If you are attending SXSW be sure to check out Africa or Bust! Content, Monetization, Opportunity on Monday, March 11th @ 3:30pm. Details here: http://schedule.sxsw.com/2013/events/event_IAP1904.  And if you if can’t attend #SXSW not to worry, you can follow the conversation on Africa & the web via the twitter hashtag #webaAfrica.

Link to YouTube Promo Video: http://youtu.be/C-65mXKrMEo
Link to Download Panel Promo Flier: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zx03068a9rb3cwh/africa-bust.png
Please download and share!

Event co-chairs Storm 360 CEO Obi Asika, Megaletrics Managing Director Chris Ubosi, and Billboard Africa Chairman Colin Gayle gave introductory remarks, welcoming the packed room and kickstarting the day’s events on the right note. Keynote speaker Yinka Adegoke, the Global deputy editor of Billboard,  discussed ways in which the Nigerian scene could possibly engage in the global music business by benchmarking Billboard‘s industry highlights against those of Nigeria. Following Adegoke’s informative talk was a panel featuring a diverse array of notables in the African music scene. Gayle served as moderator, while Flytime Entertainment CEO Cecil Hammond, Now Muzik CEO Efe Omorogbe and Showbiz Network Services’ Head Consultant Edi Lawani engaged in an insightful conversation on the vision for Billboard in Africa and the creation of LiveNation, a U.S. based music promoter, for Africa.

Taking a break from the numbers game, Billboard Africa’s CEO Designate Stephen Newton followed the panel with a master class on “the Internet of things.” Attendees were encouraged to think about the power of everyday objects and the ways in which they socialize our lives. Capitalizing off of the primary emphasis of Social Media Week, Newton spotlighted the development and tweaking of such objects and their becoming more connected, responsive, and smart. With said outlook on the innovative possibilities granted by the Internet, the following panel dove back into the business of music. A host of CEOs in Nigeria’s music scene spoke about the size of the Nigeria music market and the opportunities, or lack thereof, existing in the space. Enterprise Creative CEO and Outsource Media Executive Director Nki Asika steered the panel in the right direction when a set of controversial remarks broke the proverbial third wall and led to an inclusion of attendees in the discussion.

Next, connections between African-American cultural movements and African culture were made by Glu Agency President Marcus Glover in his talk about the power of branding in music. He touched on a wide range of topics from the Harlem Renaissance to former deals made between Jay-Z and Reebok. Afterwards, Glover joined Nigerian recording artist Sasha, Samsung Mobile’s Donald Etim, and Etisalat’s Idiareno Atimomo for a panel discussion on contemporary methods of branding artists, such as growing one’s fanbase on Instagram or receiving a host of advertising opportunities thanks to YouTube.

As the conference neared its end, Nigerian recording artists Banky W, Eldee, and Young Guru talked about how to break into the U.S. market, during a panel moderated by Rab Bakari of Universal Music Group. Additional panels and interactive sessions, including “Bandwidth and Pricing: Monetizing online content,” “Music Section and Sound Engineering,” and Diamond Bank’s “Financing the Entertainment Market,” rounded out the multidimensional list of events offered to over one hundred attendees online and off via live streaming. Billboard Music Day was deemed a success by panelists, speakers and attendees, prompting everyone to immediately anticipate next year’s Social Media Week music panel and the burgeoning opportunities for Nigeria to become a definitive force in today’s global music industry.

1. Interview with Eskimi and iROKING I was full of excitement when I got the mail to moderate the ‘Music for Masses‘ session,  and it was even more fun to get talking with Vytas of Eskimi and Michael Ugwu of iROKING. [Photo L-R, Vytas, Me - Nubi Kay', and Michael]
2. Worlds Colliding! Meeting with Chika Uwazie (Co-Founder, DECODED) After a couple of years of Facebook and Twitter connect, I finally met with Chika Uwazie, and we got talking of her new startup – Decoded, an online service dedicated to African lyrics. It’s definitely a great feeling translating online connections via social media to offline meets.
3. #BloggerLove – Social Media Week Bloggers Rock! I love working in teams especially when there are virtual, and that was the story with joining the official blogger team. It also felt extra special as I was the only dude on the team. It was great working with the team, even though some could not make it, all the way from Brookyln,  I got to meet with Patrice.
4. Influencing The Use of Social Media  - Bez, Ebuka, Chude
   This was perhaps my best event for the week, excluding those I got to organize or moderate. This time around, I was in the audience and it was awesome watching Bez, Ebuka, Tolu Ogunlesi, Chude, and many more discuss passionately the role social media plays in the life of the Nigerian youth and the concept of ‘change’.  I also took the time out to ask some participants techy questions, like what social apps are most valuable to them, and I got very interesting feedbacks on the various social networks out there.
5. Made the Top 10 SMWLagos Influencer Synthesio List You can call this icing on the cake, as I didn’t see this coming.  Synthesio listened in on SMW 13, including SMW Lagos, and voila, I – @NubiKay made the list of Top 10 influencers, same as @OTEKBITS, and of course @SpeakPatrice. You can more details here.

Word is out that SMW Lagos will be back in 2014, and I am looking forward to it already. Till then, keep being social – offline and online.

