Chinedu Hardy Nwadike has decried the lack of integrity by most Nigerians on the internet, citing it as reason for poor development of eCommerce in the country.
He said that fraudulent activities by some people have made life difficult for others who want to venture into a genuine internet business and because of that, Nigerians have been tagged fraudsters in the internet world.
“The restriction of payment facilities like PayPal, Liberty Reserves, Visa and Master cards for many years did not help us because there was no way one could do business without heading to the bank first. But as the bans on these have been lifted, the internet is now an express way for anyone who wants to achieve anything on it”, he said.
Ahead of the launching of his new website, www.sellimostate.com, Chinedu Hardy Nwadike has reinstated his desire to change what people can achieve on the internet especially in Imo State.
Hardy, who in 2013, hosted the first local entertainment news website in Imo State and the entire South-East and South-South geopolitical zones of Nigeria, said that his main aim is to make people see what they can achieve on the internet.
While speaking in Owerri last week before the launch of ‘Sell Imo State’, he said “the internet has lots of opportunities in it, but what we lack here is integrity which is the basic thing one needs before the person can do business on the internet.
There are lots of scammers on the internet so an average Nigerian is very careful with what he sees on the internet.
We have thrived in the area of blogging and the likes of Jumia and Konga are making waves in the eCommerce sector, but we need more players”
He regretted that Nigerians have been labeled scammers by the international community when it comes to online businesses but said things like that can change if more people with integrity can come into the business.
On ‘Sell Imo State’, he said it is just another online marketing platform for properties which have been packaged in a way that it is second to none. He laughed off the fact that people misunderstood the name of the business, added that it was part of the concept.
“I wanted a concept that will change how properties are being marketed in Imo State, I wanted to change the way people buy and sell lands, buildings, cars and other valuables. I wanted to make it easier for people to sit in their homes or offices and see what is available and where it is in Imo State.
It was going to be a huge task, but having created something new in www.otowngist.com in 2012, managing www.sellimostate.com was not going to be a problem for me.
I have worked with people I have never seen, so integrity won’t be a problem either because I have taken time to build that reputation and I don’t think I will have anything to be afraid of this time”.
Chinedu Hardy Nwadike also said that he is aware people will come to copy his concept because it has always been the case with Nigerians who want to delve into any fresh business idea that is seen to be thriving.
“I’m aware people will come to copy the idea, but it’s a good thing to know that I conceptualized and started it. We have seen different types of blogging on the internet and soon, property blogging will be another thing for us.
People will call it real estate, but the way I see the future, it will be called property blogging, just mark my words”, he added.
He then called on Imolites who want to sell or buy properties to see www.sellimostate.com as a genuine spot for them.
