Brands/Products
209,691 Vehicles Entered Nigeria via Land Borders in 2 Years—Customs
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Hameed Ibrahim Ali, has directed operatives of the Headquarters Compliance Team and Federal Operations Units to compliment the resident officers of land borders to effectively beef up security and enforce the Federal Government policy on non-importation of vehicles through the land border.
He said apart from being a statutory function of NCS to implement Government Fiscal Policies, as Nigerians, the advantages and opportunities inherent in the policy is a motivation to ensure compliance. Regrettably, despite Nigeria’s bigger and more equipped port facilities, statistics has shown that more than 90 percent of vehicles imported to neighbouring countries are normally on transit to Nigeria market.
Though duty rates chargeable for motor vehicles at both land borders and seaports remain the same, importers of these vehicles exploit the informality of land border trade, since they are not usually manifested for Nigeria ports to either smuggle through the porous border or compromise some customs officers and that of other agencies to short change the nation.
The CGC charged the anti-smuggling squads to ensure total blockage such that no desperate vehicle importer gets his or her to smuggle in the trapped vehicles.
He listed the merits of the policy to include:
- Channelization of motor vehicles to Sea Ports will enable suppression of smuggling
- Creating business and job opportunities with the eventual emergence of bonded car parks for vehicles around the country. This will also lead to the emergence of bank branches and mechanic villages around the bonded car parks, with job opportunities for Nigerians.
- High volume of vehicle cargo for shippers will boost capacity and optimize use of facilities at our ports and car parks
- Higher revenue for the three tiers of Government to discharge their responsibilities to Nigerians.
- Facilitate the recent collaboration among NCS, FIRS, Motor License Office, Police and Bureau of Statistics
- Assurance of duty payment for vehicle buyers giving more confidence on the road without Customs interception.
- High volume vehicle cargo can lead to Government/Port Handlers engagement that will reduce handling charges.
Curiously, Nigerians are being told that over 10,000 vehicles are already trapped 10 days into the enforcement of the policy when statistics shows vehicles properly imported through the land borders from January 2014 – 31 December 2016 was only 209,691 with N38,551,569,751.00 paid as duty.
Smuggled vehicles seized within the same period was 5,998 with duty paid value of N10,271,734,415.36.
Beyond revenue loss, according to customs, allowing a system that is fraught with security implications in our present fragile security situation will not be a patriotic thing to do.
Stakeholders are therefore enjoined to see the inherent benefits of the policy and cooperate with the Nigeria Customs Service as personnel strive to implement the fiscal policy of Government.
By Philip Odiakose
Public relations is an integral part of any organization’s communication strategy. It involves creating and maintaining a positive image of the brand in the minds of the target audience. PR professionals use various tactics, such as media relations, influencer marketing, and content creation, to achieve their goals.
However, measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of these tactics is crucial to understanding the return on objective (ROO) and making data-driven decisions.
In recent years, many PR professionals have turned to automated dashboards to measure and analyze their PR metrics. While these dashboards offer a level of convenience, they are falling short in PR measurement. In this article, I will explore why automated dashboards are not the silver bullet for PR measurement.
- Lack of Customization
One of the major drawbacks of automated dashboards is the lack of customization. These dashboards are designed to be a one-size-fits-all solution, which means that they may not capture all the metrics that are relevant to a particular PR campaign or engagement.
For instance, if a company is running a campaign to increase its media presence, the automated dashboard may not track all the relevant metrics, making it difficult to gauge the campaign’s success accurately. Automated dashboards may also not take into account the specific goals and objectives of the PR campaign, resulting in incomplete data and inaccurate results.
- Inability to Measure the Quality of Coverage
Automated dashboards are designed to measure the quantity of media coverage, such as the number of mentions, shares, or likes. However, they are unable to measure the quality of the coverage. Quality metrics, such as tone, message penetration, and audience reach, are essential for PR professionals to determine the effectiveness of their campaigns.
Automated dashboards may miss crucial quality metrics that could impact the PR campaign’s success. For example, a high number of media mentions may seem positive, but if the tone of the coverage is negative, it could harm the brand’s image and reputation.
- Lack of Human Analysis
Automated dashboards rely on algorithms to analyze data, which may not always produce accurate results. There are certain nuances and context-specific factors that can only be identified by human analysis. For example, a spike in media coverage for a particular brand could be due to negative news coverage, which an automated dashboard may not be able to differentiate from positive coverage.
Human analysis is necessary to understand the context and nuances of PR measurement accurately. Automated dashboards may also miss out on important trends and patterns that require a human touch to identify and analyze.
- Inability to Integrate with Other Data Sources
PR measurement is not just about measuring media coverage. It requires integration with other data sources, such as web analytics, sales data, and customer feedback. Automated dashboards may not be able to integrate with all these sources, making it difficult for PR professionals to get a holistic view of the campaign’s effectiveness.
For instance, if a PR campaign is designed to increase sales, the automated dashboard may not be able to connect the media coverage to the actual sales figures, leading to incomplete data and inaccurate results.
- Lack of Actionable Insights
Automated dashboards provide a lot of data, but they may not provide actionable insights. PR professionals need insights to make data-driven decisions and improve their campaigns. Automated dashboards may not provide insights that are specific to the campaign’s objectives, making it difficult to improve and optimize the campaign.
PR professionals need insights that can help them identify what is working and what is not and make adjustments accordingly. Automated dashboards may not be able to provide such insights, resulting in incomplete data and inaccurate results.
