Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has challenged youths in the state to move beyond the pursuit of social media popularity and convert their followers, likes and online influence into wealth and employment opportunities.
Oborevwori, represented by the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, gave the charge on Thursday, at the fourth edition of the Delta State Social Media Summit, held at the Mariam Babangida Leisure Park and Film Village, Asaba.
The summit, organised by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Ossai Success, is designed to equip young people with knowledge and practical skills to harness the creative and economic opportunities presented by social media.
The governor said social media had fundamentally changed the communication and economic landscape by giving individuals the opportunity to build platforms capable of reaching large audiences, creating value and generating income.
According to him, youths should not be carried away by “likes, followers or the need to build clout,” but should ensure that their online influence translates into tangible economic value.
He cited his media aide as an example of how social media could be transformed from a personal communication platform into a viable source of employment and wealth creation.
“Social media has given us a platform where individuals who ordinarily would have become prospective job seekers now become prospective employers of labour,” the governor said.
Oborevwori, however, cautioned young content creators against using social media to promote crime, fraud or other activities outside the bounds of the law, stressing that the freedom and opportunities provided by digital platforms must be accompanied by responsibility.
He urged youths to focus on creating content that provides value to society, attracts audiences and opens opportunities for advertising, partnerships and other legitimate forms of income.
The governor explained that the size of an individual’s online audience could turn a personal device into a mass communication platform, noting that brands and businesses were increasingly seeking platforms with significant traffic to advertise their products and services.
He said the ability of social media platforms to preserve content and reach users regardless of where they were made them powerful tools for communication and economic activity.
“Today, there are a number of persons who see or hear what we do in Delta via the Ossai Success platform. This means it is not just the telephone in his hand; it has become another television that is helping him communicate to a vast majority of people,” he said.
Oborevwori said his administration recognised that government alone could not build the Delta State of the people’s dreams, stressing the need for young people, entrepreneurs, creatives and other stakeholders to contribute to the state’s development.
He urged participants at the summit to use the opportunity to network with established personalities in the creative industry, learn from them and establish relationships capable of advancing their careers and businesses.
The governor also linked the summit to his administration’s broader economic agenda, noting that the creative industry was identified as one of the key thematic areas at the Delta State Economic Summit.
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Earlier, the organiser of the summit, Ossai Ovie Success, said the fourth edition was designed to unleash the creative potential of Delta youths and equip them with the knowledge required to use social media for effective information dissemination, innovation and wealth creation.
Ossai said the summit was also intended to expose young Deltans to opportunities within the digital economy and encourage them to transform their creativity and online presence into sustainable livelihoods.
The keynote address was delivered by Engr. Prof. Hilary Ijeoma Owamah, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Delta State University, Abraka.
