AfricaNXT is the largest gathering of innovators across Africa and the diaspora. Previously known as ‘Social Media Week Lagos’ (SMW Lagos), AfricaNXT is designed to be one week of high-level conversations and connections among people within a makeshift campus, to foster collaboration and innovation for decades to come.
For the purpose of meeting more people in my ecosystem, and the rare chance of dressing to the nines without fear of being judged to be an over dresser; I seek out events like AfricaNXT and plan towards attending them. The pandemic in 2020 certainly thwarted my goals, as most events last year were held online.
So everyday for 5 days, I journeyed from Yaba to Victoria Island, a harrowing experience in the absence of fuel. After this ordeal, I can only sympathize quietly in the comfort of my room, with the people who work a 9–5, moving from home to work everyday within Lagos.
I work remotely and I’ll always be thankful for it, despite the loneliness and lack of the adventure that comes with being in a moving car on Nigerian roads, gazing out the window.
Here are 5 personal takeaways I have put together from attending my first AfricaNXT, ever since I started coding and designing in 2019.
Web3.0 is here to stay
NFTs
Before now, I had successfully avoided all conversations and Twitter spaces related to NFTs, cryptocurrency and the Metaverse as a whole. Not because I’m allergic to change and futuristic concepts, rather because I had not made time out to study and understand this trend of trustless and permissionless tech (i.e. anybody can take part and no third-party is required to be trusted).
The abbreviation ‘NFT’ was said by at least 10 speakers in all the sessions that were held within those 5 days. It was like every session I incidentally stumbled upon, someone was making reference to it, as it relates to music, design, development, virtual reality and so on.
The FOMO was intense as I did not have sufficient knowledge to pretend like I did. The only experience I’ve had is creating a wallet on Metamask with hopes of minting an NFT someday soon with OpenSea or Rarible. It started to occur to me to pay attention.
Now I have come to terms with the fact that I may never be good enough as a digital artist to sell my NFT for $69.3 million, but it might be possible to become one of the next-gen designers or developers who would go on to create user-friendly interfaces in the NFT space (Web3.0), if I join the Metaverse bandwagon now…
I also discovered Nandi, an NFT marketplace and community for African art, featuring amazing art displayed at a makeshift art gallery inside the premises where AfricaNXT took place. Afroscope’s ‘Spiritual Migration’ collection is one I love so much, it may have awakened the art-nerd in me.
Virtual Reality
During an enlightening session on Virtual Reality (Not your regular cinematic experience) held within Filmhouse Cinemas on Thursday, my friend and I listened in awe as the speakers highlighted new frontiers, possibilities and job opportunities for African storytellers and tech persons alike.
Truedis Media, a multimedia production company, exhibited a virtual experience of the infamous Makoko neighborhood via a VR headset. It was truly enlightening.
Years ago, when the internet was born, people certainly thought it to be a fad that would fade away within a short while. Yet here we are.
The conversations and exhibitions related to Web3 during AfricaNXT were simply motivating enough to steer my thinking in a different direction, and I feel young designers and developers like me should try to at least cultivate a curiosity about all things Metaverse. So as to avoid being left behind, in the long run.
Therapy sessions on Mondays would slap
On Monday, the first day of AfricaNXT, I incidentally ended up attending a wellness session on ‘Thinking Positive Thoughts’. My schedule began at 11AM, a session about storytelling to drive users to your content. Unfortunately, I got lost trying to find the right stage within the campus and got poached for this therapy-like session.
The facilitators included an actual therapist, a mental-health enthusiast and a happy comedian (his happiness was contagious). All three spoke in-depth about the power of positive thinking, occasionally giving people in the audience permission to also speak about dark times in their past and how they rose beyond it.
There was just something about listening to people share such profound experiences. It felt like listening to testimonies in church, but without the glamour of lies and the omission of significant doings that made testimonies a reality. The honesty and vulnerability grown men especially showed, inspired me a lot.
Within the week, I attended yet another therapy-like session at the Lit Lab stage in the AfricaNXT campus. The facilitator had asked that we all share our darkest secrets (lmao) and be vulnerable. Aside from the fact that it’s weird to tell just anyone your darkest secrets, the exercise made me realize I might actually have a security system guarding my heart right now like Fort Knox. Vulnerability is difficult for me, as I often found myself listing personal achievements as a way to shield the listeners from my flaws.
I truly felt centered after each of those sessions, speaking somewhat freely and listening to others. I felt like I could take on the entire week, and I did. Support groups, counseling in the workplace, yoga and pranayama are ideals I would love to see normalized in offices or workstations, only on Mondays.
Get better at design
The stage designs and overall branding for AfricaNXT motivates me to go harder for my team. I love the use of colors, fonts and repetitive patterns to communicate the brand.
I am a designer by occupation, but everyday I realize there’s so many classifications of design and I’m compelled to specialize sooner rather than later. I realize how important brand design is, and I’m ready to try incorporating its principles into my work, whether by recruiting, outsourcing or doing it myself.
First impressions will always matter
No matter how intelligent, empathetic, physically attractive, kind, spiritual a person is, first impressions will always matter. People often make conclusions about others based on first encounters, especially in a city like Lagos where there’s a thousand YOUs and MEs, and not enough time or patience to understand and celebrate each one’s uniqueness. We move onto the next one in the city.
I made sure to have something uncommon in my fits all week, so I’m easily remembered. From pink short gowns to leather palazzos and ripped oversized denim, I successfully styled a 5-day collection I like to call the ‘Main Character Clothes’. It was a whole new layer of confidence…
Lastly, the importance of selling your market
Before now, I’d been to tech events but as a baby in tech where I didn’t understand the power of networking.
2 years later, I’m a toddler in tech taking it slowly and can now understand the motivation behind wanting to be a speaker, volunteer, facilitator or attendee at events such as AfricaNXT.
We need to know people, and we need to be known. As much as I enjoy the bliss obscurity and anonymity brings me, I realize I have to get out of my comfort zone and try to make it in life.
The importance of knowing how to sell yourself in seconds can not be overstated. You never know who’s going to change your life.
It was also interesting to watch people suddenly becoming interesting and receptive to conversation within the confines of the campus. I wish we could all be that nice, even outside the event.
I certainly have more than 5 takeaways from the entire event, but oh well.
I made new friends, listened to new perspectives. I also met Korty, my favourite Youtuber (I was so starstruck). Overall it was an eye-opening experience I’d love to have again.
