Techloy vs. Google

@techloy

I don't particularly subscribe to your conspiracy theory that Google is in the game to knock out local developers as i have been privileged to meet the target audience of their GNBO at a Pan African University conference. They are largely microenterprises and small businesses that won't pay decent fees (if any at all) to developers to get a website done.

To the contrary, i think Google's move would actually help spur growth in the uptake as more small businesses will gain knowledge and support to make the move. Remember Google won't give real customised support to these businesses as they will largely be riding on templates...hence some of the businesses will actually grow to require more sophisticated platforms which only local developers can provide.

Google's intervention i see more as a market development investment which the larger ecosystem can benefit from. I wonder which other stakeholders out there will consider this investment worthwhile. There is no doubt Google will also benefit from this...more Nigerian businesses online implies growth in the size of their potential market for ads, quality of search results and much more. In the end however, a competitive local tech ecosystem will benefit all and sundry.

I can imagine the basis for your outcry but i don't really believe its a threat. Let's be conscious of what we can learn from the presence of these players in the market to raise our game. Other countries are tactically building their markets while leveraging resources and expertise the big players bring.

We need more Harambe spirit behind the message we send out there as this is the only way we can garner proper knowledge partnerships needed to strengthen our offerings as a market.


'Bosun Tijani