Search engine Goodle has localized its online video platform, YouTube, to allow over 44 million internet users in Nigeria view videos most relevant to them from Nigerian content creators on the platform.
Popular among the Nigerian YouTube channels are NollywoodLove, ChocolateCity and 37th State.
YouTube is the place on the web where people with video camera and an internet connection can share their art and voice with the world.
At the launch in Lagos, Google country Manager, Juliet Ehimuan disclosed that Google had more interest in getting online among Nigerians and there was a steady increase in the number of Nigerians getting online.
According to International Telecommunications union (ITU), Nigerian internet users currently are at 28.9 per cent or 44 million of the population as against 6.7 per cent in 2008.
Ehimuan said Google was focusing on local stakeholders to build an online ecosystem, saying the company's strategy centered on three things which include access; how to get more people online and how to remove barriers to internet access.
She named one of the company's initiatives as Google apps supporting programme for Universities, disclosing that they worked with universities to support them in building local campus infrastructure, provide funding for international bandwidth, provide free software and Google apps for education and also render trainings.
Specifically, she said the company had successfully worked with six Nigerian Universities and more are in the pipeline.
She explained that the second area was on relevance- aimed at ensuring that internet was made relevance to the users everyday's life, noting that YouTube had become a phenomenon platform for online video sharing and expressed that Nigeria had a lot of creative talents and fantastic local contents such as Noollywood movies, Nigerian Music, comedy and educational materials, stressing that the country had much valuable contents with global demand and that the YouTube provided the platform for Nigerian content creators to share their works with the global audience.
Ehimuan explained that another Google's initiative around relevance which was launched in September was Get Nigerian Businesses Online (GNBO), which was targeted at supporting local businesses in creating a digital presence, helping Nigerians to create a professional websites, registering domain, providing free hosting and training that would help Nigerians optimize their businesses online.
"The third focused area is sustainability which is really around building a vibrant and sustainable ecosystem," she said.
Patrick Walker, YouTube, Senior Director, Content Partnership, for Europe, Middle East and Africa pointed out that with over 3 billion views a day, YouTube is the world largest audience, and a mode of communication that allows everyone's voice to be heard, saying Nigerians are passionate about music, entertainment and many other genres that YouTube offers.
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