OkadaBooks

Last updated
OkadaBooks
OkadaBooks Logo.png
OkadaBooks logo
Type of business Internet company
Type of site
Reading app, self-publishing
Available inEnglish
Dissolved November 30, 2023;8 months ago (November 30, 2023)
Headquarters Yaba, Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria
Area servedWorldwide
OwnerOkadaBooks
Founder(s) Okechukwu Ofili
URLokadabooks.com
RegistrationRequired
Launched2013(11 years ago) (2013)
Current statusDefunct
Native client(s) on Android, iOS, Web

OkadaBooks was a self-publishing and bookselling platform based in Nigeria, [1] [2] founded by Okechukwu Ofili in 2013. [3] [4] [5] It was selected by Google's "Google for Start-up Accelerator" in 2017. [6] In 2018, it hosted a writing competition in partnership with Guaranty Trust Bank called "Dusty Manuscript". [7]

Contents

History

OkadaBooks was founded by Okechukwu Ofili in 2013. [8] [9] [10] The name is a combination of okada – a motorcycle taxi typically used to circumvent traffic in Nigeria and other West African countries – and books. [3] The platform was started when the founder was still an author at BellaNaija and YNaija , and was frustrated at the fact that bookshops were not paying him for books already sold. [11] [12] [13] OkadaBooks offers books as mobile phone downloads. [2]

On 30 November 2023, the platform was closed with the owners citing "insurmountable challenges" as the reason. [14] [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opera (company)</span> Norwegian software company

Opera is a multinational technology conglomerate holding company headquartered in Oslo, Norway with additional offices in Europe, China, and Africa. Opera offers a range of products and services that include a variety of PC and mobile web browsers, GameMaker and gaming portals, the Opera News content recommendation products, the Opera Ads platform, and a number of Web3 and e-commerce products and services. The company's total user base is 311 million monthly active users.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen Keshi</span> Nigerian footballer and manager

Stephen Okechukwu Keshi was a Nigerian football player and manager.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology</span> School in Accra, Ghana

The Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) is an Africa-wide technology entrepreneur training program, seed fund, and incubator headquartered in Accra, Ghana. The three-phased institution was founded in 2008 to provide training, investment, and mentoring for aspiring technology entrepreneurs with the goal of creating globally successful companies that create wealth and jobs locally in Africa.

irokotv Web platform

irokotv is a web platform that provides paid-for Nigerian films on-demand. It is one of Africa's first mainstream online movie streaming websites, providing access to over 5,000 Nollywood film titles. irokotv is a part of iROKO Limited, which is one of Africa's entertainment companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oyster (company)</span> Commercial streaming service for digital e-books

Oyster was a commercial streaming service for digital e-books, available for Android, iOS, Kindle Fire, and NOOK HD/HD+ devices. It was also available on any web browser on a desktop or laptop computer. Oyster held over 1 million books in its library, and as of September 2015, the service was only available in the United States.

Jumia is a Berlin-based technology company that is a marketplace, logistics service and payment service, operating throughout Africa. The logistics service enables the delivery of packages through local partners while the payment services facilitate the payments of online transactions. It has partnered with more than 100,000 sellers and individuals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naspers</span> Multinational holding and investment company

Naspers Limited is a South African multinational internet, technology and multimedia holding company headquartered in Cape Town, with interests in online retail, publishing and venture capital investment. Naspers' principal shareholder is its Dutch listed investment subsidiary Prosus, which owns approximately 49% of its parent as part of a cross ownership structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotels.ng</span> Nigerian travel websites

Hotels.ng is a Nigerian online hotels booking agency which was launched in 2013. The platform was founded by Mark Essien who hails from Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria and claims to list over 7,138 hotels from 320 cities in Nigeria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NotJustOk</span> Nigerian music download website

NotJustOk is an African media and entertainment company, known for housing an online music and entertainment website NotJustOk, a music streaming service Mino Music, and a music distribution and publishing service Notjustok Distribution, with its media house located in Lagos, Nigeria, and Atlanta, Georgia. There are two different feeds of NotJustOk website; for West Africa, and East Africa. The company and its divisions are led by its Founder and chief executive officer Ademola Ogundele.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kola Tubosun</span> Nigerian linguist and writer (born 1981)

Kọ́lá Túbọ̀sún is a Nigerian linguist, writer, translator, scholar, cultural activist and film-maker. His work and influence span the fields of education, language technology, literature, journalism, and linguistics. He is the recipient of the 2016 Premio Ostana "Special Prize" for Writings in the Mother Tongue for his work in language advocacy. He writes in Yoruba and English, and is currently the Africa editor of the Best Literary Translations anthology, published by Deep Vellum.

