The Lagos edition of the 2014 Social Media Week (SMW) was held from the 17th to 21st of February in different locations around the state.
The #YTech100, an event organized to recognize the top 100 stakeholders in the Nigerian technology industry was part of the week’s line-up and held on the 21st at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Lekki, Lagos.
Obi Asika, the convener of the SMW Lagos and founder of music label Storm 360, was at the event and later spoke with YNaija expressing his opinion about the organisation of the event and what lies in store for the technology industry in Nigeria.
Read interview below:
YNaija: What do you think of the #YTech100 event?
Obi Asika: From what everybody is saying, it’s one of the best events of the week. The YNaija team is like a family to me and I know the quality of what they do, so I have no concerns at all about this particular event.
In fact, this event and the TechCabal are the most anticipated events of the week and I also admire the quality of people and leaders that came out here tonight and that validates everything that everybody is talking about.
YNaija: How do you think this event will impact the technology industry in Nigeria?
Obi Asika: The thing is we brought the conference to the continent so that people can understand that you have to use social media tools to enhance your life, so Social Media Week is not really about social media, but it’s about life and how life is impacted by social media.
A classic example is Sanusi’s removal, it broke on social media at about 8:30am and by 11am Nigerians were pretty much done with the story. That’s the news that would appear in the newspapers the next day. It makes no sense, why would you be buying a newspaper to read something you already know?
This is what is happening every single day in all industries if you are not paying attention to technology. That’s what you need to know, that’s the future.
Leave a reply