20 Social Media businesses to start in Nigeria

The social media is increasingly gaining a lot of steam as an influential means of spreading the word about almost any business in Nigeria. Businesses are now eploring the viral video boom on platforms like Facebook. Various infographics that are readily available have shown the increasing influence of social media and its potential on how clients perceive product and services. The most import social media channels that are deployed by Nigerian businesses have been Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and niche blogs.

Jumia is an example of an online retailer that deploys social media in its marketing campaign.
Furthermore, there are  enormous amount of social media businesses that can be kick started in Nigeria, due to their ability to spread the word about what your business does.

See how these 20 Social Media businesses  can be started in Nigeria.
1. Online Retail Business: Online retail business can be started in Nigeria using the tools available on Facebook. Selling of consumer products via the use of a Facebook page affords the business the benefit of customization and possibly the use of Facebook landing page to create an online store.

2. E-currency Business: E-currency merchants can also deploy a Facebook fan page for the sole aim of advertising their product and also marketing of such. E-currency units like Bitcoins, can be advertised by a merchant and subsequent transactions redirected to the merchant website.

3. Entertainment Business: Budding music artist can set up Youtube channels to garner popularity and sell themselves to willing record labels. The Nigerian music scene is constantly growing and artist can start their career on Youtube and Facebook alike.

4. Small Media Firms: It is possible to start an online media company using social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. Breaking news media house like Sahara Reporters did well by starting some part of their media campaign on Facebook and Youtube.

5. Auto Dealing: Nigeria has a good market for automotive, be it new or used cars. There are opportunities in the auto dealership niche and the social media can be a fertile ground for such businesses.

6. Social media expert: A lot of companies in Nigeria are in dire need of experts who can manage their Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Pinterest handles. This is a business that can flourish in Nigeria.

7. Personal chef: It is possible to start a chef a business in Nigeria by just owning a Facebook, Twitter, Youtube page. You can get along by uploading your recipes on Facebook and also upload videos of how recipes are prepared.

8. Event coordinator: Events such as naming ceremonies, parties and marriages are very familiar sights in Nigeria. Seemingly, people do not want to tackle the hassles associated with them, hence it is possible to start an event coordinator business in Nigeria and be sure that it’ll thrive.

9. Event DJ: One can start out as an event DJ in Nigeria using social media tools like Youtube and Facebook.

10. Exercise instructor: It is increasingly possible to hold exercise sessions with students in Nigeria. It offers a good niche for a business startup using social media tools like Facebook, Youtube and Twitter.

11. Handyman services: For those who are skilled at basic home repair, then it is possible to setup a Facebook fan page that would provide an avenue for clients to call you for repair jobs such as plumbing, etc.

12. Nanny Service: Due to the growing middle class in Nigeria, there’s need for this sort of job and having a social media channel support such services could be a success if properly managed.

13. Computer Troubleshooting: A computer troubleshooting service business can be launched and run using social media tools like Facebook and Youtube.

14. Sewing and Alterations: My girlfriend is quite handy with the sewing machine and often hems and modifies my shirt. Recently, I asked her to setup a Facebook page where she could upload some of her work and the responses have been encouraging.

15. Tutoring: The annual WAEC and JAMB test in Nigeria creates the opportunity for tutoring. Starting such services on Facebook and Youtube, attending to specific subjects can be a welcome idea for a startup business in Nigeria.

16. Landscaping services: With sprawling private residences in Nigeria, the need for landscaping has seen a spike and this business sure does have a lot of potentials in the social media space.

17. Interior decorating: If you’re fascinated by interior design and can decorate a home to taste if given the required design material, then you can setup a social media business to meet this.

18. Baking: Nigerians love confectionery and starting a Facebook Page with pictures of baked products can be enough fan attraction.

19. Cleaning services: A lot of businesses and government offices require professional individuals who can clean their office spaces, running such services with social media exposure is a good start.

