Facebook says it has partnered with BellaNaija and Guardian TV to launch its Nigerian Small and Medium Business (SMB) success stories series.
Facebook said in a statement on Tuesday that the ‘FBSuccessStory campaign’ was aimed at spotlighting Nigerian entrepreneurs using Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to grow their businesses.
It said the campaign, which would be running for six weeks, was designed to celebrate and inspire future entrepreneurs and highlight the tools available to scale their businesses.
Kezia Anim-Addo, Facebook’s Head of Communications, Africa said :“We are proud of the role that we have in enabling SMBs to grow and scale.
“We know that small businesses are the cornerstone of economies and they make significant contributions.
This campaign is a celebration of some of these Nigerian SMBs making an impact, both in Nigeria and beyond,” Anim-Addo said .
She added that the series, which would kick start on November 18 and end on Dec. 21, would air exclusively on both BellaNaija and The Guardian TV.
Anim-Addo said the special series would be showcasing four Nigerians that have experienced growth by using Facebook’s platforms and product offerings to overcome business challenges, connect to their target audiences, and achieve successes in their marketplaces.
“The four entrepreneurs selected include Tricia Ikponmwonba, owner of TriciaBiz, Samiah Oyekan-Ahmed, owner of The Gift Source, Oluwatoyin Onigbanjo, owner of Augustsecrets, and Gina Ehikodi-Ojo, owner of Foodies and Spice, “she said.
Featured in the campaign, and commenting on Facebook’s impact on her business, Samiah Oyekan-Ahmed, a medical doctor turned entrepreneur and founder of The Gift Source, said : “My business experienced phenomenal growth using Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
” I was able to build a formidable community on the platforms using audience insights, which helped me to deliver meaningful messages to new and existing customers,”
According to Facebook, others featured in the campaign are Tricia Ikponmwonba – founder of Tricia Biz, an online training and academy platform in Lagos, that provides affordable and quality business advisory service for micro, small and medium scale entrepreneurs.
Also, Oluwatoyin Onigbanjo, founder of Augustsecrets, an award-winning child nutrition brand in Nigeria that provides healthy, handmade cereals and snacks for babies and young children.
It added that Gina Ehikodi, founder of Foodies and Spice, Nigeria’s foremost food and travel show would also be featured in the campaign.
Media partner, Bunmi Amosu, Head of Video Content at The Guardian TV, said : “As one of Nigeria’s foremost multi-media and news platforms, we are continually seeking new ways to share the authentic African story.
“It is exciting to partner with Facebook on this project to showcase entrepreneurs doing their best to rewrite the narrative about Africa.
Also Uche Pedro, Founder of BellaNaija said: “BellaNaija has always believed in celebrating people making an impact in their industries.
Pedro said that they were delighted to work with Facebook to spotlight local entrepreneurs leading change within their communities in West Africa.