Building a startup in Nigeria is one thing. Building something that actually solves a problem is another. For a while now, we’ve been working on something called Okrika, and I want to share a little of what we’re trying to build. Think about how people buy and sell things online today. You post a product, struggle to get people to see it, wait for messages, and sometimes lose potential customers simply because you weren’t available to respond. For small businesses and everyday sellers, getting noticed can be harder than actually finding something worth selling. That’s one of the problems we’re trying to solve with Okrika. Okrika is a social marketplace bringing social media and buying and selling together in one place. Instead of just uploading products and waiting for buyers, people can discover products through a social feed, follow sellers, post content, interact, chat, buy, sell, and even swap items. We want to make it easier for ordinary people and small businesses to reach customers without needing a huge advertising budget or thousands of followers. But we’re taking it a step further with AI. In this video, I’m testing Okrika AI Call inside the marketplace. The idea is to give businesses an AI assistant that can speak with customers, handle enquiries, and help them stay available even when they’re busy. We’re still building, testing, fixing things, and learning along the way. Not everything is perfect yet, but the vision is much bigger than just another marketplace. We want to build a platform where anyone can start selling, get discovered, connect with people, and grow something meaningful. The Okrika mobile app is on its way. We’re starting with Nigeria, and there’s a lot more we’re working towards. I’d genuinely love to hear what you think about what we’re building. Follow @OkrikaNG and be part of the journey. 🌐 okrika.store