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Chevron Nigeria: A Model for Other Multinationals

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By Eniola Otun Ade-Bisiriyu

Since I departed Nigeria over 17 years ago for further studies and subsequently settled in the United States of America, one irony that has never ceased to amaze me is the failure of the government in Nigeria to match its public statements with action, especially in local content promotion, patronage and development.

Here in the United States, one cannot help but admire how the US government fights for and protects the interests of its own local brands, notably in the face of competing foreign brands.

A case in point is the ongoing trade war with China and the still-prevalent censure of Huawei, a multinational technology corporation headquartered in China. Granted the US government may come down hard on its own local entities when it comes to anti-trust issues, concerns over infringement of user privacy or even tax avoidance, however, it would never stand by and watch foreign brands eat the lunch of its own home-grown companies.

Nevertheless, this seems to be the status quo in Nigeria, as the experience from my recent trip back home to the beloved motherland proved.

China is another very good example of a government that is fiercely protective of its own. A fallout of the trade war with the United States is the fact that local Chinese entrepreneurs have been able to turn overnight billionaires, by cashing in on a combination of factors, including the encouragement of local enterprise by the Chinese government, a burgeoning population and enforced patronage of local products and solutions. In China, for instance, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Google and many other foreign tech solutions are banned. For each of these and many others on the banned list, the Chinese have a local substitute app that has succeeded in helping China mint new dollar billionaires on a regular basis.

First, it is imperative for us to take into cognizance the difficulties with doing business in Nigeria – a factor, which on its own, makes local entities operating out of here already disadvantaged, when compared with their foreign counterparts. A recent World Bank report shows that Nigeria is ranked a lowly 131 out of 190 countries surveyed in the Ease of Doing Business scale. A deep dive into the report reveals some of the startling parameters that makes Nigeria such a harrowing and challenging terrain for local businesses.

Nigeria ranks an abysmal 169 in access to electricity for business owners, while it also stands nearly at the bottom of the pile with a shocking 183 rank in the area of registering property. The report equally brings into sharp relief the encumbrances borne by businesses in Nigeria when it comes to trading across borders, with the country ranked a worrisome 179. Other areas in which Nigeria ranks poorly in the Ease of Doing Business scale include resolving insolvency (148), paying taxes (159) and enforcing contracts (73).

The foregoing, despite all the sweet talk by the government, paints a picture of a tough operating environment for Nigerian businesses, many of which also must contend with poor infrastructure and an economy hobbled by over-reliance on oil.

For these challenged businesses in Nigeria, one would expect the government to do much more in promoting and protecting their patronage, not only by corporate entities, but more importantly by the government and its agencies. There is no disputing the fact that government is the biggest spender, especially in this part of the world and having outstanding local-grown businesses enjoy the patronage of government, solely on a merit-driven basis, would go a long way in boosting the profile of these businesses, create more jobs for Nigerians and even give them the much-needed impetus and confidence to compete more favourably with their advantaged foreign counterparts who operate out of more convenient and support-driven climes.

However, the reality on ground is far from this.

This is one of the reasons Chevron Nigeria deserves huge commendation for being not just an example to other multinationals operating out of Nigeria, but equally for showing the Nigerian government the way to go in matching words with action.

In October, my elder brother had invited me to meet a few of his Ikoyi club colleagues, three of whom were employees of Chevron Nigeria. We had driven round to their residence to pick them up and met them rounding off some official tasks, using Zinox laptops. It was a remarkable sight and in the course of our interaction, I was informed that the computers, workstations and other systems used by Chevron were all supplied by Zinox. Initially, I had assumed it was an American brand (based on the fact that Chevron Corporation is headquartered out of the US) as I was not very familiar with the name, but the sleekness and cutting-edge design of the systems my hosts were using had caught my attention. Imagine my surprise when my hosts informed me that it was a Nigerian brand and that Chevron Nigeria had been using the Zinox brand for over 16 years and without any complaints.

Surprised, I pressed further and enquired if Zinox had expatriates such as Indians working with them but was told that the company is peopled throughout by Nigerians. My interest was piqued and I had subsequently done a quick research which opened my eyes to the world-class status of the company.

