Social Media Influencers Mobilise For Impact In Northern Nigeria

A social media influencers group, Social Media Awareness and Promotion Development Association (SMAPDA) has tasked social media influencers in the North to use their platforms to change negative narratives about the region while utilising it for impact and empowering selves financially.

At the commencement of a seminar for over 300 influencers drawn from the 19 northern states in Kano yesterday, the secretary of the association, Sharfaddeen Bature, said TikTok had been discovered to be the most used social media platform in Nigeria, with an estimated 23 million young Nigerians, ranking 17th globally.

He said out of that number, an average of 15 million users are spread across thousands of influencers from the region, yet, the platform is misused in the region in promoting crises, divisions and hatred among young people.

“SMAPDA as an association of northern influencers serves as a catalyst to change this narrative by encouraging positive and impactful use of TikTok for better influence.

“Our focus is to have them together under one umbrella to be useful for the good of the region and the general public,” he stated.

He added that the association would also provide an opportunity to connect with businessmen/groups in the region for brand promotion even as they continue their work of content creation to make waves while they drop some of the illegal content they post on social media.

While assuring of working with the necessary regulatory and security agencies to promote their ideologies, he said the association would equip them with the necessary skills to thrive.

Another official of the association, Mujaheed Muhammad, said the essence of the gathering was to intimate the influencers on using their platforms rightly, improve their ideology and make the region progressive as they leverage on their large followership.