In conclusion, automated dashboards may offer a level of convenience in PR measurement, but they are falling short of providing accurate, comprehensive, and actionable insights.
PR professionals should opt for Media Intelligence Consultants that provide human analysis and measure both the quantity and quality of media coverage. Such solutions can help PR professionals make data-driven decisions and improve their campaigns’ effectiveness.
Philip Odiakose is the Chief Insights Consultant at P+ Measurement Services, a Media Intelligence Consultancy in Lagos state, Nigeria.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A free online digital marketing masterclass will take place on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at 7 pm Nigerian time, with a certificate issued at the end of the training.
The course is being put together by a global partner of the world’s leading digital platforms, Aleph, as part of its Digital Ad Certificate, a global free online training and certification program in digital marketing aimed at people without prior experience.
Participants will have the opportunity to learn from the CEO and founder of the company, Mr Gaston Taratuta, who will share the learnings of his path to being selected as the world’s best entrepreneur in 2022.
Interested participants of the free 90-minute training titled How to be an Entrepreneur in the Digital World would be required to register through this link.
The training also includes a cooperative learning methodology focused on teamwork, which generates constant exchange with the other people taking the classes.
More than 7,000 students in 100 countries participated in the proposal, with a satisfaction ratio of 9.2 out of 10, according to surveys conducted with the students. The goal is to certify 50,000 people worldwide.
At the end of the course, students will receive a certificate from Aleph, which also shares the profiles of the graduates with the thousands of clients it has globally. The training lasts three months and includes theory, information on various platforms, cases, assignments, and masterclasses.
“When I started my path, I experienced difficulties accessing digital education, which is why we decided to make the Digital Ad Certificate available to everyone. This masterclass summarises my entrepreneurial journey and aims to inspire more people to get involved in digital marketing, one of the fastest-growing industries in the world that offers enormous development opportunities for individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises, and even economies in the region,” Mr Taratuta said.
With only $5,000, Mr Taratuta founded IMS, the first company in Aleph’s portfolio, in 2005. The company quickly became a partner in the region of digital firms from Silicon Valley, which were starting to show their potential and appeal as platforms for brands.
In 2010, five years after its creation, IMS already had offices in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia and was consolidating its position alongside major digital platforms and collaborating with companies seeking new levels of attraction.
In 2017, with the acquisition of Httpool, the company embarked on a journey beyond the limits of the Americas, which was consolidated with the creation of Aleph Group Inc, a global company that in 2021 achieved unicorn status with a market valuation of over one billion dollars and a presence in more than 115 markets.
In 2022, he was selected as the “EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2022,” a global competition for entrepreneurs that includes businessmen from more than 60 countries.
“Our goal as a company is to universalize access to digital advertising to unlock economic development worldwide. To achieve this, we need many more people with technical knowledge in digital marketing, and that is why Digital Ad Certificate is a great opportunity,” added Mr Taratuta.
By: Philip Odiakose
Public relations (PR) is a crucial component of any organization’s communication strategy. It involves the management of communication between an organization and its stakeholders, including customers, employees, investors, and the media.
PR plays a significant role in shaping an organization’s reputation and can have a direct impact on its success. This is why it is essential for CEOs to understand the value of PR and to incorporate it into their media performance audit.
A media performance audit is a process that assesses an organization’s media coverage and evaluates its impact on the organization’s reputation, brand image, and business performance. The audit involves analyzing media coverage, identifying key messages, measuring the reach and impact of media coverage, and developing recommendations for improving media performance.
The value of PR in a media performance audit lies in its ability to shape the narrative of an organization’s media coverage. By leveraging PR strategies, CEOs can ensure that their organization’s key messages are being communicated effectively to the media and other stakeholders. This can help to enhance the organization’s reputation and brand image, ultimately leading to improved business performance.
One way that PR can be leveraged in a media performance audit is through the development of a media relations strategy. This involves identifying key media outlets and journalists, developing relationships with them, and pitching stories that align with the organization’s key messages. By doing so, CEOs can ensure that their organization is receiving positive coverage in the media, which can help to enhance its reputation and brand image.
Another way that PR can be leveraged in a media performance audit is through the development of a crisis communications plan. A crisis can have a significant impact on an organization’s reputation and business performance. By having a plan in place for how to respond to a crisis, CEOs can minimize the negative impact on their organization’s reputation and brand image. This can include strategies such as issuing statements, conducting media interviews, and engaging with stakeholders to address concerns.
In addition to these strategies, CEOs can also leverage media monitoring and intelligence consultants to track them and their organization’s media coverage and reputation by monitoring CEOs media coverage, which can identify trends, opportunities, and potential threats to their organization’s reputation. Media Intelligence consultants can provide insights into how stakeholders perceive the organization and can help to identify areas where improvements can be made.
In conclusion, the value of PR in a CEO media performance audit cannot be overstated. By leveraging PR strategies and tools, CEOs can ensure that their organization’s key messages are being effectively communicated to the media and other stakeholders. This can help to enhance the organization’s reputation and brand image, ultimately leading to improved business performance.
CEOs should work closely with their PR teams to develop a comprehensive media relations strategy, crisis communications plan, and monitoring and listening program that can help to optimize their organization’s media performance.
Philip Odiakose is the Chief Insights Consultant at P+ Measurement Services, a Media Intelligence Consultancy in Lagos state, Nigeria.
