Facebook Marketplace Launches in Nigeria

Social Networking Platform, Facebook has announced the launch of Marketplace in Nigeria where customers can explore and effect transactions.

The launch of the platform in Nigeria makes it Facebook’s fourth market place in Africa, after establishing its presence in South Africa, Ethiopia and Kenya.

According to the organisation, the innovation is such that through a click on the market place icon, would enable customers to browse and search for items and sort based on distance or category.

Commenting on the innovation, Head of Public Policy for Anglophone West Africa, Adaora Ikenze, stated that the move further highlights Facebook ongoing efforts in helping to boost trade activities in Nigeria and connecting communities.

He said, “This comes at a crucial time as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact people and businesses, and with many people buying and selling on Facebook, this will provide people with a convenient destination where they can discover new products, shop for things they want or find buyers for the things they are ready to part with.”

Describing how the platform works, he added, “When a seller lists an item on Marketplace, they create a public listing that can be seen by anyone on Facebook. This includes people on Marketplace, News Feed, Facebook search, Facebook Groups or search engines. Sellers can simply take a photo of an item, enter a product name, description and price, confirm their location, select a category, and post.”

Users are also advised not to be careless with their privacy details and be wary of potential scams.