₦airaland Forum

bigKlaus:
So how does this benefits those that are claiming the states

Claiming a state on 9jaStates benefits a business or startup in three main ways:

- Interactive Visibility: Your brand is pinned directly to a digital map of Nigeria, making it stand out far more than a boring text directory.

- Direct Traffic: Clicking your state opens a card that links directly to your website or social media, driving new visitors to your business.

- Viral Hype: The platform is gamified. Because others can outbid you for territories, it creates "map wars" on social media that bring massive extra eyes and attention to the brands participating.

Week Stats & Spotlight on 12 Businesses Holding Territory 🇳🇬

Hello Nairalanders,

Exactly 7 days ago, my co-developer and I launched 9jaStates (9jastates.lol). It’s an interactive, regional map platform where African builders, tech founders, and businesses can claim state territories in Nigeria starting at ₦100 to gain exposure and backlinks for their projects.

We just hit our 1-week mark, so here is a transparent breakdown of the platform numbers, followed by a list of every product, founder, and business currently on the map!


📊 Platform Stats (1 Week In)

- States Claimed: 17 out of 37 states

- Unique Builders & Brands: 12

- Total Claims Made: 18

- Territory Takeovers: 1 (Sokoto State outbid & taken over)

- Highest Valuation: ₦200 (Sokoto State)

- Total Volume Spent: ₦1,900

- Total Site Visits: 417


🇳🇬 Current Territory Holders Spotlight

Here are the 12 brands and builders currently occupying space on the board:

1. Candulux

- Territories: Delta & Sokoto

- Valuation: ₦200 (Sokoto)

- Description: Automated technical analysis tool that scans crypto chart patterns, support, and resistance zones.

- Website: candulux.onrender.com

2. Joshua Eze

- Territory: Enugu State

- Description: Tech founder sharing insights, software development progress, and community-building projects.

- Handle: @Mrjoshuaeze on X

3. Profyl

- Territory: Ogun State

- Description: Digital identity platform for professionals and creators to showcase their portfolio, work history, and direct contact details.

- Website: getprofyl.cv

4. One Million Squares

- Territories: Niger, Bauchi & Plateau

- Description: An experimental grid project selling 1,000,000 digital squares for ₦100 each.

- Website: onemillionsquares.com

5. IrisCode

- Territory: Rivers State

- Description: Tech agency and development studio building custom web platforms and software tools.

- Website: iriscode.co

6. PafCore

- Territories: Oyo, Kwara & Ondo

- Description: Web services platform providing utility solutions and digital services across Nigeria.

- Website: pafcore.site

7. Cad

- Territory: Osun State

- Description: Tech experiment and early-stage startup project featured on the regional map.

- Website: vit.co

8. TopUpSwift

- Territory: Lagos

- History: Previously held Sokoto State before being outbid by Candulux.

- Description: Virtual top-up service for fast airtime, internet data, and utility bill payments.

- Website: topupswift.pxxl.click

9. Kezio

- Territory: Taraba State

- Description: A central collection of free everyday web utilities and Telegram bots, including an ATS CV Builder, Video Downloader, AI Humanizer, and QR Code Generator.

- Website: kezio.netlify.app

10. 9jaStates Developers (Karo Junior & Ezekiel Reuben)

- We also claimed some territories such as Kaduna, Borno & Zamfara

- We built the 9jaStates platform as a fun, competitive regional leaderboard for African indie builders.

- Website: 9jastates.lol


20 states are still completely unclaimed—including Abuja, Kano, Anambra, and Akwa Ibom.

You can grab an empty state for ₦100 or attempt to outbid someone on an occupied state to take over their territory.

Check out the attached map screenshot below!

What state are you claiming for your product?

Website: https://9jastates.lol

One thing I've been learning as a developer is that sometimes having more services doesn't actually make you more attractive to clients.

It can do the opposite.

For a while, my website listed several different things I could do — web development, mobile apps, graphic design, social media services and other stuff.

Technically, I could do some of those things.

But when someone visits your website and sees a long list of unrelated services, it becomes harder for them to understand what you actually specialize in.

So when I recently rebuilt my personal website, I decided to simplify things.

Instead of trying to look like I can do everything, I focused on the type of work I actually want to be known for.

1. Website Development

This is for businesses, individuals and organizations that need a proper website.

Not just something that looks good, but a website that is:
- responsive
- fast
- easy to use
- search-engine friendly
- structured around the actual goals of the business

For example, a business might need a company website, landing page, service website or personal brand website.