Cassava Republic Press is a steering African book publishing company established in Nigeria in 2006 and headed by Bibi Bakare-Yusuf, with a focus on affordability, the need to find and develop local talent, and to publish African writers too often celebrated only in Europe and America. Cassava Republic's stated mission is "to change the way we all think about African writing. (...) to build a new body of African writing that links writers across different times and spaces." The publishing house is considered to be "at the centre of a thriving literary scene" that has seen Nigerian writers in particular, as well as writers from elsewhere on the African continent, having considerable success both at home and internationally. ThisDay newspaper has stated of the publishing house that "it is credited with innovation. From driving down the cost of books to using digital media to drive sales, Cassava has invariably sought to redefine the African narrative."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata</span> Nigerian technology entrepreneur and TV presenter (born 1979)

Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata Jnr. also known as CFA is a Nigerian journalist and a former television presenter at Channels TV. He is into digital marketing and known as a technology entrepreneur with focus on business coaching and public speaking. He hosted the first virtual telehealth conference of Nigeria’s telemedicine company, CareClick with the theme ‘The Future Of Healthcare Today’ on 24 September 2020. He was involved in various ICT-related companies that contributed to the development of the Founder Institute. He is known as the founder of Pacer Venture and has links with Climate Action Africa. He is the MD/CEO of Anambra State ICT Agency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onyeka Akumah</span> Nigerian businessman

Onyeka Akumah is a technology entrepreneur with a focus on transportation, agriculture, real estate, and media sectors. He is popularly known as the founder of Treepz Inc. Prior to founding his company in 2019, Onyeka Akumah was the CEO of Farmcrowdy. He is credited to have been involved in the success of various tech and e-commerce companies in Africa where he held positions and contributed to their growths.

Odunayo Eweniyi is a Nigerian business executive and activist. She is the Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer PiggyVest and co-founder of Feminist Coalition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gokada</span>

Gokada is a tech startup based in Lagos, Nigeria. The startup launched as a ride-hailing company in 2017, before diversifying into Logistics and Food Delivery in 2020 after a ban on commercial motorcycles by the Government of Lagos State.

Bodunrin Sasore, commonly known as BB Sasore, is a Nigerian screenwriter, film director, and co-founder of Nemsia Films. He is best known as the writer and director of God Calling, and Before 30.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Okechukwu Amah</span> Nigerian academician

Okechukwu Amah is a Nigerian Petroleum Engineer and Business administration academic. He is a faculty member and teaches Human Resources, Leadership, and Human Behavior in Organizations at Lagos Business School. He also serves as the Research Director at Lagos Business School, Pan Atlantic University, Nigeria. Okechukwu has over 31 years of experience working at Chevron Nigeria Limited, where he held a range of managerial positions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ugorji Okechuwu Ugorji</span>

Ugorji Okechukwu Ugorji is a Nigerian politician, academic, author, and publisher. He is the Commissioner for Homeland Security and Vigilante Affairs in Imo State, and the Special Adviser to Governor Hope Uzodimma on Homeland Security and Intelligence. He is a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomiwa Aladekomo</span> Nigerian media executive and politician

Tomiwa Aladekomo is a Nigerian media executive, internet entrepreneur and politician. He is the chief executive officer of Big Cabal Media, which publishes Zikoko, a youth-focused internet publication, and TechCabal, an African technology media platform.

References

  1. Philip Nwosu (6 November 2020). "Digital economy in Nigeria driven by innovative platforms – John Obaro". The Sun Online .
  2. 1 2 Tolu Ogunlesi (6 October 2015). "A new chapter in Nigeria's literature". Financial Times .
  3. 1 2 "Make Authors Rich Again". International Publishers Association. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  4. "Celebrate children's day with these books on OkadaBooks this weekend". Business Day . 29 May 2021.
  5. Otosirieze Obi-Young (31 August 2018). "African Writers Series' Classics Now Available for Affordable Downloads on OkadaBooks". Brittle Paper . Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  6. Yomi Kazeem (20 March 2018). "Google is making good on its promise to bet more on African startups and developers" . Quartz .
  7. Jayne Augoye (9 February 2018). "'Dusty Manuscript' contest for budding writers berths in Lagos". Premium Times .
  8. Adaobi Onyeakagbu (29 October 2018). "Okechukwu Ofili, CEO of Okadabooks, is our MCM today!". Pulse Nigeria.
  9. Muyiwa Matuluko (22 April 2014). "Okadabooks Review: The Truly African eBook Platform". TechCabal.
  10. "Okadabooks: Warum Nigeria kein Kindle braucht". Deutsche Welle (in German). 4 October 2017.
  11. Hadassah Egbedi (17 September 2017). "OkadaBooks – The Innovative Platform Revolutionising Book Publishing In Nigeria". Ventures Africa. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  12. Laju Iren (23 November 2016). "Okada books: How one company is 'recycling' the publishing wheel". Vanguard Nigeria Newspaper .
  13. Kole Omotoso (13 March 2019). "OkadaBooks comes to the rescue!!!". The Guardian .
  14. Eleanya, Frank (21 November 2023). "Okadabooks to shut online book store over 'insurmountable' challenges". Business Day. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  15. Oloruntade, Ganiu (20 November 2023). "Digital publishing pioneer Okada Books is shutting down after ten years". Tech Cabal. Retrieved 28 February 2024.