Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has urged young people to stop focusing solely on social media popularity and begin converting their online influence into legitimate wealth and employment opportunities.
The governor gave the charge at the fourth edition of the Delta State Social Media Summit held at the Mariam Babangida Leisure Park and Film Village in Asaba.
Oborevwori, who was represented at the event by the Commissioner for Works, Rural Roads and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, said social media had fundamentally transformed both communication and the economic landscape.
He noted that digital platforms now allow individuals to build audiences, create value, communicate with large numbers of people and generate income without depending entirely on traditional employment. According to the governor, young people should not become overly obsessed with likes, followers and online clout when those figures can instead become tools for building sustainable businesses.
He encouraged social media users to focus on creating valuable content capable of attracting audiences, partnerships, advertising opportunities and other legitimate sources of income.
Oborevwori described the ability to build a large online audience as a powerful economic asset because brands and businesses increasingly depend on platforms with strong traffic to reach potential customers.
The governor pointed to the platform of his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Ossai Ovie Success, as an example of how an individual's social media presence can evolve beyond personal communication into a powerful mass communication and business platform.
He explained that a smartphone in the hands of a person with a substantial audience could effectively function like a television station by allowing that individual to reach thousands or even millions of people.
“Social media has given us a platform where individuals who ordinarily would have become prospective job seekers now become prospective employers of labour,” the governor said.
Oborevwori, however, warned that the opportunities presented by social media must be accompanied by responsibility, urging young Nigerians not to use digital platforms to promote fraud, crime or other activities outside the law.
He said youths should instead deploy their creativity and influence towards activities that provide value to society while creating legitimate economic opportunities for themselves and others. The governor's message comes at a time when Nigeria's growing digital economy is creating new opportunities for content creators, influencers, entrepreneurs, entertainers and other young professionals.
For many young Nigerians, social media has evolved from a platform for social interaction into a marketplace where personal brands can attract customers, advertisers, investors and business partners. Oborevwori therefore encouraged participants at the summit to look beyond immediate online popularity and consider how their digital presence could support long-term careers and sustainable businesses.
He also urged the young participants to network with established personalities in the creative industry and use such relationships to gain knowledge, mentorship and opportunities for professional growth.
The governor said his administration recognises that government alone cannot build the Delta State envisioned for its people, stressing that young people, entrepreneurs, creatives and other stakeholders must contribute to the state's development.
He further linked the social media summit to the administration's broader economic agenda, noting that the creative industry was identified as one of the key areas discussed during the Delta State Economic Summit.
The summit organiser, Ossai Ovie Success, said the event was designed to unlock the creative potential of Delta youths and equip them with practical knowledge for using social media for information dissemination, innovation and wealth creation.
Ossai said the programme was also intended to expose young Deltans to opportunities within the digital economy and encourage them to transform their creativity and online presence into sustainable livelihoods.
The keynote address at the summit was delivered by Professor Hilary Ijeoma Owamah, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics, at Delta State University, Abraka.
The governor's message ultimately challenges young people to measure the success of their online presence not only by the number of followers they accumulate but by the value, opportunities and income those followers can generate.
As Nigeria's digital economy continues to expand, social media influence is increasingly becoming an economic asset that can be converted into businesses, employment and wider opportunities when managed strategically and responsibly.