On Monday, we wrote about the instant messaging app, Howfar, which we couldn’t help noticing has quite a few Whatsapp-inspired aesthetic and functional leanings. We spoke with Chinedu Ike, the mastermind behind it and he gave rather interesting insights and grand plan for Howfar. One of our favourite quotes from that conversation is when he says “Nigerians say “how far?”, not “what’s up?”.
Indeed. Check out the full interview.
TC: Your marketing is very pretty, I have to say. But a Whatsapp for Nigerians is a hard sell. There is already Whatsapp for Nigerians, it’s called WhatApp! How will Howfar differentiate?
CI: Thanks for the compliments. Marketing is the most challenging phase in app development. Selling it to Nigerians is even more difficult, looking at the challenges of data usage and knowing that people only download when it’s trending. The Howfar team is out to utilize any medium that gets the app out there bearing in mind the high cost of promotion.
Nigerians have started appreciating and identifying with brands with local appeal. Howfar app identifies Nigerians anywhere and goes a long way to showcase that identity to the global community.
Every conversation starts with Howfar. Howfar is a common way of asking what’s up in Nigeria. Since Howfar app was developed with Nigerians in mind, there couldn’t have been a better name for it.
Howfar app is not Whatsapp but really interesting to be compared to one of the biggest app of our time. Yes, We share certain features in common especially the name origin and messaging capability but we offer more to Nigerians than texting for free. We allow you make new friends and stay in touch. Howfar app lets you share exciting as well as down moments with friends. The activities page is a stream of shared moments of friends and family.
Our broadcast feature based on geo-location puts small business owners as well as private individuals first. We let you tell the neighbours what you are selling, upcoming events or for those who don’t mind sharing what they have been up to with people nearby. A simple platform that helps promote businesses in the neighbourhood and create an identity for Nigerians is what Howfar is in a nutshell.
Howfar app helps users to start up new connections and above all stay in touch with existing ones. Every great friend today was once a total stranger yesterday. We don’t believe in sticking to a known circle after all there is always a new friendship out there waiting to be built.
How did How far come about in the first place?
I have always wanted to build something that Nigerians will love. I’m one person that believes that a lot is possible with Nigeria. This is a country of numbers. A country where survival is the only thing we know best. A country where opposite is the case and yet we still marching forward.
I always wanted a way Nigerians could connect and do greater things. A single platform for Nigerians anywhere in the world and the friends they make. Howfar app is actually about following dreams and hoping that someday, they come to pass.
I just wanted to contribute something to the Nigerian project. I was surrounded with creative minds that will shred any idea into pieces and if you are able to bring it back together then you are ready to face the world. Howfar pieces was able to come back together. The name search was the most difficult because I wanted a name that said it all.
Came up with several names that were dead on arrival until Howfar sprang up and everyone else thought it was a great name for the app.
Ebere Iweala who is still my best critic said it was a great idea that Nigerians will love it. Femi Olusile said it’s definitely going to be called Howfar and nothing else. Maryam Malipula listened to all my crazy ideas, whining and never stopped believing in me. Amarachi Eke-Okoro always said go for it. Jonas Obianjunwa said it was everything Nigeria wanted. Toni Adelanwa said the time was right and never stopped watching my back. My family; Jayboy, Chioma and Chigozie have been more than supportive. Chikezie Chukwuma said don’t give up on this one as you always gave up in the past. Beth always wondered why you want to build it for Nigerians. Sanctus Orgazi said boy go for it if you believe in it. TC Okpara believes it will get there.
Together we are bringing Howfar App to Nigerians.
Since release, what has the reception been like? How many downloads?
We released the Android version first as a test between family and friends but the downloads within 2 weeks of launch was very encouraging. Howfar witnessed about 12,000 downloads in the first month. Then the bugs and feedbacks came. Mainly, people were not receiving the verification pins mostly because of the network issues and a greater number of users entered their phone number wrongly. A lot other issues varied from phone devices.
We also noticed that speed was an issue, the app loaded for a long time and used up more bandwidth. This was really annoying to the users. I had to re-strategize on the best way to manage the damning feedbacks. Today, Howfar app is faster and uses less data, as we implemented some simple data saving techniques.
Apple rejected the app several times on the issue of privacy. This delayed the launch but helped improve the standards. As a result of the rejections, we have better user management and privacy controls, as well as spam controls to filter out unwanted users or posts. Currently, we have about 26,000 downloads from the android and IOS platforms and we have not actually started running full campaigns to promote the app.
So yes, the reception has been more than encouraging and very challenging for the Howfar team.
Is Howfar just for Nigerians?
Howfar is typically for Nigerians and the friends they make anywhere in the world. It’s a local brand with a global presence. Anyone can install and use, but it would be better appreciated by those who know the meaning of word to Nigerians.
The app is free. Forever? How will it monetise?
Howfar is free to download and free to use.
We don’t love adverts but we will find a way to make it appealing and less distractive. We will be launching Howfar Market for stickers, badges and a lot other cool stuff.
We want to encourage Nigerians to create things that other people will find as great value for money and hence pay for. There will be an open market for creators who have something to offer Nigerians and in turn will earn from the revenue generated from the sales.
Where are you based?
I’m in Lagos.
What activities are people using the app for the most? Messaging? Pictures? A first look suggests dating/hookups might be a popular use, much like Tinder, especially since it suggests people near you.
We can’t ascertain for sure as we have seen a significant increase in DB usage. I would say people are still playing around with sharing photos and messaging as well.
On the nearby feature, we only jumpstart new connections. Dating is only one of the so many possibilities of the nearby feature.
I saw on the Apple App Store another app you did, Naija1960. What was that about and how’d that go?
Naija1960 was one of the projects I abandoned when this whole idea came up. It’s a networking app for Nigerians but it never made the numbers.
Zooming out, what’s the grand masterplan for Howfar? And near term, what’s on the development roadmap?
Hopefully, God willing and Nigerians being patriotic enough to try the app we will be on most smartphones in Nigeria. Installing it and trying it will show you how much effort that has been put to make it a unique app.
We are currently in the first phase, which is having a stable app and platform to launch other products. We just released a near stable build for android last Feb 14 as a way of showing Nigerians that we love them and will go the extra mile to create a niche we can all call our own. The team is currently working on the Blackberry version of the app as most Nigerians own one. Windows is the next. This will in-turn increase the number of Howfar users making it possible for more users to have a need for Howfar.
In the second phase we just entered, we shall be launching great features that will totally distinguish us from the crowd. We are all excited and can’t wait to bring them alive. More details will be communicated on these new products when we are ready.
We will also be launching the Howfar wallet as well as the creative market.
This will see the use of Nigeria-made wallpapers, emoticons and stickers in our chat. In this phase, we will also be trying out our revenue model. Getting Howfar app on every smartphone in Nigeria would be the grand slam.
Our promise is to deliver high quality, user friendly and locally appealing products from the Howfar stables to fellow Nigerians. Above all, We hope that Howfar will become the platform for launching brands from anyone or partnership for the benefits of Nigerians.
Editor’s note: This interview was edited for precision.
