Ndani TV and Y!/YNaija.com hosted 100 of the most innovative people in the Nigerian Tech space – #YTech100 – at Social Media Week Lagos 2014. The invitation-only event held on Friday, 21 February 2014 at Four Points by Sheraton, Lekki, Lagos.

“With start up businesses in mobile and online payments, e-Commerce as well as online content distribution, the Tech industry has received over $100mil in investment from local and foreign investors and is shaping up to be a key contributor to Nigeria’s economic growth over the next 10years. Consequently, Ndani TV and Y!/YNaija.com agreed on the imperative to engage the key players and leaders of this emerging industry and facilitate discuss that will drive growth and synergy,” said Jadesola Osiberu of Ndani TV.

“It’s very hard to overstate the impact that digital has on our lives at the moment,” Sim Shagaya, chief executive of Konga and DealDey said on the panel discussing ‘Nigeria’s Tech Space: Ecosystem or Bubble?’

The event, which was kicked off with remarks from Lola Odedina, head of the Communications and External Affairs Division, GTBank, had in attendance influential technology leaders including Country Manager of Goggle, Juliet Ehimuan; Co-founder of the Co-Creation Hub, Femi Longe; Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, Gbenga Sesan; CEO of Future Software Resources, Nkemdilim Begho; co-founder ofiROKO TV; Bastian Gotter; founding CEO of Jumia, Tunde Kehinde; Head of Digital Marketing GTBank, Pascal Or, amongst others.

There a real thirst for knowledge in Nigeria and so we need to invest in our mind economy,” said Emeka Okoye, founder of Open Africa. “To be a tech entrepreneur you must be willing to make sacrifices, because the technology industry is presently at its lowest ebb”

The exclusive cocktail and networking event saw the 100 Tech honourees presented with certificates of recognition,

“You guys – developers, entrepreneurs, stoytellers, funders, designers – you guys are the standard bearers for this new reality,” said Chude Jideonwo, managing partner of RED; owner of Y!,YNaija.com amongst other media brands. “You, the #YTech100, are proof, alive, that anything is possible. So we are here to honour you, and to honour the possibilities. To encourage you to build empires, but also to build the eco-system. We are here to facilitate connections and collaborations. To say well done, and then to say not enough. Yes, we should be proud of where we are – but the real work lies ahead. It is yet morning on creation’s day.”

The event was held as one of major highlights of Social Media Week Lagos 2014.

Panelists at #YTech100

Emeka Okoye; Founder of Open Africa speaks at #YTech100

Chude speaking at #YTech100

Audience at #YTech100

Gbenga Sesan receiving his certificate at #YTech100

Honouree receiving certificate at #YTech100

Sim Shagaya receiving his certificate at #YTech100

Charles Odi, Adebola Williams, Brian Oji at #YTech100

As part of the activities of the Social Media Week 2014, Red Media Africa and The Future Project hosted SME-Support clinics where experts in online and social media gave free practical consultancy to over a hundred young people who run on work for Small and Medium Enterprises or Non-Governmental Organisations. The event held for three days – 17 – 19 February at the RED Corporate headquarters and was made possible by Nigeria’s leading employability portal, Aiki.ng.

“Aiki.ng is created and committed to using technology to solve the problems of employability that have now become an urgent challenge for Africa,” said Bukonla Adebakin who is Project Associate with The Future Project. “In facilitating this crucial event during Social Media Week, it has once again given practical help to young people committed to join creation and expanding access to opportunities.”

In social media engage with over a hundred young SME owners and NGOs giving them a lift and strategies to expand their business, drive profitability/causes using the social media. The event also featured one on one special clinic for the participants with peculiar issues.

The 3-day event had seasoned speakers including Managing Director of WildFlower Pr, ‘Oma Areh; Managing Director of Inversion Integrated, Brian Oji; Founding Partner of RED, Adebola Williams, Associate Editor of Y! Magazine, Tunde Kara; Project Associate with The Future Project, Bukonla Adebakin; and Team Lead of Red Marketing, Emilia Tobi.

“We are very excited to partner with The Future Project on Aiki.ng, in using technology’s unique strengths to solve urgent problems for Africa’s youth,” said Ugochukwu Nwosu, citizenship manager of Microsoft Nigeria. “As we begin to impact and support entrepreneurs, artisans and other in the job market, we are excited to combine both online and offline engagements to ensure a wholesome solution to the challenge of employability and access to jobs and opportunities.”

Some of the Topics discussed were Shaping and Creating My Business On Social Media, Maximising and Exploring the Market (Profit/Non -Profit)Using Social Media Tools, Developing Something That Audience Will Buy and How Do I Increase my Twitter and Facebook Audience Without Breaking the Bank?

