A few weeks ago, I was looking for freelance photographers to cover upcoming Techloy events, so I decided to test drive their talents at the just concluded Mobile Web West Africa 2012 event.

So one day, I saw a guy named Seun Oyeleke tag a friend’s Facebook profile page with photos he shot at the Google+ Hangout with celebs. Those photos were the most artistic and creative photos I’ve seen in a long time.

I immediately contacted Seun and offered him a deal to cover the Mobile Web West Africa 2012, he accepted and the rest is history.

Seun photographs at events and weddings for hire, and also creates breathtaking scenic photos (like the one up there), that leaves you spell-bound.

His website has got some spectacular photos from scenic to conceptual photography. The one above is a captivating pennisula view by dusk taken from the swimming pool area at the Lagos Oriental Hotel on the Lekki Road, Victoria Island.

You can contact Seun at EmmanuelOyeleke.com or via his Facebook page if you want to hire him for an event.

He’s the best in the world!

Last night, Paul Carr made an inflammatory and ridiculous statement about Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala that undermines her ability and capability of becoming the President of the World Bank, while suggesting that she may have applied for the post via email just like scammers would…

Beyond that, it was an insult to every single Nigerian and I think the proper thing to do *is* to call Paul Carr to order. Of course, Sarah Lacy didn’t as expected and little does she realise that the worst troll on the Interwebs is her darling friend, Paul Carr.

If only she knew.

Check out these two logo design samples below and your opinion would be appreciated

Logo 1

Logo 2

What are your thoughts?

Yeah, it's me...pounding cocoa-yam Image by iRach

A few weeks ago, my wife returned home with some Oha soup bought from a local restaurant close to where she works which we used for dinner on one Friday night.

By the way, Oha (or Ora) soup is a traditional soup similar to the bitterleaf soup but cooked with Ora (or Oha) leaves. It is native to the South Eastern Nigeria.

So the soup she bought that day prepared with Oha leaves and assorted meat, fish and kpomo (my favourite) was very delicious and much to my delight, so I requested that she makes the same someday.

She told me that Oha soup could be stressful to make, especially with pounding cocoa-yam, which should be hot when pounded and could have lumps if not pounded properly.

I obliged and volunteered to pound it, even if that was my only contribution.

As the saying goes: “Better soup na money kill am”, so my craving for Oha soup made me pound cocoa-yam this afternoon.

Before now, I had never pounded anything like it before, but enjoyed the soup whenever I had the opportunity.

When I started, it seemed easy as the already soft cocoa-yams where mashed in a mortar with the help of a pistol without complaining, but it became tough when my wife told me that I needed to apply more pressure on the pounding to avoid the mashed cocoa-yam having lumps.

It's me again...by this time, with intense sweating! Image by iRach

The pounding went on…for several minutes…and as my sweating became intense, I kept asking myself: Isn’t there a way that technology can mash this thing in seconds?

After about 30 minutes or so, she was finally satisfied with the smoothness of the mashed cocoa-yam and at last, I was finally free. Sigh.

Will I pound it again? Not sure, but I sure won’t mind eating the whole pot of that soup when it’s ready.

So my question is: Is there some product of technology that can mash yam, cocoa-yam, etc?

After a user test of Netcom Africa’s internet speed at the Google Nigeria Day event today, I think it is safe to conclude that Netcom is the fastest ISP in Nigeria at the moment.

A picture is worth more than a thousand words

But hey, it might cost a fortune to get this kinda speed in Nigeria at the moment. And it sure will be on a dedicated link

[Image via @MrBankole]

Just in case you think that Nokia doesn’t care (No-kia), this photo shows how much the brand cares and connects relationships together. On the other hand, Blackberry seems to be stressing the hell out of relationships these days.

Is this true of your relationship?

I’m not one who responds to ignorant criticisms of me or my work, but when Editi Effiong who’s not a ‘tech blogger’ said that Nigerian technology bloggers are not relevant, it becomes necessary to put things in proper perspective.

First, technology blogging in Nigeria is still in its early days and as a pioneering blogger in the Nigerian technology space, I’ve always felt that I’m still scratching the surface. Just imagine how covering a budding startup ‘industry’ (use that word loosely) with little or no stories to tell has been since April 2008! For me, it’s been a fun and challenging ride!

Second, that I’m a technology blogger doesn’t mean that I’m obligated to cover every single tech story or topic. As a matter of fact, I started blogging to cover and profile startups and Internet companies, NOT report on the telecom industry. CP Africa recently said that “it is virtually impossible to think of startups and Nigeria without thinking of Loy Okezie.”

So does my focus on startups and Internet companies make me an irrelevant technology blogger?

