By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
The chief customer experience officer at Interswitch Group, Oremeyi Akah, has urged Nigerian youths to explore and leverage social media platforms in other to generate income.
•Agho, Idahosa, Alake, Akah, Ubamadu and Baruch
Akah said that a nation’s ability to attract investment, grow industries and enhance job creation, will be greatly determined by the skills of its people and digital literacy has proven to be one of such skills.
Speaking on the theme for this year’s edition of The Roundtable Lekki, “How to make money on social media,” she highlighted the various digital platforms that can generate wealth for youths through social media engagement.
She further gave an academic overview of digital platforms and how they can be utilized as a money-making venture for the teeming youths, including professionals.
It was the third edition of the The Roundtable Lekki, an empowerment programme organised by the Church of God Mission International, Garden City, Lagos, for Nigerian youths to solve societal challenges.
The event featured top influencers such as Adebowale Adedeyo, popularly known as Mr. Macaroni, Nonso Fidelis, called Aproko Doctor, and Lasisi Elenu, who shared their experiences and success stories in the world of social media. Additionally, Olatubosun Alake, Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Lagos State, reeled out the support available from Lagos State initiatives, encouraging attendees to explore programmes like the Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC) and the Hub Voucher Programme.
He equally emphasised the importance of staying informed about open calls for applications.
More so, the president of Benson Idahosa University, Benin, Edo State (BIU), Dr. Feb Idahosa, presented a paper titled “Building your personal brand,” where he emphasized the significance of creating valuable content that educates, entertains, or inspires audiences.
He advised aspiring content creators to focus on solving problems and maintaining consistency in their postings, rather than fixating on follower counts and clout chasing.
During the panel discussion led by Uyi Agho, a lawyer, influencers shared their journeys, offering insights into their early beginnings and strategies for success. For instance, Aproko Doctor recounted his transition from practicing medicine to educating the public through simplified health-related content.
Mr. Macaroni also shared his journey from frustration to fame as a skitmaker, saying that he almost took his life and was depressed at a point.
Lasisi Elenu, on the other hand, thrilled the audience with his usual story of how poverty sat him down on a Saturday morning and wanted to kill him before he ventured into skitmaking.
They warned new content creators not to use their platforms to chase clout, throw banter or join in celebrity fights.
The convener, Rev. Chris Ubamadu, stated the church’s commitment in addressing societal challenges such as poverty and unemployment through practical initiatives like the The Roundtable Lekki.
He stressed the importance of taking proactive steps to empower individuals and foster positive change within the communities.
Explaining the idea behind the theme, “How to make money on social media,” the cleric said the programme was an initiative to address the issue of poverty, unemployment, underemployment and social vices.
He said: “We can help reduce poverty by showing people little things they can do on their own to make money. We started this programme in 2021; we did something on real estate twice. We explored the entertainment sector, and this year we decided to look into financial opportunities in social media.”