might be trying to steal your information from nbc.gov.ng (for example, passwords, messages, or credits cards).
“This server could not prove that it is www.nbc.gov.ng; its security certificate expired 151 days ago. This may be caused by a misconfiguration or an attacker intercepting your connection. Your computer’s clock is currently set to Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Does that look right? If not, you should correct your system clock and then refresh this page. Proceed to www.nbc.gov.ng (unsafe).”
When our reporter took the risk of proceeding, the below message appeared:
Zainab Mahmoud is an ambitious entrepreneur who plans to get license to operate a community radio station in her area. “Sometime in 2022, I tried to access the website to learn more about the agency and how to get a radio license, but I found out the website was not functioning. I wonder where to learn more about the agency's mandates. This is frustrating,” she emphasized.
“NBC's lack of a responsive website suggests an inability to effectively serve the public in an increasingly digital world. Prioritizing a responsive website would help NBC fulfill its mission and meet the needs of its diverse audience,” she said.
Yahaya M. Abdullahi, Editor-in-Chief of Africa Daily News, opined, “This raises concerns about the agency’s commitment to accessibility and the overall effectiveness of its online communications. They need to do better.”
Muhammad Sani, a website developer in Kaduna, said, “It has become a norm for Nigeria’s agencies to operate without any functional and responsive website despite the technological advancements of today’s world. It is particularly concerning that some important agencies operate without a functioning website.”
He further added, “Amazingly, nobody is taking responsibility for correcting this issue.”
The National Broadcasting Commission is the broadcast regulator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, established on August 24, 1992, by Decree 38, later amended by Act 55 of 1999, and now known as National Broadcasting Commission Laws of the Federation 2004, CAP N11. Its responsibilities include regulating the broadcasting industry, processing applications for broadcasting licenses, and advising the government on broadcasting issues.
In October 2023, Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmad Tinubu appointed Charles Ebuebu as the Director-General of NBC. Despite nearly a year in office, he has not addressed the issue of the agency’s non-functional website, highlighting significant gaps in NBC's digital strategy.
Attempts to reach the agency’s public relations office for comment via email were unsuccessful at the time of this report.
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