Kindling light in a dark room manifests the beauty and brilliance of light over darkness. After kindling it, the light is sustained by energy-mediums like candle, kerosene lantern, electric-lightbulb, firewood or other energy-materials. Light does not start or stand on its own; it always depends on something else for introduction, sustenance and transmission. Just like light, information brightens and liberates human mind from the darkness of ignorance and fear. Yet, information always depends on resources for gathering, discovery, creation, transfer (information marketing) and actualization into reality.
Many internet ‘gurus’ invite youths to join information marketing as a way out of unemployment and poverty. They insist that information marketing can bring more prosperity the youths than demanding access to the ‘devalued mineral resources’. This view is pushed by instances of successful information marketers like Facebook, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Nairabet, Linda-Ikeji, Nairaland etc. Also, the absence of physical industries for producing necessary commodities in Nigeria positions information marketing as the last hope of many unemployed youths. Hence, both young and old Nigerians pursue this sector of information marketing by frantically searching for sellable information in entertainment, gossips, technology, lifestyle et al.
Information are facts or details about somebody or something.[1] Information marketing could be seen as making profits from providing information or medium for information about people or objects of interest. Though providing information is done physically through lectures, live-coaching, print-media or other physical contacts, modern information is mostly provided virtually through internet. Modern information marketing channels include websites, freelance (writing, graphics, programming, etc.), affiliate-marketing/advertisements, blogging, V-logging, online buying, selling, betting, networking, et al. The information are expected to either entertain, edify or assist the receivers in handling their various situations. In return, they pay directly or indirectly for virtual services rendered.
With the opportunities created in information marketing, the claim that Nigerian youths do not need access to mineral resources for prosperity appears plausible since:
- Joining information marketing may not require huge starting capital compared with the capital for extracting and processing mineral resources.
- It is immune to the limitations created in the local business atmosphere and policies, since it is virtual.
- It may not require so much thinking about business ideas, plans or search for raw materials.
- It has a very large global market, and is still growing especially in Nigeria.
Despite the promise of internet marketing, soft/virtual materials and global connectivity, the primacy of physical resources remains constant in generating, transmitting and using the information.
- Generating marketable information (generalizable knowledge) primarily comes through physical research, experiment, meditation, imagination and observation of people or objects (resources). Health information comes after several clinical trials, and information from other fields come from physical experience with resources that form their subject matter.
- Human capital, which is a major factor in producing information or materials, is developed through contact with physical resources. Without contact with physical resources, both as subject matter and instrument for learning, no new information or idea may be formed or transmitted for marketing.
- All the equipment for transmitting information are made from mineral resources. Computers and hard-drives, cables, phones, screens, laptops, bandwidth and other materials for transmitting and accessing the information are made from physical resources. And without constant energy/power that is generated from mineral resources, the internet crumbles like light without candle to burn upon.
- Without access to physical resources for education and mineral resources for industry, the virtual information may never be realized. People do not eat information, wear or sleep on information. They apply information on material substances, for “you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand.”
Information is necessary to guide humans in their interaction with the environment for survival and happiness. Yet, it depends on contact with physical resources for actualization, in order to create sustainable wealth. Unfortunately in Nigeria, the access to all mineral resources for wealth-creation is seized by the militarized government. The Nigerian Mineral and Mining Act states that:
“… all lands in which minerals have been found in Nigeria and any area covered by its territorial waters or constituency and the Exclusive Economic Zone shall, from the commencement of this Act be acquired by the Government of the Federation…”[2] “No person shall search for or exploit mineral resources in Nigeria or divert or impound any water for the purpose of mining except as provided in this Act.”[3] “The property in mineral resources shall pass from the Government to the person by whom the mineral resources are lawfully won, upon their recovery in accordance with this Act.”[4]
Observations in Nigeria show that the seized resources are auctioned to foreigners, who use them to produce what they sell to Nigerians at high prices. With the seizure of mineral resources, information marketing in Nigeria is reduced to marketing foreign goods or services. And no amount of information marketing about foreign products will liberate Nigeria from poverty and unproductivity. Real wealth is created by using good information to process natural resources into valuable items for the society. Information marketing obtains fragmented commissions from foreign manufacturers, which is not enough to solve unemployment or poverty in Nigeria.
[1] Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, International Student’s Edition, s. v. information
[2] Nigerian minerals and mining act 2007 act no. 20, chapter 1, Part 1, Section 1, paragraph 2
[3] Nigerian minerals and mining act 2007 act no. 20, chapter 1, Part 1, Section 2, paragraph 1
[4] Nigerian minerals and mining act 2007 act no. 20, chapter 1, Part 1, Section 1, paragraph 3