TheCable

He’s one of the most followed Nigerians on Twitter, a respected social entrepreneur and a social activist. Here’s Japheth Omojuwa undiluted.

Is Japheth Omojuwa a politician, an activist or a business man?

I am an entrepreneur. I create value via Internet platforms while also teaching same across several countries. There is an active citizen in the person no doubt. If being a politician has anything to do with being involved with the governance of one’s country directly or indirectly, then you have to say there is a bit of a politician in me, albeit in a non-partisan form at the moment.

Tell us something about your name – or names.

My personal name is Joshua. It is a Hebrew name ‘Jehoshua’ that means ‘God is salvation.’ The Greek form is Jesus. ‘Japheth’ my more popular first name is actually my dad’s first name. But I have since adopted it because it stuck since my King’s College, Lagos days and in actual fact fits my life just as Joshua. ‘Japheth’ derives its meaning from Genesis 9:27. Omojuwa is my surname. The name of my great great grandfather. To me, it means the progression of greatness across generations.

What’s the secret behind your status in the cyber world?

I am real. You can’t fake what I do and you cannot re-create who I am. Realness is a value and if that value comes in a unique way, it attracts numbers. Plus I am very intentional and strategic about the way I use social media. I care and most people are naturally attracted to people that care not just about them but about others.

Social media activism or street protest – which is more effective?

They are both tools of the same quest; they are not alternatives, they are complements. There are  days all you’d need to do to get something done is social media and there are days where the street protests cannot wait for hashtags so you have to hit the streets but the strength of both lie in their strategic and effective combination.

Is there something about social media that most Nigerians don’t know?

Most Nigerians don’t know it is worth about $14 billion according to Ventures Africa magazine. If they did, they’d spend more time using the platforms to create value than they would for tweet fights and sucking up to celebrities who are making money off them.

What’s your take on the national conference?

It is just another talk show and we have seen this movie before. Hopefully, it will come up with at least a workable solution to a major national issue but I am not banking on that.

Can Boko Haram ever be defeated?

Of course yes! It’d take the commitment of the Nigerian government and people. Al-Qaeda has not been completely wiped out but you can see how much its reach, capacity and power have been reduced. We need to have a go at terror, fight it and never stop until we sweep it off our country. That was what the United States. If not, you’d have terrorist attacks in the United States and indeed countries like Spain, United Kingdom, Australia etc. everyday! The day the man Commander in Chief of Nigeria personally decides Boko Haram’s time is up, would be the beginning of the end of terrorism in Nigeria. We cannot wipe off terror through guns, bullets and military strategies and tactics alone, we must make the Nigerian economy work for most Nigerians. We must fix social security, unemployment and ensure the rule of law thrives. All of these are connected with insecurity and terrorism. Terrorism is a complex reality and the solutions must understand that complexity.

Are Nigerian youths undervalued or overrated?

Nigerian youths are certainly undervalued. That is not to say that we don’t sometimes overrate ourselves. We can do a lot more and we seem to celebrate too early at times. I think that we need to show our value by getting involved in running the system instead of begging for who will give us the chance to be involved. Across the world, young Nigerians are in critical sectors of economies a lot more sophisticated than Nigeria’s and they are not only surviving, they are thriving and making change happen.

Share something that is in not your CV with us.

I am a good graphic artist. I make good drawings. I am a good sprinter. Took the anchor leg for one of the most successful King’s College, Lagos relay teams.

The love of my life

What are your tastes, likes and passions?

I love Damilola to bits! I love to look good. I am a big fan of people who speak their minds all the time. I care about people. I love my country and I don’t want to be told it cannot be made better. I am interested in how societies work. I love the energy and competition in many sports. My friends mean the world to me and my family is everything. I love each new day. I am a passionate advocate of free markets. Socialism is no longer the enemy of economic progress, the new enemy is crony capitalism.