20. Website design: Running a website design business doesn’t require much asides owning a pc that is connected to the internet. A good social media campaign can expose your business to a wide audience.

Top Ten Online Payment Platforms in Nigeria

Since the banks recapitalization in Nigeria, online payment platform has grown geometrically year after year as most banks have recognized the need to boost their e-banking channels in the face of competition. While Nigerian banks are scrambling to have their fair share of the market, they are joined in the online payment processing market by other online processing outfits. The advantage of this is that competition has improved drastically in the industry. However, ASNE in a bid to establish the top ten online payment processing platform in Nigeria, information was sourced from Nigerian Payment Processors and Aggregators and from our findings, the top ten online payment platforms in Nigeria is highlighted below:

10. Argonpay

Argonpay as an online payment platform (aggregator) that affords Nigerians the opportunity of accepting payment via the use of MasterCard and Visa. Its features are affordable electronic transfers, exchange of currency, transfer of payments, receipt of payments and transfer of funds to any bank via e-wallet. Its website is www.argonpay.com

9. FirstPayLink

This platform is controlled by First bank Plc, as such, its operation requires that the customer has an account with the parent bank (First Bank). FirstPayLink’s payment encourages both local and international transactions and it does not come with integration plugin like GTPay, Globalpay and so on. It however possesses an integration document which the customer can use for the integration of their website. Its features are flexibility in navigation of payment options, notification of customers with reference number via email address of customers and its benefits include acceptable secure mode, real-time transaction information access and provision of useful report for budgeting and planning. Website: www.firstbanknigeria.com

8. Cashenvoy

Cashenvoy is owned by Electronic Settlement Limited. It began operations as nigeria’s first web payment aggregator in 2009. The company is the only Nigerian online payment processor that Shopify accepts. Its website is www.cashenvoy.com

7. 2Checkout

2Checkout is a United States based online payment processing platform that offer eight payment methods which comprises Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Diner club, debit cards, PIN debit cards, Paypal and American Express. Under this platform, payment is received in currency that is set as default currency on the website of the merchant. The company’s website is www.2checkout.com

6. Simplepay

This is an indigenous outfit located in Abuja, Nigeria. It relies on Zenith bank’s Globalpay in allowing their customers to make online payments. Simplepay is set up in a way that prevents fraud and it has a compact system that monitors transaction flows. Merchants who use the Simplepay medium get their account credited in less than twenty four hours and even, pro services merchant users get their fund instantly. One good feature of this platform is the flexibility it offers customers in the selection of bank to be used as payment receipt. For more information about Simplepay, visit www.simplepay4u.com

5. Voguepay

Voguepay’s uniqueness is that it gives room for customers to accept payment on the websites they own, that is, under Voguepay, automatic withdrawal to the merchant’s bank account is supported whereas under other payment aggregators, merchants manually make withdrawal request. The major distinguishing feature of this payment system is that it has a developed plugin that merchants can easily download and install to their websites. Its website is www.voguepay.com

4. Webpay

This is an online payment system developed by InterSwitch to enable payment via debit cards issued by banks that are affiliated to InterSwitch in Nigeria by acting as a link between banks and merchants. Under this platform, customer’s card information are extracted and saved online by Webpay in a bid to purchase on the merchant’s site. This platform has a direct integration into the websites of customers, as such, funds are transferred into their accounts. Since all Nigerian banks in one way or the other affiliated to InterSwitch, Webpay is the easiest to operate in Nigeria. Webpay’s website is www.interswitchng.com

3. Globalpay

Globalpay is a payment processing platform developed by Zenith bank Nigeria Plc. It is specifically designed to meet the online payment processing needs of high networth customers and top notch professionals. Globalpay supports both local and international cards but has a monthly access fee of NGN 5,0000 , set up fee of NGN 150,000 and charges of $50 per foreign settlement.

