5 Nigerians Talk About Meeting People Online

From friends to significant others, business partners, bosses and even long-lost family members, meeting people online is an activity that a lot of people have had to navigate ever since the world became largely digital. 

However, in recent times, more and more people are becoming sceptical about meeting people digitally because of the high risk involved. We spoke to 5 Nigerians and they shared their experiences about meeting people online.

Tolu

I met my husband online. We spoke back and forth for like 6 months before we finally decided to meet physically. I was already in love with his words before I even saw his face. 

When we had our first real date, I was surprised he hadn’t been trapped by anyone by how handsome he looked. I didn’t want any “Yoruba Demon” to break my heart. Luckily, nothing like that happened and we’re happily married now.

Samuel

All my terrible exes were from social media. I don’t like chatting because people present a fake version of themselves online. If I don’t meet you physically, we can’t even be friends not to talk of dating. 

Online babes have shown me pepper. Every time, it’s either I get a case of “what I ordered vs what I got.” The last encounter I had with a woman that I met online involved me calling the police. Use that and imagine what I’ve suffered.

Chris

My best business partner is someone I met in an online business community. He stays in the UK and I live in Nigeria. We’ve been doing business together for over ten years and even raised thousands of dollars for our companies but we’ve never met physically, just texts and video calls. 

The amount of trust we have in each other is so much that I can lend him my life’s savings without thinking twice. I even call him my business brother, no longer partner. We have passed the stage of ordinary partner.

Chioma

I have met so many people who have been instrumental in my life online. After my first child, my online community of mothers held my hand and helped me through that stressful period. Knowing that someone fully understood what I was going through was refreshing. 

I only made a post about struggling once and different women were flying into my DMs offering both financial and non-financial support. That kind of reaction from strangers was so touching that I broke down and cried that day. I don’t joke with my parenting community on Fusion. 

Jeremiah

My experience of meeting people online is mostly centred around books. I didn’t think I would be able to keep up with an online book club but I’ve been in one for 3 years and met some of the coolest people in Lagos in that online club. It has helped me read over two hundred books and gave me some forever friendships. I’m so glad I became a member when I did.

The experience of meeting people online will definitely vary for most people but in most cases, the positives greatly outweigh the negatives. Keep an open mind and engage more in those communities, shoot your shots and send those cold DMs today. Who knows what might come out of it?

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