The consumer's role in ensuring fraud free e-commerce in Nigeria

Few months ago, the internet was abuzz with the sad story of the kidnap of three children by a family's new maid. This story got me very emotional and yes, I joined the social media campaign to try to rescue the kids. However, one part of this ordeal that caught my attention maybe in a slightly different way, was the fact that the mother of the kidnapped kids sourced the nanny off a classified ads website. I was stunned that this could be happening in Nigeria already. Unlike most people who vented their anger and blamed the woman for using this unorthodox style of recruiting, I sat back and thought deeply about her actions.  I came to a resolution that Nigerians are unconsciously making the transition from analog to digital and beginning to trust e-commerce platforms to close deals that before now were not an imagined possibility.

This transition has a huge behavioral and cultural element which is very difficult to influence, but interestingly, we are already seeing the positive changes and obvious downturns. This kidnap story is a strong evidence of this much-needed transition. Just like the physical market place, we now have online marketplaces, online shopping malls, online stores, etc, all in obodo Naija! Amazing right?
Nevertheless, just like anything new, e-commerce has its own challenges, especially in a unique market like Nigeria, which is plague with many shortcomings. That is not to say it should be abandoned. Just like fire can be a tool of destruction, we should not forget that it could also be a source of illumination, warmth, etc. E-commerce just like fire, delivers lots of benefits but in the wrong hands can be a tool for fraud. So my question is, how can e-commerce consumers like you, contribute towards surmounting the apparent challenge of fraud in Nigeria?

Trust is the single most important and intangible element of using e-commerce platforms and most online platforms work hard to foster this. However, consumers should be more discerning. Before you shop on Jumia, Konga, Kaymu, OLX or any of its kind, please endeavor to do some preliminary research. The result of your research should then influence your decision on whether or not to make that purchase.

Another rule of thumb is never to shop on websites that do not make room for reviews. As a consumer, if you have purchased a product online and it's been delivered , make it a point of duty to drop a review.  Your review should answer any of these questions. What was your  experience shopping on that e-commerce platform? Was it cumbersome completing your transaction online? Was it super easy ?  Was the quality of the product you received good? Did the product image and description online match the actual product delivered to you? Did the product do what it said it would do? Was the delivery made within the promised timelines? Was the product fit right?  Was the price of the product commensurate to the value delivered?

Please note that reviews should not always be negative, so don't wait till you have a negative experience to share your views. A positive review is equally as important because it points other users in the right direction and could help increase sales for the product's seller.

While e-commerce is still growing in Nigeria, remember reviewing products is the only way your voice can be heard as a consumer. Take full advantage of this and feel free to post your reviews on your personal social media accounts, just if the e-commerce site decides to delete your review.  We are the generation shaping e-commerce in Nigeria, so actively be a part.

Towards a Cloud Effective Metropolitan Police Services - By Emmanuel Iheanyi

ABSTRACT – Recent economic decline and further predicted decrease in certain countries in Europe have forced their governments into employing important measures to protect its economies. The government reduction in spending as part of her measures has indeed been proposed by the United Kingdom (UK). The UK Metropolitan Police (UMP), an arm of the government, has been hit by these cuts in capital allocations leading to reduction in its proposed budgets and expenditures. Hence an effective use and management of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and its resources while delivering efficient and better police service is of high importance to the UK Metropolitan Police. The Internet provides a more interactive and effective means of disseminating information within its users, but maintaining availability now pose a major challenge of complexity and scalability with increasing operational cost. Cloud Computing technology has helped overcome some of these challenges by making use of the internet and a remote resource centre to manage computer infrastructures, applications and allow users on-demand access to any of these services. Its scalability, simplicity, availability and flexibility do bring a better approach to police services. This research explores the different applications of cloud computing technology in improving Metropolitan police services while reducing their operational cost.

Keywords; Cloud computing, Information communication technology (ICT), UK Metropolitan Police (UMP), Police services.

Want more Attention on Facebook? Pay $2

I once said Facebook had a bunch of attention hungry people. I mean like people who update their status just about every minute, with unnecessary information. “Oh I just had blah blah for lunch.......I am crossing the road now....I am combing my hair.....blah blah blah blah blah”. Well, I sure wasn’t wrong and I guess a bunch of product strategist at Facebook’s Head Office in Palo Alto, shared my opinion.

Very creative and weird mini-guitar USB Drive

The weird miniature acoustic guitar USB Drive (Via Etsy)

I once had a very beautiful USB drive that looked like a bridge, which i got as a gift at a career fair in Abu Dhabi. It was so cute and unique that each time I pulled it out to use, I got a compliment. Sadly, my cute USB is now missing and i was planning on getting a new one. Luckily for me(and you dear reader), while surfing the net this week I found this drop dead gorgeous (forgive me for anthropomorphisingJ) and classy USB Drive that kept me staring at my computer screen with my mouth wide open in admiration for more than a minute.

Technology: The Celebrated Killer

(Picture obtained from www.ehow.co.uk)

Like yesterday, I remember having to use the post to send my application form and credentials to an examination body. Those days were very memorable, not for how fast the service was, but for how I waited anxiously for my documents to be delivered, yes they were eventually after so much delay, but without feedback. I wished I could have them delivered in just 20 minutes (technology did much more than I expected). I also wished I could send them from the comfort of my home.

Technology has changed everything. We have now substituted sending letters via the post to sending emails with documents attached (where necessary) which can be delivered in spilt seconds.

How do project managers handle scope creep?

Picture gotten from Xavier Leadership Center.

Change they say is the only constant thing! While some changes come with bells and whistles, others are as meek and harmless as a sheep. This is the tale of scope creep. It might be as simple as one or two minor added task that might not hurt the project in the short term, to an outrageous request from stakeholders to add a major feature to the project. Either ways scope creep is unavoidable! In the project management world, scope creep is to a project as man is to breathing in oxygen. According to Howitz, although there are several reasons why a project could fail, but one of the major reasons is scope creep (Howitz, C. 2010).That is not to say as project managers we should just sit around, fold our arms and do nothing about it. Scope creep itself is not always the ugly monster some project managers paint it to be, how it is managed is what matters the most (Russell, L.2007). Now comes the big question, how can scope creep be managed?