2. UCollect

The United Bank for Africa’s online payment processing platform supports local and international card with zero set up fee and also support Euro, Dollar, Naira and Pound denomination. A unique feature of this platform is that a customer and operate a Naira account and a dollar domiciliary account and order the bank to make international payment settlements with the naira account. Ucollect’s website is www.ubagroup.com/countries/ng/ucollect

1. GTPay

Nigeria’s number one online payment platform is a product of her frontline bank, Guaranty Trust bank. The platform works with InterSwitch, MasterCard and Visa. GTPay now comes with better codes. Under this platform, a customer can complete GTPay integration in less than a week and consummate transactions on it. The features of GTPay  are instant deduction from customers card, reduced sign on fee and online transactions tracking.

Read More http://newsofnigeria.com/top-ten-online-payment-platforms-in-nigeria/

How to Develope Hospitality App for Africa

Many African countries may not be as developed as the Western countries, but this “naturalness” is what a lot of tourists love about Africa – the fact that they can see nature and people in their pure element. Most tourists do not want to visit countries that offer them the same sights and sounds that they can get when they are back home!

There are so many boutique hospitality establishments all across Africa which has lots of potential to draw both local and international tourists; but the sad part is that many of these establishments do not have a solid online presence or no online presence at all hence the need for a Hospitality App ! These establishments do not even make it easy for potential guests to book rooms by providing an internet-based booking system – which many hotels in developed nations have been doing for many years.
Developing hospitality app for Africa may (truthfully) be a lot of work at the beginning, but all that hard work is sure to pay off in the long run for entrepreneurs who want to be an agent of positive change.
Developing Hospitality App for Africa

Because more and more people strongly rely on their mobile phone in order to search for products and services from the comfort of their home or while they are on the go, there are a lot of hospitality establishments in Africa that are in search of a mobile marketing strategy for their lodging, eating and/or drinking establishment.  If you own an applications (app) developing business, Africa is definitely a big market to build a successful business. When developing hospitality app for the African market, it is important that you keep the following in mind:

• It is very important that you design and develop an app that will help hotel establishments, tourism boards and eating establishments to boost their revenue and to provide efficient service to their customers.

• Develop a mobile booking app that does more than book hotel rooms for guests. The app should offer users the opportunity to seamlessly communicate with the property management systems.

• Do not just develop apps meant for hotels, Bed and Breakfast and motel establishments. Creating an application for restaurants will also be beneficial as well. Diners can search for restaurants that serve both local and intercontinental dishes. The app can even help diners find restaurants that serve quality food and drinks within their specified budget – people traveling on a strict budget to Africa would appreciate an app like this.

• One way to get the attention of hospitality establishments in Africa is to develop a hospitality app that can be easily customized in order to suit the needs of the establishment.

More and more people in the hospitality business in Africa are constantly in search of new strategies to attract local and international tourists. As an app developer, you can take advantage of this opportunity to help those in the hospitality business get their property into the mobile marketplace and make a
good profit while you are at it.

Innovation Nigeria’s Mobile App Market To Experience 15% Growth Rate – Analysts

Nigeria’s mobile application market is set to experience significant growth in the coming years as smart phone ownership and broadband internet acquisition continues to rise.

According to industry experts, the potential growth will be fostered by the declining prices of mobile phones and gadgets, and would encourage customers to patronize local mobile applications.
“The sub-$100 smartphone is steadily becoming a reality globally. Low-end smartphones are increasingly available and these types of mobile phones will likely grow at a CAGR [Compound Annual Growth Rate] of 15 percent over the coming years,” James Rutherford of Nokia Corporation said.
Figures gathered from GFK Retail and Technology Nigeria reveal that Nigerians spent an average of N92 billion ($566 million) in acquiring 1.82 million in 2012, and analysts believe the sector will record further growths in the next few years.

These figures, though relatively low compared to the country’s total population, still puts Nigeria as the leading market for smart phones in Africa.
According to a report, Nokia has about 73 percent of the Nigeria’s mobile phone market, with Samsung claiming 4 percent. The country currently has over 114 million mobile phones in operation, 10 percent of which are smartphones.