2. Web App Development

This is where things become more custom.

A web app isn't just a website with some animations.

It could be a SaaS product, dashboard, platform, booking system, internal business tool, marketplace or some other application that needs users, data and actual functionality behind the interface.

A lot of the projects I've built over the years fall into this category.

3. Telegram Bot Development

This is another area I've been working with more recently.

Telegram bots can be useful for much more than sending random messages.

They can handle things like:
- automated notifications
- customer interactions
- utility tools
- community management
- payment-related workflows
- data collection
- business automation

For some businesses, a bot can actually be a much simpler solution than building a full application.

Why I removed some other services

I also removed services that I don't want to make a major part of my business anymore.

That doesn't necessarily mean I can never do them.

It just means I don't want my website trying to communicate that I'm available for everything.

There's a difference between:

"I can do this."

and

"This is the type of work I want clients to hire me for."

I think the second one is much more important.

What I'm focusing on now

So for now, the main services I want my name associated with are:

Website Development.
Web App Development.
Telegram Bot Development.

I'm still interested in building products and experimenting with other technologies, but I want my client-facing work to be much more focused.

I think this is something a lot of freelancers and developers overlook.

You don't necessarily need 15 services on your website.

Sometimes you just need to make it obvious:

What do you build, who do you build it for, and why should someone hire you?

That's the direction I'm taking with my own website.

What do you think?

For developers and freelancers here, do you think it's better to specialize around a few services, or list everything you can do?

— Karo Junior

One thing I've learned from trying to get clients as a developer is that doing more outreach doesn't automatically mean getting more clients.

When you're struggling to get work, the obvious reaction is usually:
"I just need to send more messages."

So you send 20 messages.

Then 50.

Then 100.

And when most of them get ignored, you think:
"Maybe I need to send even more."

I don't think that's always the answer.

I used to think outreach was a numbers game

There's some truth to the idea that more attempts give you more opportunities.

But there's a difference between more outreach and better outreach.

If you're sending the same generic message to 100 businesses, increasing that to 500 doesn't necessarily solve the underlying problem.

You might just be sending 500 bad messages instead of 100.

And people can tell when a message was clearly copied and pasted.

The problem isn't always the number of people you're contacting

Sometimes the problem is the offer.

Sometimes you're contacting the wrong businesses.

Sometimes you're talking about yourself too much instead of the problem you can solve.

And sometimes there's simply no reason for the person to respond.

Imagine receiving a message saying:
"Hello sir, I'm a professional web developer. I build websites. Please let me know if you need my services."

Now compare that with someone pointing out an actual problem with your website and explaining what could be improved.

The second person has given you a reason to continue the conversation.

I think developers should spend more time researching before reaching out

Before contacting a business, you can spend a few minutes looking at:
- their current website
- their Google presence
- their social media
- how easy it is to contact them
- whether their website works properly on mobile
- whether their website actually explains what they offer
- whether there are obvious SEO or usability problems

You don't need to write a 2,000-word audit.

Sometimes one specific observation is enough.

The point is to show that you actually looked.

There's another problem: chasing everyone

Not every business needs what you're selling.

And that's okay.

If a business already has a good website, isn't looking for one, and doesn't have an obvious problem you can solve, there's probably no reason to spend ten messages trying to convince them.

Your time is better spent finding businesses where there's an actual fit.

Outreach is still important

I'm not saying outreach doesn't work.

It does.

Especially when you're starting out and don't already have a huge audience or a steady stream of referrals.

But I think the goal should eventually move from:
"How many people can I message today?"

to:
"How many relevant people can I have a genuinely useful conversation with?"

Those are two very different approaches.

One focuses on volume.

The other focuses on relevance.

And I'd rather send 20 messages to businesses I genuinely think I can help than send 200 messages just to hit a number.

I'm still figuring out what works best for me, but that's one thing I've learned from trying to get clients as a developer.

More outreach isn't always better outreach.

For the freelancers and business owners here:
What has worked better for you — sending lots of cold messages, or spending more time researching each potential client before contacting them?

— Karo Junior

I've noticed that a lot of businesses today basically exist on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook or TikTok.

And to be fair, it works.

You can get customers through social media without having a website.

So I'm not saying businesses should abandon social media.

What I am saying is that your social media account shouldn't be the only place your business exists online.

Social media gives you attention. A website gives you something you own.

Your Instagram account isn't really yours in the same way your website is.

The platform can change its algorithm.

