As I write this, Facebook users from Nigeria is over 340, 000 and keeps surging everyday. In January, when the number of active Facebook users from Nigeria was slightly over 200, 000, we predicted approximately 600,000 Nigerian Facebook active users by end of June 2009.

At the rate at which Facebook is growing in Nigeria, it becks the question: Can any Nigerian social networking site break the Facebook flow?

Granted, with over 10 million Nigerians on the Internet, that figure is just a fraction. So is there a way Nigerian social networks can capitalise on this internet population? Can they offer a service that Facebook is not offering?

Again, if Nairaland was a real social networking site (now with over 320, 000 members), could it out-Facebook Facebook? Can Naijapals or Legwork beat Facebook (in terms of Nigerian users)? While I’m skeptical about the possibilities, I think there’s probably something they need to do to achieve this.

Could they leverage on the over 63 million mobile subscribers in Nigeria to provide great social networking features second to none? I think this is possible!

Given the fact that more and more people in Nigeria are accessing the Internet via their mobile phones, social networking sites could take advantage and offer great mobile social networking tools, products and services that would get people to perhaps move away from the Facebook frenzy.

What are your thoughts?

Stats Via CheckFacebook

Editor’s note: This is a Guest Post from Oyelaja Adebambo Oyekan, CEO of Cybernator Solutions. The article is aimed at providing tips and advice on how to ensure your website security. If you are a student developer or a newbie developer, you will benefit from this article. The article is also useful to Nigerian companies and organizations that have websites (especially government and their agencies).

The issue of web services and its security flaws has been a long debated issue. Dating far back into the creation of the world wide web itself. This brings us to questions like:

• What is web security?
• Why web security?
• Are there ever secure websites?
• What are the steps towards web security?

What is web security?

There are a lot of definitions to this but I have been able to combine various ones and come out with my own definition for this: Web security is the constant monitoring of a web application or service. I see web security like I see normal day-to-day security. To perfectly secure a material you have to keep constant watch over it and this applies to web security.

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Naijapals has just launched a mobile version of the site just a couple of hours ago.  This means that Naijapals is the first social networking site in Nigeria to launch a mobile site where users can connect with their friends from their mobile phones.

The mobile site located at m.naijapals.com is locked so that no PC can access it (except PDAs and mobile phones). If you visit the site on the web, you’ll be shown a blank page with the text: You can only access this site from a mobile device.

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I’ve been playing around the latest social networking site in town which happens to be the only functional social site by any telecoms operator in Nigeria. Launched by Zain Nigeria, the second largest telecoms operator (in terms of subscriber base), Central Station is a social networking site that allows users to connect with other people.

With similar features of other social networks such as blogs, groups, videos, chat, forums, etc, the community is gradually becoming one of the most popular desinations for entertainment & fun lovers in Nigeria (not just for Zain subscribers).

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If you have dreams of becoming a model or make-up artist, modelsvillage.tv is the place to start your career. The site which is fast growing is set officially launch soon and would be following events such as fashion shows, exibitions as well as charity tours.

Modelsvillage.tv is an interactive online community designed for professional models, aspiring models, stylist, photographers and fashion designers to promote their portfolio and services to top agencies and hiring companies within Nigeria and around the world.

Members can add their most attractive photos and portfolio which will be visible to all members and agencies around the world.

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