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Lagos Announced As First African City To Host Social Media Week

By on November 12, 2012

Social Media Week Lagos (SMW Lagos) co-produced by Dragon Africa and AFRIKA21 debuts in Lagos, Nigeria February 18 – 22, 2013. Entering is 5th year in 2013; Social Media Week is a worldwide event.  Taking place in 11 cities simultaneously, it explores the social, cultural and economic impact of social media. The conference’s mission is to help people and organizations connect through collaboration and the sharing of ideas and information.  The format of the week-long conference is a mixture of keynotes, panels, workshops, networking events and mixers, with the majority of the events being free and open to the public.

 

Host cities for the February event, powered by Nokia, include Copenhagen, Doha, Hamburg, Lagos, Miami, Milan, New York, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington DC. In 2012 more than 66,000 people attended Social Media Week in twenty-six countries around the world.

 

Taking place in multiple venues throughout Lagos, SMW Lagos is guided by the global theme of “Open and Connected,” and will focus locally on several themes including how social media facilitates open government, how social media impacts business, media & entertainment, how social media can be a tool for social good and how social media empowers the public and promotes local art & culture.


“I am truly excited to have succeeded to bring this event home to Lagos, the largest black city in the world, I believe that we Nigerians are viral in social media and this event will showcase all the innovative ways we are using social media to impact our daily lives, it is only proper that this event should be coming to Lagos as it’s first African destination.  We are reaching out to people all over the continent to get involved and come over to Lagos. From Open Government to Law & Order, From Content to Technology, From Politics to Elections we hope to explore all these themes as they relate to social media and really deliver some depth and new and exciting information,” states Obi Asika, Founder of Dragon Africa and SMW Lagos Chairman.

 

SMW Lagos is guided by a stellar group of industry leaders and stakeholders.  The SMW Lagos Advisory Board members currently include Ayo Alli, Director at Illa Media, Abasiama Idaresit, Founder of Wild Fusion Ltd., Chris Ubosi, MD at Beat FM, Taj Onigbanjo, CEO African Digital Media, Seyi Akinwunmi, Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association, Wiebe Boer, CEO of The Tony Elumelu Foundation, Juliet Ehimuan, Google Country Manager for Nigeria, Mark Redguard, CMO of Spinlet, Matthew Dawes, CEO of All Amber/Mobile West Africa, Mamadou Kwidjim Toure, Founder Africa 2.0, Kola Karim, Founder Shoreline Group, Emma Kaye, CEO of Bozza and Colin Gayle, CEO of Billboard Africa.  New members appointed to the SMW Lagos Advisory Board will be announced in the coming weeks.  The SMW Lagos Advisory Board Chairman is Obi Asika, CEO of Dragon Africa. 

 

Collaboration is at the root of Social Media Week, hence SMW Lagos encourages individuals and organizations interested in hosting their own events, talks, panel sessions, workshops, networking events and mixers to get involved by submitting their idea here.  Deadline for submissions is January 11, 2013.