Your reach can drop.

Your account can get restricted.

The platform can change its features or policies.

You don't control any of that.

A website is different.

You control the domain, the content, the branding and the experience your customers get when they visit.

That's a big deal for a business.

Your website can work while you're offline

Imagine someone discovers your business at 2am.

Instead of having to wait until you wake up and reply to their WhatsApp message, they can visit your website and find:
- what you do
- your services
- your prices or pricing information
- examples of your work
- testimonials
- your location
- how to contact or book you

The website can answer a lot of the basic questions automatically.

That means you're not repeatedly typing the same answers to different people every day.

There's also Google

This is probably one of the biggest reasons I think businesses underestimate websites.

Someone searching Google for:
"wedding photographer in Lagos"
or
"web developer in Nigeria"
or
"accounting services for small business"

isn't just casually scrolling.

They're actively looking for something.

A properly built and optimized website gives your business a chance to appear when people are already searching for what you offer.

That's very different from hoping someone sees your post while scrolling through Instagram.

It also affects trust

Let's be honest.

If you search for a company and find a professional website with clear information about the business, services, contact details and previous work, it can immediately make the business feel more legitimate.

Compare that with:

"DM us on Instagram for price."

Sometimes that's enough.

But sometimes a potential customer wants to research the business first.

A website gives them somewhere to do that.

But here's the important part

I'm not saying every business needs some massive website costing millions of naira.

That's another mistake.

A small business might only need a simple, fast website with:
- what the business does
- services
- location
- photos/work
- testimonials
- contact/WhatsApp button

That's enough to start.

The goal isn't to build something complicated.

The goal is to give the business a proper home on the internet.

I think the best setup is actually both

Use social media to get attention.

Use WhatsApp to communicate with customers.

Use your website to establish your business, provide information, build trust and capture people who are searching for you.

They aren't competitors.

They work together.

Social media brings people in.

Your website gives them somewhere to land.

And unlike a social media post that may disappear from people's feeds after a few days, your website can continue working for your business every day.

That's why I think having a website is no longer just something that makes a business "look professional."

It's a business asset.

For the business owners here:
If you currently run your business mainly through WhatsApp or social media, what's stopping you from having a website?

Is it the cost, maintenance, or simply not seeing the need?

— Karo Junior

The Time I Was Asked to Clone Wakanow — And What It Taught Me About Project Scope

When I was still relatively new to development, a potential client approached me with what sounded like a simple request.

He wanted me to build a full replica of Wakanow.

Same kind of features, same general structure, basically the whole thing.

At the time, I was still eager to get projects and I didn't fully understand how much was actually involved.

So I estimated the project and quoted ₦200,000.

He said it was too expensive and walked away.

At the time, I was disappointed.

Looking back now, I'm actually glad I didn't get that project.

What I didn't understand back then

When someone looks at a flight booking website, it can seem fairly straightforward.

You see:

- a search form
- flight results
- some pages
- payment
- a booking confirmation

So you might think:

"How hard can it really be?"

But there's a lot happening behind the interface.

A proper flight booking platform can involve things like:

- GDS/API integrations
- real-time flight availability
- pricing from different providers
- baggage and fare rules
- booking and ticket issuance
- payment processing
- handling cancellations and other booking changes

At that point, you're no longer talking about simply building a website.

You're building a fairly complex system that has to communicate with external services and handle real transactions.

The lesson I learned

That experience taught me something I wish I had understood earlier:

Don't price a project based only on how simple the interface looks.

The UI might be relatively straightforward while the backend requirements are extremely complicated.

I also learned that clients don't necessarily understand the technical complexity either — and that's not really their job.

It's the developer's job to ask the right questions, break down the requirements and understand what is actually being requested before giving a price.

Most importantly:

Don't be afraid to say no to a project that doesn't make sense.

Getting a client is good.

Getting a project that you completely underestimated is not.

That Wakanow project taught me that lesson pretty early in my career.

And honestly, it probably saved me from learning it the much harder way.

— Karo Junior

I Got Tired of Doing the Same Chart Analysis Tasks Manually

Earlier this year, I launched a project called Candulux.

It's a web tool I built for crypto and forex traders that automates some of the repetitive parts of technical chart analysis.

The idea actually came from my own experience.

I noticed that I was spending a lot of time doing the same things before I could even properly start analyzing a chart.

I'd have to:
- draw support and resistance zones
- identify trendlines
- look for chart patterns
- repeat the process across different coins

After doing this over and over again, I started thinking:

Why am I doing all of this manually if some of it can be automated?