For Chevron Nigeria, one of the most popular multinationals in Nigeria to have patronized Zinox for over a decade, it is certainly not a fluke or a chance occurrence, neither would it be a business relationship that is not founded on merit. I have been based in the United States for over 15 years now and I know for sure how things work over there and the intense scrutiny, painstaking justification and approvals that would have been secured for Chevron to keep using Zinox.

Inside, I was elated and proud to be a Nigerian and equally delighted to be associated with Chevron Nigeria.

But I recently encountered a development that burst my bubbles and showed me that we still have a long way to go in getting it right here in Nigeria.

In the course of my extended stay in Nigeria (I had arrived in October, way before the festive season), I also had the opportunity of paying a visit to a former classmate in my Ph.D. class in the US, who incidentally works as a consultant for the Ministries of Transportation and Education here in Nigeria. This fellow, whose identity would remain withheld for obvious reasons, had invited me to accompany me on a visit to the Ministry of Transportation in Abuja. On arrival there, I was shocked to see that virtually all of the computer systems being used by staff of the Ministry were foreign brands, ranging from HP to Dell and others.

I could not believe my eyes!

Here was a Chevron Nigeria, on one hand, a globally renowned multinational from a fiercely patriotic nation such as the United States convincing its foreign management of the quality of Zinox laptops, workstations and other devices for use by its entire staff in the country for their undoubtedly complex computing tasks; but on the other hand, is a Ministry of Transportation in Nigeria who could not trust or patronize its own local products for their basic Word Processing tasks. What a pity!

But my former classmate was a bit taken aback at my reaction. In fact, I learnt from him that this was a common sight in virtually all Nigerian government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as most of them hardly use local products or resources. He pointed out the case of Innoson Motors as another solid Nigerian brand which manufactures vehicles which Nigerian politicians and civil service officials hardly use, even for their pool cars.

One must not fail to commend the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo who did a lot in encouraging patronage of local businesses. His actions and sound policy directions in the area of local content promotion went a long way in shoring up indigenous capacities among entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Admittedly to a lesser extent, the administration of Goodluck Jonathan equally did its best in this regard.

And with the current administration, it is an open secret that one of the major reasons Nigerians voted overwhelmingly for President Muhammadu Buhari is his anti-corruption stance and patriotic zeal. The president is a firm believer in the Nigerian ideal and is known to go out of his way in fighting for Nigeria’s interest. Further buoying President Buhari’s scorecard in the protection of local interests is his brilliant selection of the highly cerebral Dr. Ibrahim Pantami as Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, a man under whom this strategic ministry has done so much in protecting Nigeria’s sovereignty and fidelity of our collective data.

But it is clear that even with the best intentions of the current administration and others that have gone before it, there are selfish and vested interests within the polity that continue to rubbish local content efforts, keeping credible Nigerian businesses in the shadow of their foreign counterparts at the detriment of our national development.

With this worrisome scenario, how does the Nigerian government expect to transform the country into a regional or world power or even better the lot of its citizenry? Can we factor in the scarce foreign exchange or number of jobs that is being lost to foreign patronage in the face of world class and excellent substitutes that abound here in Nigeria? How do we expect Nigeria to mint dollar-billionaires on a regular basis like the Chinese do for fun? Or when can we even produce the next Mark Zuckerberg or Jeff Bezos when budding entrepreneurs here know that their government can never support them to grow?

Corruption is the usual fall-guy when cases like this comes up. But, in my own opinion, we need to look beyond just corruption and begin to pose serious questions.

Imagine if Nigeria did not have a local entrepreneur like an Aliko Dangote in the cement business or a Mike Adenuga representing us in the foreign interest-dominated telecoms sector. What would be the fate of the average man in the street when the price of cement hits the roof? Indeed, what would be the fate of our collective national data in the hands of foreign telecoms companies? Perhaps, we may not understand the gravity but the fact that Nigeria can count on such strong local enterprises in these industries and other critical ones is a blessing and a strong pointer to our sovereignty as a people.

A lot has been said about the growing prevalence of technology as a bastion of future wealth and the determinant of the wealth of nations. However, this reality seems to be lost on the powers that be here in Nigeria.

Indeed, the plight of tech companies in Nigeria, as seen from my recent experience back home, shows that Zinox and others, may be sadly fighting against a very strong tide, despite putting food on the table of many Nigerians through direct and indirect employment opportunities as well as their undoubted contributions to the economy.

