By Victoria Ibezim-Ohaeri
“I want people to know that you don’t have to be an organisation before you can make an impact in the world – that just you as an individual can make a whole lot of difference in the world,” Kaptin Idoko told BBC news.
Idoko is behind the popular Gidi Traffic tweets that regularly and consistently informs motorists in Nigeria’s largest city of Lagos of the traffic situation across the state. With a strong following on Twitter – more than 16,000 people – he provides constant, reliable information to assist motorists on the ever-congested Lagos roads to make informed decisions about safe and alternative routes to their destinations. Perhaps most telling is that Idoko does not get paid for what he does!
His identity has remained unknown until he was nominated for the Life-Saving Hero award at this week’s Shorties – regarded as the Oscars of the social media world. Although he did not win, he says that “Making it all the way down to this ceremony was a big recognition for me,” he told the BBC’s Leslie Goffe afterwards.
“I’m the first African in this category so that is a great win already for me and the Gidi Traffic family of followers, Nigeria and Africa…”A lot of people think Gidi Traffic is some computer programme yet it’s actually just me,” Mr Idoko said.
This is yet another testimony that you can engage your passion to be the one who makes a difference.
Qutoes were culled from BBC News
