Social media giant, Facebook held its first pop-up event on the 12th and 13th of April 2019, at the African Artists Foundation, Victoria Island, Lagos. This was after holding similar events in Dublin, Cologne and Dubai.
The free event which was tagged – It’s Your Facebook – was organized in an attempt to enable attendees talk to Facebook directly and ask any questions on topics that matter to them; including personalizing News Feeds, security settings and setting up business pages. It was also a medium for an interactive showcase of their most loved products (including Stories, Communities and Watch).
For day 1, which was the 12th of April, there was a Creators Panel made up of comedian, Basketmouth, Ink Eze of Asoebi Bella and Hadiza Lawal of Woven Blends. These panelists spoke on how they have used the platforms to grow their brands and businesses including using insights from Facebook and Instagram to better understand the demographics of their target audience which in turn helps create more targeted content.
The event also featured multiple training workshops for Nigerian entrepreneurs on how to boost their businesses, use Facebook’s platforms to generate more followers and customers, as well as how to maximize their brands, among others.
Commenting on the pop-up event, Facebook’s Communications Manager for Sub Saharan Africa, Kezia Anim-Addo said, “We know that in Nigeria, small businesses are thriving. Everyone has a second or third business that they are doing. So, this really is a chance to come down and have our experts give them advice and take them through global best practices. So, this event is about making a stamp in Nigeria to say we’re here, and we want to have a long-term impact,” she said.
Kezia further added: “Facebook’s mission is clear: To give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together, and our mission in Nigeria and Africa is no different. Nigeria is full of amazing talents and entrepreneurs, and for us, it is all about looking at opportunities and building on that using the platforms that we have.”