So I decided to build it.

What Candulux does

Candulux automatically analyzes crypto and forex charts and looks for things such as:
- Support and resistance zones
- Trendlines
- Chart patterns

The idea isn't to tell traders when to buy or sell.

It's simply meant to reduce some of the repetitive work involved in preparing and analyzing charts.

One thing I cared about

I didn't want to build another trading interface with a screen full of indicators and buttons.

I wanted the experience to be relatively simple.

You select what you're interested in, analyze the chart and get the relevant information without having to fight the interface.

That sounds simple, but getting a tool like this to actually behave properly took quite a bit of work.

What building it taught me

Candulux pushed me into areas I hadn't worked with as deeply before.

I had to deal with things like:
- interactive chart visualization
- frontend interactions
- technical analysis logic
- performance
- structuring an actual web product rather than just a website

And probably the biggest lesson was this:

A good product doesn't necessarily need to solve a huge problem.

Sometimes it's enough to take something people repeatedly do and remove some of the unnecessary friction.

That's basically what I was trying to do with Candulux.

It's still a work in progress and there are things I want to improve, but taking it from an idea to an actual working web application has been one of the more interesting things I've built so far.

If you're interested in checking it out, it's called Candulux.

https://candulux.onrender.com

I'd also be interested in hearing from other developers:

Have you ever built a tool because you got tired of doing something manually?

— Karo Junior

i checked it out and noticed a bug that made it very easy for me to be logged in as admin

Businessgro:
Hello developers,

I have been working on a side project for some months called BusinessGRO OS. It's a simple web app with 16 vaults for wealth tracking.

Features:
- Net worth calculator, Crypto cold wallet (90% cold), Gold bar tracker, Real Estate, Art valuation
- Cashflow tracker (7 income streams), Burn rate, Yacht club cost
- Offshore BVI structure (0% tax), Family Trust, Tax Haven, Second Passport checklist, Legacy will

Stack: HTML/CSS/JS + Netlify + Monetag ads for free tier. Free users watch 7 ads to unlock 1 project. Premium is 4k forever.

Live link: https://businessgro.netlify.app

I am posting here because I need feedback from tech people, not promotion:

1. How is the UI? Is it too dark?
2. Is the ad unlock flow okay or annoying?
3. What vault would you add?
4. Any bug you noticed?

I am still improving it. Your feedback will help me a lot.

Thank you.

I've been building software for a few years now, and when I look back, it's interesting to see how different projects gradually shaped the way I build today.

Not every project was successful.

Some were experiments. Some were abandoned. Some were built when I barely knew what I was doing.

But almost every one taught me something.

Here are some of the projects that had the biggest impact on my journey.

1. Mortal Space Darkness

This was my first game project.

I built it during a 24-hour game jam while I was still learning 2D game development.

It was far from perfect, but it was one of the projects that made me realize that I actually enjoyed creating interactive things instead of just learning programming theoretically.

2. JAMB Genius

This was a study platform I built around JAMB preparation.

The idea was to provide students with syllabus-based quizzes and explanations.

This project changed how I thought about software because it wasn't just about building something technically interesting. There was an actual problem I was trying to solve for actual users.

3. Horror Ville

I also built an Android app around horror stories and scary content.

This pushed me to think more about how users actually experience an application — not just whether the features work.

Presentation, navigation and the overall experience matter.

4. Smart Baby Run

I got back into game development with Smart Baby Run, a mobile adventure game where players collect milk bottles while navigating obstacles.

This was one of those projects where I got to focus more on the creative side of development.

5. Flinqq

Flinqq was a completely different kind of experiment.

The idea was a simple video-calling platform where people could connect with someone without having to go through a complicated process.

Building it pushed me into technologies and problems that were different from the projects I had worked on before.

6. TopUpSwift

TopUpSwift was one of my bigger steps into building a real-world product.

It's a VTU platform for data purchases and bill payments in Nigeria.

Working on something involving payments taught me a lot about reliability, trust and the importance of making things work consistently.

7. Candulux

Candulux is probably one of the projects that pushed me furthest technically.

It's an automated chart analysis tool for crypto and forex traders that detects things like support and resistance zones, trendlines and chart patterns.

Building it pushed me deeper into frontend interaction, chart visualisation and product development.

What I learned from all of these

Looking back, I don't think any of these projects were wasted.

Even the ones that didn't become successful products taught me something.

One taught me game development.

