Prior to its launch in Lagos, Nigeria, Social Media Week was limited to a few countries across the world. Its novelty sparked so much interest, that when it finally launched in Lagos in 2013, the event recorded impressive participation.
Produced by AFRIKA21, the over 100 events curated for the first edition welcomed the participation of people from across the continent, as Lagos was the first African city to host the conference. With 3 venues across the city, the young and vibrant, industry leaders and entrepreneurs converged to experience the social media revolution at the newly berthed Social Media Week Lagos. Over 3,000 attendees participated in the event.
That year’s Social Media Week theme, ‘Open and Connected’ resonated with participants who had the opportunity to interact with like-minded people and leaders in different industries.
In 2014, while the global theme was, ‘The Future of Now’, SMW Lagos focused on ‘A Connected Africa Is the Future’.
The conversation continued to tilt towards connecting Africa the following year with the theme ‘Upwardly Mobile: The Rise of A Connected Africa’.
The 2016 edition explored the various opportunities in the digital space, through the theme, ‘The Networked African: Technology’s Impact on Africa (and How We Can Harness it for Good)’.
By 2017, the conference focused on content creation and how technology is creating a new language under the local theme: ‘The [new] Language of Technology: The Future of Communication in Africa.
Last year’s event addressed the intensifying conflict between community and individualism under the theme ‘Closer’.
The significance of SMW Lagos cannot be overestimated. Usually held in February, the event pools young and innovative minds who are eager to share ideas and learn information. More importantly, the event has opened the eyes of Nigerians to the power of collaboration. SMW Lagos has forged connection through a free network of ideas and insights with one main goal: success.
To ensure that no sector is left behind, the conference is continually expanding to accommodate different sectors. From education to governance, banking, agriculture, health and, of course, entertainment.
No doubt Ngozi Odita, SMW Lagos Co-Founder, was accurate when she stated, “Nigerians are incorporating social media into their unique social, political and creative landscapes” as the event is one of the most anticipated events in the country’s calendar. As of 2016, the total number of attendees were estimated around 12,000, while, remarkably reaching over 810 million people via social media globally.
Apart from creating a networking hub, the team pushed the envelope in 2017 when it announced its five year plan. The plan generally strives to generate tech-based solutions that will radically change the status quo and create opportunities that positively impact the continent.
The plan includes creating more job opportunities, encouraging and facilitating investments, ease access of quality education and achieve gender balance.
Two years after making that announcement, SMW Lagos is already making strides in achieving those goals.
An example of this is the ‘Launched in Africa’ initiative which allows start-ups to pitch their ideas and get funding from interested investors. This year saw the top start-ups in the country which are mypaddi app, Crowdpol, Code Ln, Vesicash and CityBud.
As part of its commitment to promote gender balance, a day is dedicated to women shattering glass ceilings and highlighting the different challenges faced by women on the continent. This year’s theme focused on how women can achieve equity in the workplace. In addition, SMW Lagos has mandated that any session with 2 or more speakers much include at least 1 female speaker. The result, since 2017 over 50% of speakers have been women.
The introduction of masterclasses on diverse topics were part of the organisers plans to equip employable youths. At this year’s event, there were masterclasses in website designing, influential marketing, storytelling with a stop motion animation and the business of influence among others.
Acknowledging that social media is a powerful tool of storytelling, this year’s global theme strived to strike a balance between imagery and perception as the spread of fake news continues to affect information, and, the impact this has on emerging areas. With a global theme: ‘Stories: With Great Influence Comes Great Responsibility’, this year’s theme called for ethical responsibility which was constantly re-echoed throughout the conference. It was extensively discussed both in the media and governance summits where individuals aired their views on the prevalence of fake news and its impact on the society.
There is also the tourism angle. Employing more than one venue, SMW Lagos has been able to showcase the cultural and entertainment spots in the city of Lagos to its teeming audience. Little wonder, travel enthusiasts seize the opportunity to explore the city while also networking with businessmen in that sector.
Though this year marked its seventh edition, SMW Lagos has become a towering platform that fuels economic development in Nigeria and the continent as a whole. Through its line-up events that include panel discussions, workshops and showcases, SMW Lagos is a testament that a connected Africa is the future.
IFEOMA OKEKE
