As has been my life routine. I woke up this morning and stretched out my hand to pick my phone from the table. I perused my WhatsApp, Facebook and went foward to check my emails. So I opened a mail from Google maps (I am a developer and I have integrated and consumed Google maps APIs on a bunch of websites and applications I built for clients).

So what really caught my attention was that Google promised to pay $15 If i helped them complete a survey on their map products.

So with my heart racing fast and pumping in excitement, I rushed and clicked the link. I selected my employment status, clicked on the select box to indicate my country, alas and behold, Nigeria was not in the list of countries. I scrolled delligently and intermittently between Namibia, Nicaragua,niger and hoping to see Nigeria somewhere but it was not there. To be sure my eyes was not deceiving me, I used my web developer sense to referesh the page, blaming the absence of Nigeria on network problem resulting in incomplete page load. To my surprise Nigeria was not still there.

This is not right, I said to myself. Nigeria has the best developers in Africa both in quality and quantity and some of the highest consumers of Google products.
I am entitled to this free pie and so is other Nigerian developers. We and some Nigerian companies have used and paid for Google products and deserves this pie and nothing will stop me.

So in the midst of my confusion I found an option that indicates 'my country not listed here'. So I selected this option and clicked the next button. Hoping to get directed to where Nigeria is listed so that I can continue with the survey.

My brothers and sisters I was told 'thank you for your time' . No this can't be happening. Something must be wrong, I need to earn this $15. Maybe I must have selected the wrong option. I clicked on the back button but was told that I can't take the survey again.

Okay, enough of the jokes. I did a little research and found out that Nigerians has abused such opportunities in the past and hence, are not qualified for such tasks on most Google products.

The culture of fraud has eaten deep into the very fabric of the Nigerian society.
Ghanians, togolese, benonoise and host of smaller African countries are now open to opportunities a Nigerian has no access to.

The internet is booming. A lot of businesses today are moving their market place online. In the US, the e-commerce sector is worth over $500bn contributing significantly to the GDP and overall economy of the USA. One of the reason for this growth is because of TRUST and HONESTY. An American can meet a fellow American online, interact and seal a business deal without one devicing 'smart' (evil) ways to defraud the other.

Today most Nigerians can't do business online because you are 100% sure to be duped. To make matters worst, when you complain, you will be termed 'not smart' or foolish.
What is wrong in trusting a fellow Nigerian? For us not to recognize this as a problem shows the depth of decay in our morality.

Chronic internet fraudsters(Yahoo Yahoo) are celebrated. Some have developed 'justifications' for this crime.

Developers like me that do business online are some of the worst people affected by the menace of fraud and bad reputation Nigerians have amassed online and it is only going to get worse. I have lost business opportunities simply because the client I met on Facebook discovered that I am a 'nigerian'. In his words 'Mr Clinton, your works are good but I don't do business with Nigerians online. '

It is time the Nigeria society start combating the menace of fraud. It is the obligation of our religious institutions to condemn fraud in strong terms without mincing words.
It is the responsibility of you, the ordinary Nigerian to be honest in your dealing with your fellow Nigerian without devicing ways to scam each other.
It is the responsibility of our government to increase the punishment for fraud and cybercrimes. The government should also expand the scope of what is defined as fraud. Reneging on a gentleman agreement after receiving monetary inducements is 'fraud'.
Developers like me have a very vital role to play. We can refuse to develop that phising website/script,crypto, investment etc website especially when we know what it will be used for. Think about your future. The same laptop and phone you use to access your Gmail, WhatsApp, Facebook etc is the same device you will use to host a fraudulent website. Don't you know that FBI and other relevant agencies are taking your data? When you get that your dream foreign job and decide to move to a foreign country, you will just end up in jail.

NIGERIANS SAY NO TO FRAUD

Well said..

