The visit of Facebook legend, Mark Zuckerberg took Nigerians by surprise. According to him, he felt the entrepreneurial energy of Nigeria immediately he stepped foot in the country. He has said he is in the country to listen and learn and take ideas back to California on how to support businesses across the continent. He's also very interested in the creative partnerships and in exploring where tech and creativity intersect. While in Lagos, he met with leading figures in Nigeria's Nollywood film industry and talked about how the burgeoning industry could be a huge revenue driver for the country. He said: "One of the things I am most excited about my trip to Lagos is going to check out Nollywood. Nollywood sounds like a national treasure and the ability to produce video content that is moving and emotional transcends boundaries and will help tell stories of the amazing innovation, engineering and culture to the whole world." Here's a piece I found interesting from vanguard except really for the number 1 for some reasons:
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. So peeps, let's try to give Nigeria a voice. Here are some pictures:
