With the coming of a convenient and very efficient tool for business such as the internet, information and communication technology in general, many businesses in Africa are yet to take full advantage of the benefits of using this powerful tool to enhance their businesses. There's a lot of truth to the saying that "if you aren't on the web, you don't exist."
I remember when I worked in a cyber café, a group of people confidently walked into the café and went straight to me and my colleague. They brought out a piece of paper and one of them explained; please, can you help us find information on the internet about this? They handed over the piece of paper to my colleague. Upon reading it he passed it on to me to read but quietly telling me not to laugh afterwards. It was really a difficult thing to do because it read; based on the discussions in class, explain the following …Can you imagine that! Some one wanting me to perform an internet search “based on their discussions in class” after meeting them for the first time? I was never even in their class let alone understand or know what they discussed there. But of course they came to us with the assumption that any thing can be found on the internet so why not what they just discussed in class.
The point here is that to find information on the internet “based on their discussions in class”, some one has to put it there first. If no one does, then it’s simply not there. It’s not on the internet and so is it with businesses.
The extent to which people depend on the internet for information and the surge of customers going online at internet cafes, in addition to other forms of internet access simply means people are on a quest for more and more information. They are going to highly appreciate usable local content especially about addresses of businesses and services in Jos. It is as simple as this;
I need a coloured photocopier, not knowing I can get it at Rwang Pam street which is about 300 meters from where I am. I thought it’s too much of a gadget to be found there, so instead of “wasting my time going down to Rwang Pam street to look for what I don’t think I can find” I searched the internet and found a company that had one for sale in thousands of kilometers away in USA, so I called a phone number on the web site and placed my order and waited, 6 weeks later, I got my coloured photocopier after spending much money and wasting much time.
The situation above can happen even when some businesses have taken the stress and shared the cost for a lot of goods and services we would normally want to import, but how can you find them on the internet when they are not there? Looking for them online will be like trying to find something based on the discussions in the class the people in the story are just coming from. If no one puts it there, then it’s simply not there at all.
The lack of presence on internet even by the smallest business means you can’t patronize them unless you know where they are located physically. I believe it’s more convenient to be sure of where I can get goods, or services.
You must not spend thousands of Naira on privately maintained websites if your business is in Plateau State Nigeria today to have internet presence. Register your business to be listed in www.josaddress.com online business directory for only N 5,000.00 (five thousand naira only) for one whole year
Other websites of interest; http://www.pspcjos.org/, http://www.npc.gov.ng/, http://josaddress.blogspot.com/, www.ecwaevangel.org/, www.topix.com/ng/jos, www.sim-nigeria.org/content/blogcategory/40/79/, www.travelpost.com/AF/Nigeria/Other/Jos/7956244, www.unijos.edu.ng/, www.pbase.com/emieljegen/jos, www.world66.com/africa/nigeria/jos, www.nigeria.gov.ng, www.ngrguardiannews.com/, www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107847.html, www.worldbank.org/ng, www.addresses.com/, www.whitepages.com/, www.switchboard.com/, www.reverseaddress.com/
