Japheth Omojuwa and Linda Ikeji: Why They Are The Two Most Influential Young Nigerians

I want to admit from the outset that this post is a rather subjective one but I strongly believe it contains truth and facts. I have decided to write about two persons whom I deem as the two most influential young Nigerians; why they have become persons of influence and lessons to learn from their stories. So, in this post, I will be talking about Japheth Omojuwa and Linda Ikeji.

Japheth Omojuwa, the last time I checked had 87,627, followers on his twitter handle, @omojuwa. He is followed on twitter by major Nigerian Newspapers, notable Nigerians and even my club, Arsenal Football Club of England! He is the founder of omojuwa.com, a popular site with Nigerians, where you can get information on a wide range of issues. Omojuwa who was in the forefront of the #OccupyNigeria struggle gets hundreds of followers every week. According to him, one of his write-ups had over two million hits in two days (I would celebrate wildly if I had that in six months or even one year!). What is the secret of this young man, a socio-economic and political commentator, consultant and social media expert, who also calls himself a cyberpreneur? Why does he wield so much influence among Nigerians?

I believe Nigerians, especially the young ones, see Omojuwa as a beacon of hope and change. This is why most of them are eager to hear his views on certain events in the country. He has become the symbol of the change Nigeria desperately needs. He also provides platforms for Nigerians to express their views on happenings in the country. He is seen as the voice/mouthpiece of the ruled and the conscience of the rulers. Young Nigerians see him as the leader they had been yearning to have; a leader who is altruistic, blunt, witty, brilliant, strong and who is passionate about justice and good governance. He possesses the ability to transmit his passion to others and he is seen by Nigerians as the galvaniser with the capability to inspire them to action. This is why they are loyal and ready to do whatever he asks them to do. And these are my reasons for picking Japheth Omojuwa as the most influential young Nigerian.

Linda Ikeji is arguably Nigeria’s number one entertainment blogger. She gets up to 50,000 visits from up to 180 countries every day, making her site one of the most visited sites in Nigeria. The Queen of Entertainment Blogging used to be a model before eventually venturing into the world of blogging, a decision that has brought her fame and wealth. Through her blog, www.lindaikeji.blogspot.com, Linda provides news, entertainment, celebrity gist, gossip, photos, etc. In 2012, she was mentioned as one of Africa’s 20 Most Prominent Women by Forbes Africa. I read somewhere that she walked into the American embassy and got a visa because they checked out her blog. The truth is that Linda Ikeji is an individual who cannot be ignored in Nigeria today and this is why, in my opinion, she is the second most influential young person in Nigeria?

Why has Linda become so influential? It is because of her ability to attract huge numbers of readers to her blog. She has discovered what people want to read and she continually gives it to them. There is no doubt that whatever she posts will find its way into millions of hearts and minds. This has really put her in a position to influence what a lot of Nigerians read daily. Through her posts, she continuously shapes the worldview of a lot of people. The angle through which she presents her story determines the way people will react to such a story. If she is critical about a particular story, readers will go away with that view and if she decides to be mild or pleasant to the actors in her story, that is almost definitely the way readers will perceive such people. (I think it is safe to add that many Nigerian celebrities will be careful to always stay in her good books.)

Some of the lessons I have been able to take away from the story of these two amazing Nigerians are:

1. Find a need and fill it. This is one timeless principle that has never failed to work. Omojuwa saw the need for someone to drive the process of change in Nigeria; he made himself available and Nigerians instinctively followed. Linda, on her own part, saw the people’s need for quick access to hot ‘gists’ and filled it, and today, she has become the toast of blogging in Nigeria.
2. Both of them identified the most appropriate tool to achieve their goals: technology/social media.
3. Both of them are courageous and have refused to bulge in the face of intimidation, criticism and cynicism.
4.  And also very important is the fact that both of them are passionate about what they do.

What else can I say but to say, “Go Omojuwa, go Linda, we are all learning from you.”