The prank market in Nigeria has gained significant traction in recent years, with creators harnessing their creativity to entertain audiences, generate income, and gain visibility. However, this market faces a crucial challenge: distinguishing between pranks that respect boundaries and those that potentially harm others. In response to increased regulatory scrutiny, self-regulation emerges as a potential solution to address concerns and externalities while allowing pranksters to maintain their freedom of expression and creativity. In this piece, our analyst explores the feasibility of self-regulation in the Nigerian prank-making market, its benefits, and the challenges that need to be addressed.
Prank Making Processes
There is no doubt that pranksters invest considerable effort in their content, to executing pranks that elicit desired reactions. However, it is essential to strike a balance between creativity and responsibility, ensuring that pranks do not cross ethical or safety boundaries. Pranksters like Abdullahi Moruff (Trinity Guy) and Kun Zlim have emphasized the importance of assessing targets’ states of mind and mental health before executing pranks. This thoughtful approach demonstrates an understanding of the potential risks associated with harmful pranks.
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“The length of time it takes to shoot videos depends on different factors. There are times that it takes four days to make a single video. There are also times my members of my team and I would be outside for as long as seven hours and not be able to generate any content. For some skits, it could take up to three days, to get the reaction I want,” Abdullahi Moruff, aka Trinity Guy, said in an interview with a local newspaper.
“…sometimes, people would stone me and even beat me. But in the end, when I inform them that it was a prank video, everyone laughs, and that means I have been able to entertain them,” Abdullahi Moruff added.
“I study people’s moods before playing pranks on them. As a matter of fact, there were some videos I shot that did not make it to the Internet. If I get the feeling that the person is not healthy, I would call it off,” Kun Zlim said.
Self-Regulation: What is in it?
Despite having defined processes for producing various pranks, our analyst points out that the market still needs self-regulation, a self-sufficient market system that allows market players to proactively identify and address concerns within their own ranks. By developing self-regulatory frameworks, pranksters can leverage their technical expertise and market experience to establish effective and flexible mitigation strategies. Multi-stakeholder self-regulatory frameworks, involving diverse experts, can provide comprehensive insights into the industry’s challenges and offer balanced solutions. Voluntary commitment to self-regulation standards enhances compliance and fosters responsible practices.
In the face of increased regulatory scrutiny, self-regulation offers Nigerian pranksters an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to responsible content creation. By embracing self-policing measures, they can mitigate the need for burdensome formal regulatory frameworks while effectively addressing concerns regarding potentially harmful content. Self-regulation also promotes collaboration among industry players who share similar business models, enabling them to agree upon jointly accepted rules or codes of conduct.
Challenges for Self-Regulation
Implementing self-regulatory frameworks in the prank-making market may encounter certain challenges. Market participants might be initially hesitant to adopt transparent and substantive requirements, fearing potential limitations on their creative freedom. However, transparent and detailed commitments are crucial to ensure the effectiveness of self-regulation. It is important for market stakeholders to address potential gaps in the self-regulatory framework and identify activities or potential abuses that are not adequately covered.
Effective Implementation: Key Considerations
To successfully implement self-regulation, market stakeholders need to address key questions during the development of the framework. Firstly, they must determine whether the commitments sufficiently address activities or societal impacts that regulators may otherwise consider for formal regulation.
Additionally, the commitments must be sufficiently detailed to provide clarity and guidance. Stakeholders should also identify any potential areas of abuse that are not adequately addressed and work towards closing those gaps. Lastly, involving independent experts in the development and review of self-regulatory frameworks enhances their effectiveness and credibility.
If the players want to continue capturing value from the digital economy, our analyst believes they must proactively engage in self-regulation to address emerging externalities and avoid potential formal regulations as the Trinity Guy case continues to elicit public reactions. Our analyst emphasises that successful implementation necessitates clear requirements, societal consideration, and participation from independent experts. As a result, market participants must ensure long-term inclusivity in the development and implementation of a self-regulatory framework.