This has created an attractive market for app developers as higher sales and profit returns as well easy adoption makes it an ideal environment for local app development.
“You can see that it has taken an astronomical growth with over 110 million mobile lines. We are in the top ten biggest mobile market in the world, all this in less than a decade. The growth of the app market is a reflection of our mobile market, they go side by side,” said Osamede Umweni, MD of 70th Precinct Limited

Perinent Limited promo video

Pertinent Ltd presents, International Business Mega Summit

         GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS!! GOOD NEWS!!!

There will be an International Business Mega Summit  on Saturday, the 22nd of October 2016 at the Santos Hotel, Akowonjo Roundabout, Egbeda, Lagos.Time: 11am. .

Features of the event: Lecture on Real estate, Price slash on all our estate locations and free gifts (Plots of land, all expense paid trip to Dubai & A 2 bedroom bungalow) for participants. 

The Guest Speaker at the Summit will be Pastor Olumide Emmanuel (a.k.a. The Common Sense Guru) Ticket is #5,000 ( Five thousand naira only).
                      

         He'll be speaking on the following:

• Becoming a MultiMillionaire through Real estate
• How to use real Estate as a tool for financial freedom and retirement planning
• Building your first house starting with little or no money
• Click here to know about Pastor Olumide Emmanuel 
•  
•  
• PROMO AND FREE GIFTS: The following will be given out at the event, to attendees through raffle draw:
•  Free plots of Land ( for at least 7 persons)
• All expense paid trip to Dubai ( for at least 5 persons)
• A two bedroom bungalow ( Just a lucky winner of raffle draw) 
• Land in all our locations will be sold at a discounted price.  Subscribers are to make a minimum deposit of 20% of the cost of the land. For outright payment,you don't have to pay in full on that day. All you need is 20%  minimum deposit of  your choice location. The balance can be paid within a month.
   For Installmental payment, you can also deposit a minimum of  20% of your choice location.The balance can be spread over the number of months chosen.
  
                            HOW TO GET THE TICKET ( For the event)
   Pay the sum of  #5,000 (Five thousand naira) in favor of;  
  Acct Name: Pertinence Limited. 
  Zenith Bank: 1013149333, 
  GTBANK: 0141336733,
  UBA: 1018722085, 
  Diamond Bank: 0073722675
  
  After payment, Please call or text your Name, Teller no. & Bank to  +234 7039695517
  
  We have been organizing seminars before now, but this event is an exception. Please do not miss out on this for any reason. 
  
  For those outside of Lagos/Nigeria, you can order for the DVD and also pay for your choice location online. You can drop your contact and your area of interest below and we'll get back to you.
  
  Better still, you can send someone to represent you. 
  
  Hurry now and get your tickets as available seats are limited.   
  

7 apps saving lives in Africa

1. Matibabu
Malaria is Africa’s second biggest killer after HIV/Aids, with the time it takes to diagnose the disease given as one of the reasons Malaria-related deaths are still high. Instead of using the old and slower method of taking blood samples to diagnose the disease, Matibabu uses red LED and a light sensor. All users need to do is insert their finger into a device that’s attached to a smartphone. “Light is triggered into the skin to reach the red blood cells and used to discover the state of the red blood cells to determine malaria status,” explains Matatubi’s lead developer Josiah Kavuma, from Uganda.

2. Ubenwa

Birth asphyxia, which is the lack of oxygen to the brain before, during and after birth, kills around 1.2 million infants in Africa annually. It’s also one of the top 3 killers of infants on the continent, while those who survive it can be left with severe life-long disabilities like cerebral palsy, deafness and paralysis. Developed in Nigeria, Ubenwa uses speech processing tech to monitor and analyse infants’ cries to determine if they’re experiencing asphyxia.

