Mark Zuckerberg might have left Lagos but the significance of his surprise visit will continue to reverberate throughout the state and the nation at large for years to come.
The 7th richest man in the world came with very little fanfare, dressed in a simple T-shirt and jeans and it wasn’t known he was around until he showed up at the doorstep of the Co-Creation Hub.
At this point, everyone knew he was around and they were starstruck. He trended on Twitter, people talked about it, people took pictures, people wanted to be near him. Not just because he is successful, but because he is a man of substance, one whose visit would actually mean something and not just be another event.
As people discussed his visit, it didn’t take long before the topic turned to Mark Zuckerberg versus Nigerian leaders and how his quiet entrance was in sharp contrast to what Nigerian leaders would do in the same situation.
The tweets and Instagram posts showed that Nigerians had this in mind.
The tweets are apt as indeed if it was a local government chairman coming around there would have been mobile policemen everywhere and all ingress and egress from the area would have been prohibited and yet people would never get as excited.
There was also a clear sense of antagonism going on as Nigerians were not only angry about the fact that Nigerian leaders are nothing like Mark Zuckerberg, they are also cynical as to how this visit could be turned into some political scheme or fodder to bash an opponent or a spin story to make it look like they are working.
All in all, Mark Zuckerberg’s visit can only be seen as a positive with what it means for Nigeria’s tech space and the potential it will bring forward.
He might have been around for one day, but he very well may have just inspired a generation…something all Nigerian leaders have failed to do so far.