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

Update: Post has been updated

As we mark our first year anniversary today, we’re excited to announce that we have received our first invitation to an IT product launch from VEDA Technology (site will be launched on May 5) a new computer electronics manufacturing company based in Lagos. VEDA Technology has the vision to become a leader in the growth and development of information and communication technology in Africa.

Incorporated as Trantech Computer Technology Limited in June 2007 and later changed its name to Veda Technology Limited to bring the name in line with the chosen brand name VEDA (Hindu for wisdom). VEDA is a computer electronics manufacturing company with its main focus as Assembly of Personal Computers including Notebooks, All-in-Ones and Desktop Computers. 

The company has built an ultra-modern high tech facility in Lagos that is capable of assembling a variety of premium computers and electronic products with a capacity to assemble up to 500 units of hardware a day.

VEDA Technology will be launching its four major products next week: 14 inches notebook, 12 inches notebook as well as desktop and laptop computers of various colours including white, black, blue, yellow and pink to match different customers’ taste and fancy.

VEDA’s free multimedia resource application called QUEST will be the first of its kind in the Nigerian Technology Industry. The application aims to put the Nigerian consumers first by providing pre-loaded content and solutions tailor-made for their unique needs, aspirations and goals.

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You’ve probably heard of the Google Summer of Code a global program that offers student developers stipends to write code for various open source software projects. Now, it seems that Cybernator Solutions is trying to do something similar to that for Nigerian youths this summer which they’ve called Cybernator Solutions Summer of Cod3.

Summer of Cod3 (see Facebook page) would be gathering youth developers in Nigeria to build software and mobile applications for a new social networking site Wazaap! as well as expand their horizons in developing cool software that could change the world.

Cybernator Solutions believes that social networking could be more fun if worked upon by talented and vibrant youths who have a passion for developing cool software. While most of the social networks in Nigeria are not built from the scratch and lack some of the great features found in sites such as Facebook, CS is trying to change the face of social networking in Nigeria.

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Note: Post has been updated

On Saturday, April 25, 2009 in a quiet and friendly atmosphere at Tom Associates Training Centre, Lagos, Nigeria, a group of technology enthusiasts gathered in an event that appears to be the best technology event that has ever happened in the history of the Nigerian web industry.

BarCamp Nigeria was born out of the desire to build connections between technopreneurs and discuss the potentials, challenges and prospects of the Internet and its tools and technologies within the Nigerian technology community.

As participant and sponsor, StartupsNigeria.com gave the event a good coverage via Twitter, the fastest-growing microblogging platform, NaijaPulse, Nigeria’s microblogging service, Gatorpeeps, South Africa’s microblogging service by Afrigator, as well as Facebook, the world’s leading social networking site.

If truth be told, the event was a very unsuccessful one as it achieved its goals and set the precedent for future technology-related unconferences in Nigeria. The keynote addresses were delivered by Justin Hartman, MD and co-founder of Afrigator and Victoria N’dee Uwadoka, Events & PR Manager, Microsoft Nigeria (West Africa Region).

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It’s been over 48 hours since Nigeria’s online business news daily newspaper, BusinessDayOnline.com has been down. As we write this, if you visit the site you’ll find this:

We are currently carrying out site and server maintenance and will be back shortly

Please visit us soon. 

Update - 28/04 (11:35am): BusinessDay said (about 2 hours ago) on their Facebook page that their website is back up and functional. But we’ve tried several times and the site is practically unaccessible. There’s still “This site may harm your computer” warning on the Google search page. It’s been 4 days now!

If you also do a Google search of www.businessdayonline.com, you’re likely to find this:

We got the information from their Facebook fans page which has information about the problem. See below:

Again there’s currently a Google Safe Browsing Diagnostic Page for www.businessdayonline.com, which means that according to Google,

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