3. Neopenda

Nearly 3 million babies die in their first month of life every year, with 98% of the deaths occurring in the developing world. Neopenda is a global tech kick-starter that wants to “give children the life they deserve.” Neopenda is for critically ill newborns being cared for in hospitals in low-resource countries. The app uses sensors that measure heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, and temperature. The low-power sensors use rechargeable batteries, and wirelessly transmit data to a central monitor to alert nurses when a newborn isn’t breathing properly. It has already been rolled out in Uganda.

4. Bisa Health

Bisa means ask in Ghana’s Twi language. The app allows for direct interaction between patients and medical professionals like a general practitioner, optometrist, dietician and paediatrician, without being physically present for the consultation. According to its developers, “This is an advantage to people who need medical care and advice but are not able to visit the hospital for various reasons like poverty, long queues at the hospital and the fear of stigmatisation.” Bisa also provides information on common diseases and how to control the spread of diseases during outbreaks.

5. iAfya

Available in Swahili and English, the Kenyan app is a patient education tool. It gives users access to health resources from any location and connects them to community health workers in their area. Features include sections on healthy living, basic first aid tips, a mother and child portal and SMS info service.

6. Kids First Aid
Winner of the 2013 MTN Business App award in South Africa, Kids First Aid gives access to information with step-by-step instructions on how to deal with common medical emergencies. Features include a video tutorial on CPR, information about hospitals around a user’s location and a list of emergency numbers that can be called directly from the app. Emergencies covered include choking, drowning, poisoning, fractures and dislocations.

7.mRamadan

The app helps diabetic believers in Senegal, where 92 percent of the population in Muslim, to fast safely during Ramadan by providing information on managing the illness while also fasting. mRamadan generates messages that include reminders for users to drink a litre of water each morning before beginning the fast, a list of food to avoid eating during the fasting period, as well as information on how to adapt the intake of medicine while fasting.

Google Launches Digital Skills Training Drive for 1 Million African Youth

Google has announced that it plans to train one million young Africans over the next one year under the tech giant’s digital skills programme. In view of this objective, Google said it is seeking for potential partners to scale up the training programme.
According to a statement on Tuesday, Google said 400,000 Nigerians, 300,000 South Africans and 200,000 Kenyans will receive free digital training. Another set of 100,000 people will be selected from other sub-Saharan African countries.

“Google is in Africa for the long haul and we are making an investment in talent,” Luke Mckend, Google South Africa country head told Bloomberg. “We hope that the people trained will become pioneers in the field and do great things in digital for companies and for Google.”

In partnership with Livity Africa, a nonprofit organisation based in Cape Town, South Africa, Google has launched Digify Africa (digifyafrica.com), an online learning portal designed to improve young people’s chances of gaining employment and also their ability to become digital entrepreneurs.

The platform offers two training programmes, Digify Pro and Digify Bytes. Digify Bytes is a one or two-day training programme aimed at giving young people and job seekers digital marketing skills while Digify Pro is a three-month immersion programme for digital specialists. The Digify programmes are all free.

Apart from Livity Africa, Google said it is also looking for other partners across Africa to drive the digital skills training programme. “We’re also talking to a number of other potential partners across Africa with a view to scaling the digital skills training programme and helping to reach even more young people in more countries,” Google said in a statement.

“The internet is at the heart of economic growth and the digital skills programme is aimed at helping more Africans play a part in the digital economy,” McKend said.

Five Tips for Maintaining Online Security

Modern life revolves around the cyber world, making Internet security vital. From social networking to banking, we keep a lot of personal information on the Internet so a threat to our security can have dangerous consequences. Hackers are a major threat to your online safety and can put at risk not only your private information, but your computer system, and other sensitive or valuable information that is not even stored on your device!

Hackers are unauthorized users that can gain access to your private details like passwords, which can be used to hack into your Internet accounts, sometimes sending content to your contacts under your identity or using the information stored in the account to access further personal information. These breaches in your Internet security can be avoided.