Esther, Age 10

Focus: Self Portraits, Everyday life

Street Scene by Esther, Age 10

Goddfrey Age 18

Focus: Everyday life in Lagos

Atinuke, Age 16

Focus: Young People and Fashion

Abigail, Age 18 

Focus: Transportation

Maryam, Age 18

Focus: School

Henry, Age 14

Focus: Commuting

Naomi, Age 15

Focus: Friendships and Up & Coming Music Artists

Over the next year, Ms. Fawundu will facilitate the workshop via social media from her base in Brooklyn, NY.   Through the collaboration  with the Ovie Brume Foundation’s Special Projects Manager Christal Ogene, students will upload photos taken with their Lumia 920 to their Skydrive accounts on a weekly basis.  Ms. Fawundu will then access their photos and offer critiques and suggestions for the next week of shooting.  Photos will be posted on this blog, twitter and Nokia Nigeria’s Facebook.  We are all excited to see how this project will progress. Check out the blog at nokiayouthlagos.wordpress.com

‘Next Level Music – International Appeal’ was scheduled to hold at Terra Kulture (MACE hub) but the organisers later pulled it off virtually and shared insightful tips for the music enthusiasts in the music-loving Nigeria. It is available for your viewing here: https://new.livestream.com/smwlagos/events/1865663

At ‘ Eden Lifestyle presents: Bridging the gap between doctor and patient using technology,’ which held at the Lagos State E-Learning Centre (PEGS hub), seasoned doctors and a nutritionist tactfully and interactively examined a couple of contemporary lifestyle issues that affect the health and useful tools (including social media tools) to keep you in good health. Get a glimpse of the event right here: https://new.livestream.com/smwlagos/events/1862288

Powered by Africa Digital, ‘Broadband In Nigeria’  saw some industry experts come forth to discuss the history and prospects of internet broadband in Nigeria. This, certainly, is a major topic in Nigeria. See the link: https://new.livestream.com/smwlagos/events/1865650

We could not catch it all due to connection hitches, however, ‘Borderless: A Case Study of the church and social media use’ was indeed the event with a difference-and the good kind of difference! See how This Present House pulled off this beautiful combination of insightful discussions and refreshing music here:  https://new.livestream.com/smwlagos/events/1865676

Also, get a good look at what  ‘Smartvertising: Big Data & Social Media Marketing’ which held at The Porsche Centre (BIT hub) looked like via this link:  https://new.livestream.com/smwlagos/events/1862306

So who needs the African Diaspora? And is the African Diaspora politically relevant? Yes? No? You sure would find the analyses interesting. See a bit of the action at the event ‘Who needs the African Diaspora? Is the African Diaspora politically relevant?’ right here:  https://new.livestream.com/smwlagos/events/1865637

Finally, here is a sneak peek into ‘Africa 2.0 Presents: An Evening With Leaders featuring Honoured Guest H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo.’ The former president, H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, could not make it to the event but it was indeed a time of stimulating discussions. Watch Uche Pedro (Bella Naija), Tonye Cole (Sahara Group), and Ndidi Nwuneli (LEAP Africa) tackle some really difficult and interesting questions here: https://new.livestream.com/smwlagos/events/1885571

In case you looked out for an event that is not available here, please accept our apologies. Not all events were streamed live and we faced some technical challenges we plan to overcome in the future. As an alternative, you could search for the  hash tag of your event of choice on Twitter to catch up on the discussion.

To view photos from GUESS Fashion Day at SMW Lagos visit our Facebook Photo Gallery

The multicolored wax prints. The elegant, larger-than-life geles. The young, emerging fashion designers. A mere glance at the energetic fashion trends and products stemming from Nigeria confirms that Lagos is certainly a cosmopolitan fashion force to watch. During Social Media Week Lagos, iconic fashion brand GUESS served as a headline sponsor, inspiring GUESS Fashion Day. A day-long series of panels and events curated by the Bella Naija Style Team, GUESS Fashion Day offered attendees the opportunity to discuss social media and the business of fashion in Africa.

The first panel, “Blogging My Way to the Bank: Lifestyle & Fashion Blogging As a Profitable Business,” set the tone for the insightful discussions that were to follow. Adaku Ufere of Third World Profashional, Abiola Aloba of Maestro Media, and moderator Ijeoma Ndekwu of Style Editor at Large of BellaNaija.com and CEO of Redrick Public Relation revealed how to turn one’s online creative outlet into a lucrative enterprise. Concerns regarding transparency with sponsored content and the lack of original content were a few of the issues addressed to the panelists by attendees during the Q&A.

“Retailing African Fashion in the Social Media Era” came next, during which a host of individuals involved in the editorial, design, and retail elements of the Nigerian fashion industry explored the various roles of social media in the African fashion retailing industry. Popular platforms often pointed to for personal branding, like Twitter, Youtube, and Instagram, were all referred to as opportunities for boosted exposure and trendsetting power. Closing out that day’s panels, “Launching and executing a successful social media campaign – The African Fashion Case Study” provided guidance and an in-depth look at how to create a successful social media campaign in the fashion world.

Because a fashion day would not be a fashion day without a fabulous party, we closed out GUESS Fashion Day with a cocktail mixer featuring models rocking the brand’s latest looks. DJ Neptune spun the hits as guests networked and mingled with panelists, Nigeria’s top celebrities, and established fashionistas and divos. Sophisticated drinks, great company, and the sexy and adventurous fashion of GUESS ensured that guests received the full treatment, giving them a dynamic day to remember.

The hosts of  ”Two Angry Men” from www.battabox.com – (Nigeria’s only user led entertainment and news video site) came to #SMWLagos with 100% Najia uncut comedy as they shared their take on Nigerian social commentary through a series of humorous NOLLYWOOD movies and skits.