Another taught me about user experience.

Another introduced me to real-time communication.

Another taught me about payments.

Another pushed me into more complex frontend systems.

That's probably one of the biggest things I've learned from building:

You don't always know what a project will teach you before you start it.

Sometimes you just have to build it.

I'm still experimenting, still learning and still building.

And I have a lot more ideas I want to try.

My portfolio and some of the projects I've built are linked in my signature.

— Karo Junior

Why Many Business Websites Don't Convert (And What Business Owners Can Do About It)

Having a website doesn't automatically mean you're going to get customers from it.

I've come across quite a number of business websites that look decent on the surface, but when you actually try to use them, you quickly understand why they probably aren't getting many enquiries or sales.

The problem isn't always the design.

Sometimes it's the way the website communicates, guides visitors and makes it easy for them to take action.

Here are some of the common problems I've noticed:

1. The homepage doesn't clearly explain the business

When someone lands on your website, they should quickly understand:

What does this business do?
Who is it for?
What exactly are they offering?
Why should I care?

I've seen websites where you have to scroll through half the homepage before you even understand what the company actually does.

That's a problem.

People aren't going to spend five minutes trying to figure out what your business is about.

Your main message should be obvious.

2. There is no clear next step

Another common problem is having a beautiful website but giving visitors no real reason to do anything.

A visitor should be able to easily find things like:

Get a quote
Book a service
Contact us
Make an enquiry
Buy now
Schedule a consultation

The specific action depends on the business.

The important thing is that the website shouldn't make the visitor think:

"Okay... so what am I supposed to do now?"

A good website guides people.

3. The mobile experience is poor

This one is especially important.

A lot of your potential customers are probably going to discover your business from their phones.

Yet some business websites still have:

tiny buttons
text that is difficult to read
broken layouts
menus that are frustrating to use
pages that take forever to load

It doesn't matter how good the desktop version looks if the person visiting from their phone has a terrible experience.

Your website needs to work properly on mobile.

4. The branding doesn't inspire confidence

People make judgments about businesses based on their online presence.

If your website looks completely different from your social media pages, your logo is used inconsistently, the colours don't match, and everything feels thrown together, it can reduce trust.

You don't need an expensive website to look professional.

You need consistency.

Your website, social media presence and other online touchpoints should feel like they belong to the same business.

The bigger lesson

A business website shouldn't just be an online brochure.

It should help the visitor understand the business, trust it and eventually take an action.

Good design is important, but clarity, usability and strategy are just as important.

If you're a business owner and your website gets visitors but very few enquiries, don't immediately assume you need a completely new design.

First ask:

Is the website actually making it easy for people to become customers?

I write more about web development, SEO and the things I learn from building websites and web projects on my blog:

https://karojunior.site

— Karo Junior

Hello Nairalanders,

Over time, I’ve been building small utility tools and Telegram bots to solve everyday digital tasks. Instead of leaving them scattered across different sites and platforms, I put them all together into one simple hub called Kezio (kezio.netlify.app).

Some of the tools available right now:
- CvDraft (Telegram Bot): Helps you build clean, ATS-friendly, Harvard-style CVs in minutes.
- Get Video Fast Bot (Telegram Bot): Downloads public short-form videos directly when you send a link.
- DeSlop (Telegram Bot): Humanizes AI-generated text and checks for AI-likeness using rule-based parsing.
- Quick BG Bot (Telegram Bot): Removes image backgrounds instantly when sent as a document.
- Web Utilities: Instant Password Generator, QR Code Generator, and daily motivation.

Everything is designed to be lightweight, easy to use, and direct. No registration headaches.

I’m actively building and adding new tools based on what people actually need. Check it out and let me know what other tools or bots you'd like to see added!

Website: https://kezio.netlify.app

Hello Nairalanders,

I saw the recent trend of interactive startup leaderboard/bidding sites blowing up globally and decided to build a localized version for Nigeria with my co-developer.

We named it 9jaStates (9jastates.lol).

How it works:
- Instead of a regular list, you get an interactive map of Nigeria.
- You can claim any state for your brand, business, startup, or personal handle starting at just ₦100.
- You add your logo/image, site link, and description.
- If someone else wants your state (e.g. Lagos or Abuja), they have to outbid you to take control of that territory.

Delta, Lagos, and a few others are already claimed.

I'd love for webmasters and builders here to test out the UI, payment flow, and state selection map.

What do you think about the execution? Suggestions and critique are welcome!

Website: 9jastates.lol