Even worse, a hacker can access credit card numbers, Social Security numbers and even entire computer systems. Amongst some hackers, there is a trade in infected computer systems, which are sold and used to launch attacks on other computer systems, that might store more sensitive data or valuable information. You might not even know that your device is infected and is being used for the theft of other data.
Hackers place threats most commonly on the Internet. Often, they will trick you into downloading files, known as Malware or Adware. Once you’ve got one, it’s difficult to eradicate the infection. Awareness is key to avoiding this. It’s important to implement every method possible to keep your information safe. There are ways to up your Internet security and make sure you don’t fall victim to online hackers.


Five Tips for Maintaining Online Security
1. Use Antivirus
Even the websites you trust are at risk of being compromised, so you need a firewall even if you are careful. Recommended anti-virus for Windows include Microsoft Security Essentials or Windows Defender and for Mac include Avast Antivirus and Kaspersky.

2. Update Software Regularly
Google Chrome, Windows, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Adobe Flash plugin, Adobe’s PDF Reader, Microsoft Office and more are software items that can get infected. These companies regularly release updates armed with improved security! Install these ASAP, or set up automatic updates.

3. Download and Run with Caution
Only download software from its official website. Never download anything from illegal or unknown sites, as the download may contain Malware or Adware files. If you use pirated or cracked software from peer-to-peer networks or dodgy websites, you are at risk – software is higher risk than music or videos files. Watch out for ‘download’ buttons that lead you to other sites as they could be dangerous.

4. Watch the Emails You Open
Sometimes, hackers send emails posing as companies you trust, like your bank, requesting information including your password. This is a scam called phishing. Never send a password or username via email. Banks would never ask for this. You can avoid phishing by checking the link in the email before you click (it might contain unusual letters or numbers) or always visiting the company’s official domain and avoiding clicking on links through email.

5. Don’t Reuse Passwords
If you use the same password for multiple accounts, you’re in trouble via a breach at any one site. Hackers will try different combinations until they can access everything. Choose different passwords for each of your logins and be sure to change these often in order to stay safe.

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FULL SHOW "Bugged Tracked Hacked" 60 Minutes AU

"60 Minutes" shows how easily your phone can be hacked

5 lessons from Mark Zuckerberg’s visit to Nigeria

The visit of Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg , to Nigeria has created so much buzz around the country and even the world. Nigerians have posted so many memes and comments on the social media, and we at JernaiBlog have kept our ears on the ground. Read on to discover 5 lessons we have learned from the legendary visit.

Lagos is undoubtedly the heartbeat of Nigeria

Since Abuja became the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, there have been arguments over which of the two cities -Abuja and Lagos- is the actual heartbeat of the Nation. For those who are still in doubt, the visit of the famous CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, to Lagos has proved that the city is indeed the core of our nation. The social media genius could have visited to any other part of the country, but he picked Lagos. Of course, he visited Abuja later on, but that visit seemed more like an afterthought.

Nigeria’s Jollof rice reigns supreme

 What more is there to say? Mark Zuckerberg, a well-travelled member of the world’s top class who has probably tasted the best of meals around the world, gushed about Nigeria’s favorite meal- Jollof rice! That certainly is enough to prove that the meal indeed reigns supreme.

 There are too many talents in Nigeria

 In Mark’s own words: “This trip has really blown me away by the talents of young entrepreneurs and developers in this country, and making a difference and making a change. It reminds me of when I wanted to start Facebook. I wasn’t starting a company at the time but wanted to build something to see if it would work. And that is what I see people here do, pushing through challenges, building things that you want to see in the world. You are not just going to change Nigeria and the whole of Africa but the whole world.”

Simplicity should be a core value for any searching for success

 Even President Buhari commended the simplicity of Zuckerberg as he thanked him for sharing his wealth of knowledge with Nigerian youths, and inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs. Although Mark is among the world’s richest men, he does not dress lavishly or engage in impulsive spending. In Buhari’s words: “In our culture, we are not used to seeing successful people appear like you. We are not used to seeing successful people jogging and sweating on the streets. We are more used to seeing successful people in air-conditioned places. We are happy you are well-off and simple enough to always share.’’

