So basically your saying that if he (or someone else) is building something like Facebook or Twitter or anything that involves texting, they are wasting their time? If that is what you mean, I’ll have to disagree with you. It all comes down to creativity, how it is approached and who the app/service is for. Twitter was released in 2009. Telegram was released in 2013 as a Russian Social Network. It has over 50 million Android Downloads, not to even mention Apple Downloads and it delivers 10 billion daily messages. YikYak is based on texting and was released 2013, and already has up to 5 million downloads (just Android, I haven’t mentioned Apple users) and it is gradually increasing. It has a valuation of $350 million dollars. Yo, the one bit messaging app, was released last year as a joke, it is based on texting and all it does is send a ‘Yo’ as a notification. It got funded immediately for a million dollars, and has already seen over 3 million downloads (just Android, Apple users not included) and at one point people sent 100 million ‘Yos’ in one day. Now it is worth about $10 million dollars. There are many more like Wickr, Secret, Whisper, WeChat and others. WeChat came out in 2011 and presently has 600 million active users. So building something like Facebook or Twitter or anything involving texting IS NOT A WASTE OF TIME. It is all about being creative and who the app is meant for.
IT IS VERY VIABLE. If you are trying do a market analysis or market research with us, we need more information to give you better feedback on what you should and shouldn’t do. But as vague as your social network idea is, anything can happen and it is viable.
What worries me is after reading all 42 replies…I’m still clueless about what exactly it is you want to do/build? We can’t give you good opinions if it’s not clear what you want to do
@davidsmith8900 You seem to strongly imply that anything and everything is viable. Hard to fault that… but I would assume we are here for critical thinking, not a blanket agreement that anything is possible if 100 million Yos can be sent in a day. We know that already.
Now back on topic. @Ayobami_Ogundiran, if anyone told me they wanted to start a social network, I would definitely wonder why. Arguments of Snapchat, Instagram, etc in spite of Facebook don’t work here. Why? Because there was no specific niche/situation being addressed. However further down the thread, you mentioned it is something different entirely and more to do with network marketing so to speak. To promote yourself or your product in a way that is potentially 20 times faster than Facebook or Twitter ads implies a really REALLY active community. Now the question is, what is the draw? Why would the active users have signed up in the first place? I’m not sure there is an advantage to being cryptic about your offering at this point so please shoot.
So Im on a blanket agreement, not critical thinking? Please point out the blanket agreement.
Hi ,
The examples you listed above aren’t doing so well in Nigeria / Africa.
Please give me examples that are Booming in Africa.
I think dadivsmith8900 works with the OP lol 
Lol. Nairaland a social network? WOW 
funny you mention Mxit. It died last week and Radar did not discuss that. It was the only app in Africa that has ever enjoyed multimillion active downloads.
Y U NO discuss it?
Helep me ask o.
I was gonna ask “did it die die” but had to google it to confirm. Yeah, it did die die.
Apparently it got suffocated by the likes of whatsapp
Do not listen to anybody that says you are wasting your time. How many social stuff have come after Facebook? Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Shots, Grindr, Tinder Prayerbox(they will come for me again, I pray they don’t) Find a niche bro. Social networks really don’t start out to solve a problem at least from my own view they start by being cool and then the users find creative ways to use it to solve problems.
This right here is very bad advice - you should listen to your ‘users’.
But this is excellent advice - because it acknowledges the critical role of ‘users’
But seriously, I would say if he really wants to build his social platform, then go ahead and build it! If he has better data/intuition which provides insights, that makes him confident that this will work, then go for it.
Don’t give up on your dreams, just because Radar doesn’t agree.
[ @Ayobami_Ogundiran if you build it, I volunteer to be your 2nd ‘user’ - but first you must build it!]
Well his users would not say he is wasting his time. 
I’m pretty sure it wasn’t users that told him he was wasting his time. And na lie na me go be second user
Lol, make the guy build am 1st…then after we go settle the ‘2nd’ user matter
Social network will forever be viable…so long humans exists, how you do it is up to you…
If you can WIN one stranger, you are already on your way…
IN PROJECTS LIKE THAT GO STEALTH TILL YOU GO VIRAL…
So, I have a friend request from some stranger on facebook and I delete it without looking at the profile because that doesn’t seem natural. 'cause friendship should not be as easy as that right?
It’s like people believe all you need to do is like the same bands in order to be soulmates. or books.
OMG… You like the movie PhoneSwap… it’s like we’re the same person! no we’re not. It’s like we have the same English Teacher. there’s a difference.
If you can implement an unset verification plugin/system for new users that’ll issue a twitter-like badge (using LinkedIn method of requesting for drivers license or passport) and function to select State/Region (meaning you have to do thorough map/grid of Nigeria not to miss any place out (and users can suggest places not in the system and then admin confirm and add up to category to avoid peeps typing in funny non-existent ereas), then that’ll be a bold step forward.
I love social media. The connectivity it provides, the creativity it allows, and the breathtaking wealth of information we all have at our fingertips because of it. Therefore, Social Network is still viable in Nigeria.
Most neuroses and some psychoses can be traced to the unnecessary and unhealthy habit of daily wallowing in the troubles and sins of billion strangers. Can you make it worthwhile?. I believe they’re still untapped niches.
Your call! I’ll be user No.3 if you break the norm.
When I read topics like this I see the worst nature of Nigerians revealing itself notably jealousy and shortsightedness. I remember building one of the first Web sites on Nigerian football in 1997. My worst detractors were some Nigerians who kept sending me emails telling me there was no need for another soccer site on Nigeria that the one run by a swede itself started in 1997 was good enough. I ran my site until it got profiled as part of the Fifa World Cup 1998 media blitz. I was receiving thousands of hits per day in those days when there was no ad money and when most Nigerians online lived outside the country. My sites biggest fans were non Nigerians and they came from everywhere from Japan to Mexico.
Moral of the story. There is always space for innovation for the same reason there are different brands of noodles. Don’t let people limit your dreams.