Lockdown: Entertainers find solace in usage of social media

Your favourite celebrities will probably not be on the list of the wealthiest Nigerians, however they have been using their star power and influence to build their brand amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and also sensitizing their fans.

Since the coronavirus lockdown took effect in Nigeria, particularly in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja, celebrities have had to turn to social media more than ever to remain relevant, connected to their fans and engaged.

Amazingly, the lockdown gave Nigerian celebs an occasion to maximize the use of social media . An explosion in the use of the Live feature on platforms like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube made it possible for celebrities like Ubi Franklin, Gbenga Adeyinka, Koffi, Bouqui, Iyabo Ojo Arole and others to host their live shows.

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In the same vein, the likes of Don Jazzy, Simi, Beverly Naya, Biodun Okeowo, Toke Makinwa and others took to TikTok, a Chinese video sharing platform owned by ByteDance, which has been in existence since 2016, to entertain their fans. The app surprisingly recorded wide spread use amongst Nigerians since the lockdown began.

According to reports, TikTok this year has surpassed Facebook and WhatsApp as the world’s most downloaded non-gaming app.

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On how the lockdown has affected her, Tiwa Savage revealed during her Instagram Live session: “This is a really weird time for everyone. Whether you are rich or famous; it affects everyone. It can be a little scary actually because one doesn’t know what would happen next. One doesn’t know what tomorrow brings. The coronavirus pandemic has humbled me because I had my album ready to be released. I had a lot of shows, festivals and tours lined up. All of that had to be cancelled and some postponed. We don’t know’’, when this will stop. This is despite all the plans one has already made. It definitely humbled all of us.”

Will the usage of social media decline amongst celebrities after the COVID-19 lockdown? Only time will tell