The future of Nigeria lies in the hands of the youth

 There have been Memes suggesting that Mark Zuckerberg may have boycotted the older men who play key roles in the Nigeria’s telecommunication and media industry as he understands that the future can only be driven by young talents. The CEO mentioned that he was blown away by the talent and level of energy of the Nigerian youth that he saw at the Co-creation Hub in Yaba, Lagos, and this surely reaffirms the belief that the future of Nigeria certain lies in the hand of its youths.

The visit of Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg , to Nigeria has created so much buzz around the country and even the world. Nigerians have posted so many memes and comments on the social media, and we at Jumia travel have kept our ears on the ground. Read on to discover 5 lessons we have learned from the legendary visit.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/5-lessons-from-mark-zuckerbergs-visit-to-nigeria/

The visit of Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg , to Nigeria has created so much buzz around the country and even the world. Nigerians have posted so many memes and comments on the social media, and we at Jumia travel have kept our ears on the ground. Read on to discover 5 lessons we have learned from the legendary visit.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/5-lessons-from-mark-zuckerbergs-visit-to-nigeria/

The visit of Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg , to Nigeria has created so much buzz around the country and even the world. Nigerians have posted so many memes and comments on the social media, and we at Jumia travel have kept our ears on the ground. Read on to discover 5 lessons we have learned from the legendary visit.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/5-lessons-from-mark-zuckerbergs-visit-to-nigeria/

The visit of Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg , to Nigeria has created so much buzz around the country and even the world. Nigerians have posted so many memes and comments on the social media, and we at Jumia travel have kept our ears on the ground. Read on to discover 5 lessons we have learned from the legendary visit.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/5-lessons-from-mark-zuckerbergs-visit-to-nigeria/

Lagos is undoubtedly the heartbeat of Nigeria Since Abuja became the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, there have been arguments over which of the two cities -Abuja and Lagos- is the actual heartbeat of the Nation. For those who are still in doubt, the visit of the famous CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, to Lagos has proved that the city is indeed the core of our nation. The social media genius could have visited to any other part of the country, but he picked Lagos. Of course, he visited Abuja later on, but that visit seemed more like an afterthought.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/5-lessons-from-mark-zuckerbergs-visit-to-nigeria/

Lagos is undoubtedly the heartbeat of Nigeria Since Abuja became the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, there have been arguments over which of the two cities -Abuja and Lagos- is the actual heartbeat of the Nation. For those who are still in doubt, the visit of the famous CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, to Lagos has proved that the city is indeed the core of our nation. The social media genius could have visited to any other part of the country, but he picked Lagos. Of course, he visited Abuja later on, but that visit seemed more like an afterthought.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/09/5-lessons-from-mark-zuckerbergs-visit-to-nigeria/

Zuckerberg pledges support for Nigerian tech startups SMEs

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, assured Nigerian technology startups and the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria of Facebook’s support that will enhance easy access and connectivity to the internet.
Zuckerberg, who made the pledge in Lagos while addressing technology startups on the second day of his visit to Nigeria, said Nigerian, which is the largest African market for Facebook, currently has 18 million people that are connected to Facebook, while the global figure of Facebook account is close to two billion people.


He said supporting SMEs in Nigeria and Africa is key to economic development because SMEs drive economies, and that Facebook has created 16 million free pages on the Facebook platform for SME business globally.
Excited at his visit to Nigeria, Zuckerberg said he specifically visited Nigeria to meet with technology startups and to share in the views about various software apps they have developed to address immediate and long term challenges in the country.
“Nigeria currently has 18 million people on Facebook, that interact and do different kinds of online businesses, among them are SMEs and Facebook is willing to support them to populate their numbers and provide easy access to connectivity and the internet,” Zuckerberg said during the question and answer session he had with startups and software developers in Lagos.
He however challenged the Nigerian government to reduce cost of internet access, and to create more access to internet for her citizens, as well as raise awareness campaign on the benefits of the internet, especially for rural dwellers.