The event also featured one-on-one special clinics for participants with peculiar issues.

Content from the event will be uploaded exclusively on aiki.ng. The insights from the event can also be shared on Twitter via the hashtag #AikiSMEClinics.

‘Oma Areh during her session

Mr Brian Oji during his session

Cross – session of participants

Mr. Tunde Kara during his session

Ms. Emilia Tobi during her session

As part of the activities of the Social Media Week 2014, Red Media Africa and The Future Project hosted SME-Support clinics where experts in online and social media gave free practical consultancy to over a hundred young people who run on work for Small and Medium Enterprises or Non-Governmental Organisations.

The 3-day event  had seasoned speakers including Managing Director of WildFlower Pr, ‘Oma Areh; Managing Director of Inversion Integrated, Brian Oji; Founding Partner of RED, Adebola Williams, Associate Editor of Y! Magazine, Tunde Kara; Project Associate with The Future Project, BukonlaAdebakin; and Team Lead of Red Marketing, Emilia Tobi. The event held for three days – 17 – 19 February at the RED Corporate headquarters and was made possible by Nigeria’s leading employability portal, Aiki.ng.

‘Oma Areh during her session

Mr Brian Oji during his session

Social Media Week Lagos 2014 has been up to a great start featuring over 134 events – panels, workshops, keynotes, networking sessions and entertainment events across 5 main venues and other independent ones between the duration February 17 – 21.

Some of major highlights from the Events that have already taken place include Making IT! Leveraging Owned Online Platforms as a Beauty Entrepreneur Hosted by House of Tara International.

The Social Media Report event by Alder consulting showing a comprehensive analysis of social media adoptions by brands, organizations, and individuals from different sector.

The event featured the Principal Consultant, Leke Alder, alongside a panel lead by Founding Partner of RED, Adebola Williams.  Ranmi Ajayi (Politics), Subomni Plumptre (Business), Kate Henshaw (Entertainment), and Blossom (Advocacy) were all on the panel and the discussion revolved around the impact of social media in the sectors they represented, and one resounding point was the increased reach and ability to engage virtually were the benefits.

An evening with leaders was another major event which was headlined by The Honorable Minister of Communication Technology, Mobolaji Johnson, Angel Investor and Technology Entrepreneur, Tomi Davies, Nkiru Asika, and Enough is Enough’s Yemi Ademolekun were on the panel which took place at the Experience Center VolksWagen Hall. The Keynote of the Minister focused on How Nigeria is leveraging Social Media in Commerce, Communication & Citizen Engagement.

She emphasized on the importance of social media as a tool to engage with citizens but warned about the propensity to believe it all ends there, without seeing the need to continue dialogue and actions offline. Tomi Davies talked about the Angel Network and investment going into tech startups in Nigeria.

Yemi of EiE added the responsibility the connected few have in educating the offline crowd. “Online cannot suddenly make something work if it is not already working offline” –  said Nkiru Asika which summarized the centre of discussion – a warning for overestimating the power of online tools such as social media, a point also raised by What’s Up Africa’s Ikenna. Other guest features includes Femi Oke for Aljazeera’s Social Media and Global Health, Luvvie’s and Wordcamp Nigeria masterclass session on Blogging, and Tech Africa’s fireside chat with Wakanow’s Co-Founder, Raphael on social media and Travel and Tourism.

Industry leader in makeup and beauty, House of Tara has announced the official launch of its new luxury studio at the Centro Mall in Lekki. This is the 14^th studio for the brand. It will be formally opened at an exclusive VIP event at the rooftop of the Centro Mall on 23 February, 2014.

The launch, which will present a different kind of beauty experience to guests, is to be headlined with the music of soul singer, Bez.

“Every studio is special to us, it’s an expression of the passion we bring to making women beautiful in Nigeria and outside,” says the managing director, Tara Fela-Durotoye. “We are particularly excited with this store as it gives an expression to the wholesome make up experience we want to create. Because we have mastered the art of retail management with our 14 studios and over 3000 reps, we are scaling up our distribution channel management by presenting other brands with our retail opportunities.”

“And for our customers, we also appreciate that each brand has its own offering and really; no woman’s makeup bag has all same products, so we want to ensure our consumers have access to a wide variety of products everytime they walk into our stores” says Rhema Akabuogu, Retail Experience Manager

With 14 studios in eight states and emerging footprints in Ghana, Kenya and SA; this studio is strategically located at the Centro Mall which sits in the heart of Lekki’s thriving lifestyle community, and is purpose built to be the premier provider of shopping, food, event and fitness space. House of Tara is also set to launch 29 new stores across 12 cities in 2014.