Third, I run the biggest and most popular technology news blog in Nigeria. We break the biggest stories around Internet companies, startups and innovations with worldwide exclusives. We also publish news (yes, we even rehash them), insightful opinion and reviews and analysis from time to time around the tech, mobile and broadband space.

So if anyone fails to remember when a Nigerian technology blog delivered really hot ‘industry’ news, then that person’s memory is utterly useless.

On a final note, we’re looking for tech reporters and writers who would cover key topical areas we’re venturing into in the coming months.

If you want to be relevant as a writer/reporter in Africa’s technology startup scene, then let’s discuss joining TechLoy.

Oh by the way, we’re gonna make those ‘iRelevant Blogger tee-shirts you see up there soon

I may have been omitted from CNN’s list of African tech voices published today, but I was delighted to receive copies of the BBC Focus on Africa Magazine (January – March 2012) edition featuring my cover story article.

The article was about Google’s attempt at localizing search in Africa and what other search engines can learn from their inaction.

You can grab a copy of the magazine at a news stand which also has a feature on the upcoming London 2012 Olympics, reality talent shows in Nigeria and the African Cup of Nations 2012.

Thanks to Editor, Nick Ericsson for featuring my article.

On February 7, I was contacted by Teo Kermeliotis from CNN who told me that they were “putting together a web story about some of Africa’s tech leaders to follow on Twitter” and would like to include me in the list.

I obliged and sent them a picture of me along with a short paragraph on the increasing role of new technologies across Africa as requested. I even suggested some people I felt should be on such list when asked to do so.

Today, CNN published the list omitting me and perhaps other leading African technology voices.  CNN claimed that its African Voices has highlighted 10 leading tech voices from different African countries.

Well, two of the people in their list are not Africans — they are Americans who have lived and worked in Africa.

About an hour ago, I received an email from Teo saying that due to space restrictions they’ve decided to include only 10 people in the list – excluding me.

In my opinion, this is a major PR disaster for a highly reputable and respectable organisation such as CNN. As much as not being included in the list is disappointing, I wonder why I was contacted in the first place.

Of course the list has some great African tech voices I respect and admire, including ‘Gbenga Sesan and Ory Okolloh, it just leaves this sour taste in my mouth.

D'banj strikes a pose next to his recently acquired Aston Martin Vantage car. Image via: Linda Ikeji

Never mind that people don’t usually celebrate bloggers yet in Nigeria, just like the entertainment industry and fans do for their most talented and favourite celebs.

That will soon start to happen. Oh, it has already started to happen.

While I and a few bloggers may have been listed or mentioned around the web as the most popular and influential bloggers in Nigeria based on our blog’s ranking, influence and branding, I believe that’s not enough to say we’re there yet or we should be celebrated.

Rather, we’re still scratching the surface.

But beyond lists, there are quite a good number of lessons that bloggers can learn from the entertainment industry — specifically — the Nollywood, Music and Comedy Industry.

Here are 4 ways that bloggers can become celebrities in their own right:

1. Bloggers will have to make their appearances felt beyond just their blogs – On Twitter. On Radio. On TV. On Billboards. At Events. Everywhere — if they’re to become the D’banj’s and Mercy Johnson’s of Nigeria’s emerging Blogging Industry.
2. Bloggers will have to attract a huge following or fan base (literally) as well as build a unique voice and style to become the Basket Mouth’s and the Princess’s of the emerging Blogging Industry.
3. Bloggers will have to figure out a method or a combination of methods to make serious money (with revenues in the excess of $10,000 monthly) from their content, brand and influence, not just relying on paltry sums from Google Adsense and other ad networks. (Big brands with deep pockets are watching the blog space!)
4. Bloggers will have to live in the world of make believe. Start riding posh cars and living in mansions in your imagination. Start giving away Blackberry phones to your fans and followers in your dreams. Soon, you’ll start living those dreams and imaginations. Soon, you’ll be living the Dot Com lifestyle, driving fancy cars, going to exotic vacations, wining, dining and partying.

If you’re to contribute to building a viable blogging industry, you must step up your game and move onto the next level of blogging: becoming a blog celebrity!

It’s time to raise the bar, bloggers!

Forget blogspot sub-domains! Hire a very good WordPress designer to create a unique blogging brand! Adopt a unique style of writing and/or hire talented writers on your team! Join forces with other bloggers around your niche and attract new fans! Build a network of blogs around your blogging brand! Be prolific! Be passionate! Be professional!

Heck yeah, don’t take my words because I’m not a blog celeb yet — I haven’t made a dime! Instead, learn from those who actually make $40,000 per month blogging!

Whether you’re blogging for fame or fortune (or both), remember that it would take a long time to build your blogging brand. If you’re into blogging for quick money or attention, then it’s not for you!

Let’s compete, collaborate and network together! That’s how the Nigerian entertainment industry became a multi-million dollar industry!

It’s showtime!