Mobile Technology: the 21st Century Intrusion

Mobile phone is ruling my children's world! Hold on a moment, it is ruling my world too..oh, it's ruling the African rural communities and indeed the world as well!

When it all really began to be taken seriously some two decades ago, nobody thought the extent, the scope, of communication, accessibility, convenience, nuisance and many other verbs you can ascribe to mobile technology would reach the level it has reached today. Aided by the internet, the mobile phone is many people's soul-mate, work-mate or nightmare - depending on your usage and postulation.

For us journalists and editors we have to deal with the changing trend in the world of media and journalism. As the "citizen" slowly gets ahead of the "reporter", and user generated content (UGC)forms exciting basis for strong reports in local and international media, and other market forces continue to shape the journalistic landscape, the wisest amongst us is not they who turn their back and pretend "o, it's just a silly hype". Because it is not.

Local communities are talking to those in power and the superpowers! A text message or video clip for instance on an alleged extra-judicial killing can rock the world!

That’s perhaps why I am taking this whole mobile thing seriously (I hope not too much so though). Thus our launch of "Labarinku A Takinfu", an initiative aimed at empowering village communities in Nigeria by giving them mobile phones. The BBC Hausa initiative is symbolic of an embryonic partnership...I am hopeful lots of benefits will be reaped both on our part and on the part of the communities too. After all we share a common objective: the will to change life for the better!