The studio will host TARA Makeup, the company’s in house brand, as well as some of the world’s most exciting beauty brands. House of Tara continues to create a world class experience for its customers across the country.

“We are excited!” says says Rhema Akabuogu, Retail Experience Manager. “We possess the education, infrastructure and distribution channels that allow for a soft landing for other international and local makeup brands. For this event; no detail was spared in creating this experience for the special guests who will be at the event, and the beautiful women – and men! – who will visit the studio. It points to the future for the TARA brand, and as a pioneer, for beauty in Nigeria and the continent.”

The event is strictly by invitation. For more information, email [email protected].

Timi Dakolo performed at the Nigerian Soiree at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland which took place on January 23, 2014.

Present at the event included President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein; Fidelia kNjeze, Aliko Dangote , Tony Elumelu, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT);  Distinguished Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed and his wife Aisha, British-Ghanaian top fashion designer Ozwald Boateng, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and many others.

The artiste performed his inspirational hit single Great Nation; a track that has been touted by most music pundits as the next National Anthem of Nigeria, due to the message it passes across.

The World Economic Forum founded by Professor Klaus Schwab is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

 Click here to watch the video of his song; Great Song.

Managing director of RED, Chude Jideonwo would be Speaking at the U.S. Consulate-supported TV show, “Dawn in the Creeks” on Saturday February 22, 2014. The show aims to create a platform for young people to tell their own stories of social transformation and non-violent problem-solving in the Niger Delta through use of film.

Chude Jideonwo  will be speaking to 21 young people from the Niger Delta  as part of “Dawn,” a 10 day workshop titled  Nollywood Academy. He will be speaking to 21 students range from 18-30 in age, in education level (from university degrees and technical competencies, those without primary or high school diplomas), in experience (students, to ex-militants etc.).

RED Founding partner; Adebola Williams  was invited to the annual Conference organized by the Mass Communication Students Association of Babcock University as the keynote speaker of the conference held on 18, February, 2014 at 10am.

The programme themed ‘Branding yourself for the 21^st century’ toke place at the Babcock Business School Auditorium.

Adebola Williams who is described as having a “beating reputation as a principal manager of one of Nigeria’s most innovative modern print media group” by one of the Conference’s organizers spoke on “Contemporary branding and magazine entrepreneurship in a digitized age.”  at the conference held as an event for the Mass Communication departmental week.

Chude Jideonwo, Co Founder of The Future Awards Africa has a new book coming out titled,  “Are We The Turning Point Generation?” to be Released  in May 2014.  The book, which comes  from the stables of Farafina books, through it’s Kamsi imprint, is a literal tour de force of carefully laid out arguments in his witty conversational style.

Why do many Nigerian leaders ‘change’ once in office? Will the present generation of Nigerians do any better than its predecessors? Was Occupy Nigeria indeed a failure? Do we need a ‘Nigerian Dream’? Is ‘One Nigeria’ really worth it? These are some of the difficult questions raised in this thought provoking collection of essays on the paradox that is Nigeria.

Written with the keenness of youth but earnest and wise beyond its years, Are We the Turning Point Generation will resonate with young Nigerians while remaining relatable to previous generations. This book embodies the voice of a new breed of Nigerians willing to take a stand and do things differently. This collection of essays promises to inspire a new way of thinking, posing a challenge to Nigerians, young and old, to ‘pick a spot, and start digging’!

You should get a copy, when this hits the bookstores.

RED Managing Director, Chude Jideonwo to speak  alongside Nkiru Asika, Ifeoma Williams and Chika Nwobi at the Social Media Week Lagos 2014 Synergy: The Influence of Social Media in 21st Century Entrepreneurship at The HotHouse  34 Allen Avenue Road, Ikeja on Thursday February 20, 2014 at 1pm

Synergy: The Influence of Social Media in 21st Century Entrepreneurship  is one of the 134 events at that Social Media Week Lagos 2014 and its is hosted by FFB.

Chude Jideonwo will be talking to young disruptive entrepreneurs with a strong desire to learn from real experiences about  Building a Nigerian brand with global recognition whilst leveraging on collaborations through social media.

Food, Fun & Business (FFB) is a platform for young entrepreneurial minds to network, bounce off ideas of each other, share their passion and create collaborations. It also furnishes an opportunity for excellent thought leaders in various fields to interact with The future of the nation in a fun and comfortable atmosphere.