He called for infrastructural development on the African continent and challenged software developers to focus more on local content in building apps that will address specific needs.
Facebook’s Director of Global Product Partnerships, Ime Archibong, who coordinated the developers, said: “When I came to Lagos back in May this year, I was really struck by the energy of the tech scene in Lagos, and by how many of the developers were building relevant apps. As someone with strong links to Nigeria, I have been trying to expose Mark to this ecosystem for a while, and I am very excited for him to be able to come to Nigeria to meet some of Nigeria’s top entrepreneurs and apps developers.”
While stressing the need to develop apps using local contents, Zuckerberg said building content should be a priority for Nigerian apps developers so that there could be variety of apps that could work with different technologies like 2G, 3G, and 4G.


Making some clarifications about Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, Zuckerberg said both are two different platforms, even though they are related in the area of text messages.
He promised to populate both platforms and make them learning and training platforms.
He said language remained key to communication and that Facebook would continue to extend the language of communication on the Facebook platform. According to him, Facebook is currently working hard to bring additional 10 languages on the Facebook platform.
Speaking on the success of Facebook and its future projection, Zuckerberg said predictions of the future is best articulated by creating and self determination.
Admitting that his visit to Nigeria was unannounced and without government preparation for any kind of reception, Zuckerberg said his visit was primarily based on meeting the technology startups in Nigeria, having heard so much about their zeal for fantastic apps development

Facebook CEO hosts his first developer Q&A in Africa, from Lagos, Nigeria

Zuckerberg answered questions ranging from if he has had a taste of Nigerian Jollof and pounded yam to the plans that Facebook has for WhatsApp in the future.

In keeping up with 'Mark Zuckerberg is in Nigeria' fever, as soon as I discovered that the Facebook king was going to hold a developers workshop at Landmark Centre in V.I, I jumped into the next available vehicle going to the Island

Once I got there though, I was met with less enthusiasm because I wasn't invited (only 60 people in all of Nigeria were) and could not even get past the gate.

So what do I do? I get myself to the Eko Hotel and Suites - also in V.I - to watch the press screening. At least if I cannot speak to the man himself or watch him speak in person, I should be able to watch him do it on a large screen with air conditioning and great food.

One strong takeaway from watching Mark Zuckerberg speak is that he is by and large a very normal guy. He wore a dark grey shirt with jeans and not-so-stylish Nike trainers. Just a regular guy.

He also spoke like you would expect of any average person. There were no needless big words, no ignorant references. He was descriptive, affectionate, and straight to the point.

Ime Archibong, while kicking off the Q&A session said: "When I came to Lagos back in May this year I was really struck by the energy of the tech scene here and by how many people were building. As someone with strong links to Nigeria, I've been trying to expose Mark to this ecosystem for a while so I am very excited for him to be able to come here and meet some of Nigeria's top entrepreneurs and developers today."

As for Zuckerberg, he answered questions ranging from if he has had a taste of Nigerian Jollof and pounded yam to the plans that Facebook has for WhatsApp in the future.

According to him, "I decided to come to Lagos first because of the vibrant developer and entrepreneurial ecosystem you guys have here - I think the world needs to see that."

Zuckerberg also acknowledges that Nigeria is experiencing a lot of drastic change, citing the fact that the economy is becoming less resource based and more entrepreneurial and knowledge-based economy.

 Did you know that every Friday, at the Facebook Headquarters, Mark Zuckerberg holds a town hall Q&A with Facebook staff and anyone else that wants to have a chat with him? No? Neither did I but Zuckerberg was happy to share at the Q&A event.

At the end of the Q&A, Zuckerberg had given us with more knowledge that we went in with, an abundance of funny anecdotes, and genuine inspiration.

The Facebook Developer Workshop continues but will not be open to the press because Zuck is not about that life.