Government needs to come up with ingenious ways to tackle and mitigate the danger of fraud mentality among Nigerians

JavaScript9091:
As has been my life routine. I woke up this morning and stretched out my hand to pick my phone from the table. I perused my WhatsApp, Facebook and went foward to check my emails. So I opened a mail from Google maps (I am a developer and I have integrated and consumed Google maps APIs on a bunch of websites and applications I built for clients).

So what really caught my attention was that Google promised to pay $15 If i helped them complete a survey on their map products.

So with my heart racing fast and pumping in excitement, I rushed and clicked the link. I selected my employment status, clicked on the select box to indicate my country, alas and behold, Nigeria was not in the list of countries. I scrolled delligently and intermittently between Namibia, Nicaragua,niger and hoping to see Nigeria somewhere but it was not there. To be sure my eyes was not deceiving me, I used my web developer sense to referesh the page, blaming the absence of Nigeria on network problem resulting in incomplete page load. To my surprise Nigeria was not still there.

This is not right, I said to myself. Nigeria has the best developers in Africa both in quality and quantity and some of the highest consumers of Google products.
I am entitled to this free pie and so is other Nigerian developers. We and some Nigerian companies have used and paid for Google products and deserves this pie and nothing will stop me.

So in the midst of my confusion I found an option that indicates 'my country not listed here'. So I selected this option and clicked the next button. Hoping to get directed to where Nigeria is listed so that I can continue with the survey.

My brothers and sisters I was told 'thank you for your time' . No this can't be happening. Something must be wrong, I need to earn this $15. Maybe I must have selected the wrong option. I clicked on the back button but was told that I can't take the survey again.

Okay, enough of the jokes. I did a little research and found out that Nigerians has abused such opportunities in the past and hence, are not qualified for such tasks on most Google products.

The culture of fraud has eaten deep into the very fabric of the Nigerian society.
Ghanians, togolese, benonoise and host of smaller African countries are now open to opportunities a Nigerian has no access to.

The internet is booming. A lot of businesses today are moving their market place online. In the US, the e-commerce sector is worth over $500bn contributing significantly to the GDP and overall economy of the USA. One of the reason for this growth is because of TRUST and HONESTY. An American can meet a fellow American online, interact and seal a business deal without one devicing 'smart' (evil) ways to defraud the other.

Today most Nigerians can't do business online because you are 100% sure to be duped. To make matters worst, when you complain, you will be termed 'not smart' or foolish.
What is wrong in trusting a fellow Nigerian? For us not to recognize this as a problem shows the depth of decay in our morality.

Chronic internet fraudsters(Yahoo Yahoo) are celebrated. Some have developed 'justifications' for this crime.

Developers like me that do business online are some of the worst people affected by the menace of fraud and bad reputation Nigerians have amassed online and it is only going to get worse. I have lost business opportunities simply because the client I met on Facebook discovered that I am a 'nigerian'. In his words 'Mr Clinton, your works are good but I don't do business with Nigerians online. '

It is time the Nigeria society start combating the menace of fraud. It is the obligation of our religious institutions to condemn fraud in strong terms without mincing words.
It is the responsibility of you, the ordinary Nigerian to be honest in your dealing with your fellow Nigerian without devicing ways to scam each other.
It is the responsibility of our government to increase the punishment for fraud and cybercrimes. The government should also expand the scope of what is defined as fraud. Reneging on a gentleman agreement after receiving monetary inducements is 'fraud'.
Developers like me have a very vital role to play. We can refuse to develop that phising website/script,crypto, investment etc website especially when we know what it will be used for. Think about your future. The same laptop and phone you use to access your Gmail, WhatsApp, Facebook etc is the same device you will use to host a fraudulent website. Don't you know that FBI and other relevant agencies are taking your data? When you get that your dream foreign job and decide to move to a foreign country, you will just end up in jail.

NIGERIANS SAY NO TO FRAUD

wizseller:
Well said..

Government needs to come up with ingenious ways to tackle and mitigate the danger of fraud mentality among Nigerians

You are right my brother