There is something new in town, and ken got info! Read…

efiko.co one of the first freelance marketplace or platform in Nigeria came to nHub In Jos last week and I  was impressed to see what the team behind the marketplace had put together. I was a little skeptical at first given the examples of freelance platforms that have tried to break into the Nigerian space and failed.   But what followed was a well-structured demonstration for a product that seemed to tick the right boxes when it came to what a freelance platform should do. It should solve the main problems in traditional freelancing, some of which include:

• access to quality and rated freelance professionals;
• agreeing on a price within your budget & the market average; and
• getting value for money paid.

All from a Client perspective. For a freelancer:

• getting consistent paying work especially outside of where you live;
• setting on a price that matches your skills & experience level; and
• being compensated for work done.

So what is efiko.co?

it’s a freelance marketplace for the Nigerian & African market. They just launched in Beta and their aim is to move the freelance economy online, bridging the gap in the traditional market by building a platform that protects the interest of both clients and freelancers ( Efikos J), using Escrow Payment technology.Clients only pay for work they receive and approve, while freelancers only work on projects that have been fully funded. It’s kind of like the global freelance platforms Upwork & Fiverr, except for the Nigerian market. The team believes localizing the market allows us trade within ourselves as opposed to a global audience.

So what next?

The team are on the road touring incubation hubs and freelance gatherings to demo their product. A little unconventional in the Nigerian sense especially when you consider the budget put towards advertising. But I think its genius because that one event at nHub made me a believer and anyone else fortunate enough to meet the team in person will feel the same I am sure. They are going to be in BlueHub in Kano and CoLab in Kaduna on Saturday 8^th July at 10am and 4pm respectively. Make it a date. Or follow their journey on social media.