By Ishaka Mohammed
A 37-year-old man from Kogi State, Yusuf Shuaib, has launched a social media platform to bridge the gap between Nigerians and owners of social media companies.
The platform, named Ayema Social, was completed in June 2022, but the application was officially launched in September.
Yusuf holds a bachelor’s degree in Islamic Studies from Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU) (formerly Kogi State University), Anyigba, Kogi State. He started his technology journey during his service year in Kano in 2009 when he enrolled in an information technology diploma.
In a chat with The Daily Reality, Yusuf revealed that he wanted to do something to change the popular belief that Islamic studies graduates can only become teachers or lecturers. However, his interest in becoming a developer had barely sparked off until after observing the role of social media in the 2015 general elections.
Concerning the number of users so far, Yusuf said Ayema Social had recorded over 260 users within its two weeks of launch. “It was made public earlier this month [September] after being subjected to a series of tests for over two months, and our target is a minimum of a million users by December, God willing,” he said.
He also revealed that the application had been endorsed by some dignitaries, including the member representing Ankpa/Olamaboro/Omala Federal Constituency, Honourable Abdullahi Ibrahim (Halims); the executive director of special projects at Nisa Premier Hospital, Abuja, Mr Tijjani Baba; and a senior officer of the Nigerian Air Force, Group Captain Ishaka Yakubu.
The founder, however, disclosed that only Android phones support the application version at the moment as he is still sourcing money to work towards making it accessible to users of Apple phones and iPads.
Regarding the security of users, Yusuf told The Daily Reality that the platform, which is named after his mother, Ayema, is bound by extant law global standards for data security and confidentiality, adding that the company is also in technical support partnerships with both Rayjoh Global Resources and Logical Address Limited.
Ayema Social shares many features with Facebook, and users can opt for either the website www.ayema.ng or its Android application version available on Google Play Store.
