Kenya turning into a Facebooking nation

Up to 2.2 million Kenyans log on to their Facebook accounts everyday while about 4.5 million use the site per month, the global social media giant announced on Thursday.

The majority (95 per cent) of Kenyan Facebook users access the site using their mobile devices, the US-based company said. Daily Facebook users in Nigeria stand at 7.1 million, while 15 million log on every month. And all Nigerian Facebook users access the site on their mobile devices.

Facebook recently announced that active users in Africa had grown 20% to 120 million in June 2015 from 100 million in September 2014. More than 80 per cent of these people access Facebook from their mobile phones.  The firm added that 60 per cent of all Internet users in Africa are active on Facebook.

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“Mobile is not a trend; it’s the fastest adoption of disruptive technology in the history of communication. It is also an incredibly personal device regardless of where a person lives or how they connect, and businesses need to reach people where they are, not where they were, in an authentic, personal and relevant way,” Nunu Ntshingila, newly appointed Head of Facebook Africa, said in a statement.

Facebook recently opened its first office in Africa, seeking to boost its ad revenue by connecting businesses with its users. The team in Africa will focus initially on Kenya (East Africa), Nigeria (West Africa), and South Africa (Southern Africa).

Ari Kesisoglu, Facebook’s Regional Director for MEA, said the firm “is committed to creating solutions tailored to people and businesses in Africa.”  “We continue to spend time with businesses to learn about how we can work together to create better, more flexible and less fragmented ways for businesses to reach people in Africa,” said Kesisoglu.

Facebook listed Kenya among its key business growth hubs, when it opened its Johannesburg office. In Kenya, Facebook previously said it will partner with governments, telecoms operators, agencies and other stakeholders to deliver localised advertising options.

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