The Nigerian government must wake up and smell the coffee!

 

Eniola Otun Ade-Bisiriyu is an academic based in the United States


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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NDPC Hides MultiChoice Privacy Violation Details Despite FOI Request- FIJ

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Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has refused to release details of the data and privacy rights violation for which it fined MultiChoice Nigeria, despite receiving a Freedom of Information (FOI) request from FIJ.

NDPC Hides MultiChoice Privacy Violation Details Despite FOI Request- FIJ

FIJ otherwise Foundation for Investigative Journalism, is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that combats injustice, holds power to account and speaks for the voiceless.

In its announcement on July 6, the NDPC said it had fined MultiChoice Nigeria N766,242,500 for breaching the data and privacy rights of subscribers and even those who are not necessarily subscribers.

FIJ emailed the data protection commission an FOI request on July 9.

The commission acknowledged the receipt of the email that same day and added: “It has been forwarded to the relevant department and we would respond soon.”

Fifteen days later, FIJ got no other response from the NDPC.

In Nigeria, FOI requests have a seven-day timeframe, and it starts counting as soon as a public institution receives a request for public information.

FIJ understands that holidays, which include a Sunday and a public holiday, are to be excluded in the computation of the timeframe.

The receiving institution is mandated, within those seven days, to either provide the requested information or explain in detail why it is unable to do so based on the provisions of the FOI Act.

Established under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, the NDPC’s tasks include safeguarding data privacy, enforcing regulations and promoting responsible data handling in the country.

When the Commission announced the N766.2 million fine against MultiChoice Nigeria, it said the company had violated the privacy rights of subscribers and allowed the illegal cross-border transfer of personal data of Nigerians.

MultiChoice Nigeria operates through various subsidiaries, such as DStv and GOtv. The NDPC said it launched an investigation into the company in the second quarter of 2024.

“NDPC found, among others, that Multichoice violated the data privacy rights of subscribers and their friends who are not necessarily subscribers,” the statement issued by NDPC read in part.

“The Commission also found that Multichoice carries out illegal cross-border transfer of personal data relating to data subjects in Nigeria. The depth of data processing by Multichoice is patently intrusive, unfair, unnecessary and disproportionate.”

FIJ’s FOI request aimed to understand the extent of the data and privacy breaches committed by MultiChoice Nigeria, the remedial measures directed by the NDPC and the specific channels through which the company collected the personal data of Nigerians.

Two weeks after the request was submitted, the NDPC has refused to respond.

Section 7, sub-section 4, of the Freedom of Information Act (2011) states, “Where the government or public institution fails to give access to information or record applied for under this Act or part thereof within the time limit set out in this Act, the institution shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to have refused to give access.”

According to the Act, where a case of wrongful denial of access is established, the defaulting officer or institution commits an offence and is liable on conviction to pay a N500,000 fine.

At the time of this report, there was no publicly documented case of the NDPC granting an FOI request to share more details after an investigation.

In 2023, FIJ detailed how the Nigerian government often violated the FOI Act. Journalists at top newspapers in the country noted that government agencies had a habit of disregarding FOI requests, despite being legally obligated to respond.


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Spotify RADAR Africa Turns the Volume Up on FOLA and Thakzin

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Spotify is turning the spotlight toward the next wave of African music innovators with its latest RADAR Africa picks: Nigerian Afrobeats talent FOLA and South African Afro House DJ and producer Thakzin. As part of Spotify’s ongoing commitment to discovering and amplifying emerging voices across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), RADAR continues to champion boundary-pushing artists shaping the sound of tomorrow.

FOLA, born Folarin Odunlami, first caught attention with his freestyles on social media, quickly making a name for himself with his blend of Afrobeat rhythms and soulful storytelling. His breakout EP What A Feeling, featuring the Bella Shmurda-assisted hit “Who Does That,” laid the foundation for a fast-rising career that now includes collaborations with BNXN, Magixx, and BhadBoi OML. “Looking at where I’m coming from, I see every opportunity as a blessing. So, it’s a blessing to have been selected, just like others before me,” says FOLA. “I want my fans to know that in the midst of all the noise, I made something they could truly connect with, feel and share with those who mean something to them. I want everyone who listens to at the very least, recognise that they’re witnessing the early days of something truly special.”

