WeChat plans expansion strategy for Nigerian start-ups

By Bankole Orimisan

GLOBAL social media platform with mobile messaging communication services, WeChat, has sealed a partnership arrangement with two Nigerian start-up firms to help them grow and gain easy access to the platform’s growing audience with various offers and opportunities.

   In October 2015, WeChat partnered with one of the leading technology blogs, Techcabals for an ideathon titled WeChat Africabeta with the theme: CHAT 3.0. This was organized to select the most interesting ideas from Nigerian businesses and start-ups that can ride on the platform.

  This ideathon had 80 applications, out of which top 10 were chosen. Among these were Pass.NG and Traclist who represented the first set of newly launched services on WeChat. Having these services built on WeChat is an opportunity for the service providers to create a native mobile app that can be accessed on all smart phones (Android, Blackberry, Window’s phone and iphone) through WeChat.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lagos, WeChat Regional Manager for West Africa, Idemudia Dima-Okojie disclosed, “With the launch of these services, WeChat is creating a vibrant ecosystem with different services that are of value for users.

  “While messaging is at the heart of WeChat, we are creating a platform that goes beyond simply instant messaging, a platform that provides a set of functionality ranging from service delivery and transactions, product discovery, customer relationship management, ecommerce, media distribution and much more.

   “WeChat Official Account is an app inside an app that gives organizations, businesses and brands the opportunity to create a native experience within it. This reduces the cost to develop a native mobile app, reduces time to market and provides easy access to healthy base of smart phone users.”

  He further stated that the launch of these exclusive offers on WeChat is just the beginning, adding that in the next few weeks, WeChat will be launching two additional services that will take the Nigeria start-ups story to the next level.

  Idemudia noted that the partnership arrangement is just one of the many ways WeChat is helping to grow local businesses, while at the same time creating an added value to the chatting experience.

“We are determined to continually provide solutions to grow local businesses, and we will always look for ways to improve the experiences of our users through innovative thinking and features,” he concluded.