The ancient city of Benin has witnessed the launch of a consumer-centric outreach programme “Shine your eyes, no fall mugu” by the Nigerian Communications Commission.

An initiative of the Commission’s Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB), the programme is specially conceived and implemented using Nigerian pidgin. It’s intended for a segment of telecom consumer population who are more comfortable with localised communication that resonates with their reality.

The two-day programme, implemented in three phases, started with a road show which featured local artistes and comedians who displayed musical and other performances to amuse and entertain people to create awareness and sensitise telecom consumers about how cybercriminals may use telecom platforms to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

The last day of the two-day event, featured a 20-minute radio talk in Nigerian pidgin, to further create awareness and invited telecom consumers to an enlightenment forum where presentations will be made about tricks deployed by cybercriminals to defraud people online. The presentations also captured measures to be taken by consumers and members of the public in order not to fall victim of fraudsters who may use telecom platforms to perpetrate fraudulent acts.

The programme is facilitated by a local partner who supports NCC, by mobilising critical segments of the public through opinion leaders and social groups to participate in the events, in order for them to be armed with the right information they may require to explore the Internet safely. These leaders and members of the public who attended the forum, are expected to re-diffuse the messages to other members of the public and others in their socio-cultural groups.

This programme, coming on the heels of NCC’s National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (which occurred in October), and the annual National Cybersecurity Conference, which took place on 3rd November, 2021, is meant to reinforce the messages of cyber awareness, cyber vigilance, and cyber smartness to telecom consumers whenever they are online.

More mobilisation campaigns and awareness creation were made during the radio component of the sensitization 97.3 FM. The Enlightenment Forum took place at Obey God Events Centre at Nova Road, opposite Uwasota Junction, Benin.