On the southern tip of the continent, Thakzin’s journey began in Ivory Park, Johannesburg, where early jazz and kwaito influences, plus a deep respect for traditional percussion, shaped his signature sound. With co-signs from Black Coffee and international tastemakers like Laurent Garnier, his genre-defying approach to Afro House, heard in his 2023 anthem “The Magnificent Dance,” is setting global dance floors alight. Following the release of Magnificent Dance, his version of Horns In The Sun by DJ Kent became a viral hit across South Africa and gained global traction, potentially surpassing the success of Magnificent Dance itself. Thakzin’s sound is rooted in African spirituality and healing, inspired by the rhythmic power of traditional drums. Shaped by a musical upbringing and guided by his father, a keyboardist, he blends rich harmonies with percussive elements to create an immersive Afro-house experience. His music evokes emotion, movement, and ancestral energy, anchored in freedom and African expression. In recognition of his role in shaping 3-step, Thakzin was the first cover artist of Spotify’s 3 STEP playlist.

Spotify RADAR isn’t just a platform, it’s a launchpad. It reflects Spotify’s commitment to empowering local artists across SSA and delivering the best listening experience in the region. From Lagos to Johannesburg, RADAR celebrates the diversity of talent on the continent, offering artists equal access to global audiences.

“At Spotify, we believe in the power of African storytelling through music. FOLA and Thakzin are both incredibly unique artists who represent the spirit of RADAR—fresh voices with global potential,” says Phiona Okumu, Spotify’s Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa. “By amplifying their journeys, we hope to inspire more creators across the continent to believe in their vision and reach for bigger stages.”

With FOLA and Thakzin stepping into the spotlight, one thing is clear: Africa’s future sound is already here, and Spotify is where you find it first.


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Paradigm Initiative Applauds Malawi’s Judiciary for Outlawing Criminal Defamation

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Paradigm Initiative (PIN) commends the decision by the High Court of Malawi, sitting as the Constitutional Court (ConCourt), which finds that section 200 of the Penal Code of Malawi, criminalising defamation, is unconstitutional. This follows a unanimous ruling by Justices Chifundo Kachale, Fiona Mwale, and Mzondi Mvula.

The decision by the three-judge bench concludes a case brought by Joshua Chisa Mbele against the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney General, where the latter leveled charges against Mbele for alleged defamatory statements made regarding a public official in Malawi. In his defence, Mbele challenged the constitutionality of section 200 of the Penal Code of Malawi, which criminalised defamation, arguing that this provision infringed the right to freedom of expression as provided for under section 35 of the country’s Constitution, as well as running counter to Malawi’s obligations under regional and international human rights law.

In its commendable ruling, the ConCourt upheld the right to freedom of expression enshrined in the Malawian Constitution and described the punishment of imprisonment, as outlined in Section 200 of the Malawi Penal Code, as having a “chilling effect on public discourse and democratic participation.” In a ruling delivered on July 16th, 2025, the court said it did not find Section 200 of the Malawi Penal Code reasonable or necessary in light of the civil remedies available to deal with defamation.

PIN celebrates this win, having expressed concerns in the past over Malawi’s repressive laws through the Londa report on the state of digital rights and inclusion in Malawi and a joint advocacy statement calling for the repeal of laws infringing on freedom of expression.

PIN hopes that this decision will stir the legislature in Malawi to repeal laws that have a bearing on freedom of expression such as the Electronic Transactions and Cybersecurity Act 2016, which is increasingly being deployed as a weapon to criminalise freedom of expression and media freedom in Malawi with broad provisions such as section 87 that criminalises publication of offensive communications and an overly broad section 91 of the Act (prohibiting cyber spamming) which has been used to target individuals for insulting the President.

Acknowledging the judiciary’s vital role in promoting fundamental rights and freedoms and ensuring that repressive laws are outlawed, PIN applauds the progressive decision. The Malawi judiciary has demonstrated this leadership with a landmark case that can lead to further legislative reforms in Malawi and inspire other African judiciaries to adopt a human rights-based approach to adjudicating over such cases.


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