The EjT App Story

Conscious of the impact of social media in contemporary times EjT decided not to be left behind, not again. Hence we went ahead and developed a social media portal in the EjT website in order to enhance community interaction among EjT members.

Interestingly some members engaged, giving the initial impression that this may have been something they were longing for. However, engagements on the EjT Social Media portal steadily dwindled and I was wondering why.

While there may be several reasons for this, one complaint stood out. In June 2023, one of the user, Ms. Abigail Efonghe-Obasi, stated her frustration in logging on the site and indeed the social media portal. She specifically asked if an EjT App could be deployed to make logging on experience more interesting and less cumbersome.

At the time, Ms. Abigail Efonghe-Obasi was made a promise that the complaint would be dealt with in the near future. Given limited resources, the promise could not be actualized in a timely manner.

Although it is stated that limited resources delayed the deployment of an EjT App, it was just one aspect of the encumbrances. Part of the hesitation to pursue EjT App development at the time was the fact the EjT website architecture was still evolving. There was also acute lack of content which is still an existential challenge. In any case, reasonable progress was made with the website architecture and content development to the extent that the development of EjT App was considered appropriate.

EjT App on Google Play StoreEjT firmly believes that part of the reasons Ejagham heritage lost its lustre is because as the developmental influences of the 21^st century i.e. modernisation, urbanisation, technology etc. spread on the one hand, the old-fashioned manifestations of our heritage diminished on the other hand. Meantime, alternative means of delivering and providing easy, reliable and direct access to and experience of our traditional practices and cultural expressions was not readily available. The net effect of this situation is a perfect recipe for extinction of some of our traditional practices and cultural expressions. EjT App will ease this challenge.

Consistent with our Triple-D strategy, and in response to a specific request by Ms. Abigail Efonghe-Obasi, EjT moved to develop a Mobile App for Ejagham Tradition. The project commenced on the 15th of April 2024 and on the day of our Lord 27^th of November 2024 the Ejagham heritage App (the EjT App) featured in the Google Play Store. This is what is means to be Ejagham, Proudly Ejagham.

This milestone was not a walk in the park. Amongst other activities, a test team mostly drawn from EjT members who volunteered and a few friends of Ejagham was put together. The team continuously and patiently engaged the App for two weeks that felt like eternity. It is import to note that this phase of the App development was a make or break phase. The team scaled all the huddles and passed the test in a timely manner.

As shown below, the volunteer testers were spread across Nigeria, Cameroon, Spain, and the USA.

For Google Play Store to publish an App, the App must meet a series of criteria but one in particular is worth mentioning to drive home the importance of this milestone. The one criterion from the Google Play Store team states;

“We’d like to know more about your apps and the value they’ll bring to your users”.

In other words, if the proposed app does not add value to humanity of if one already exists, it does not get published. This is an affirmation that what EjT as an organisation is doing and in particular the EjT App, adds value to humanity and none like it exists. Below is part of the response that convinced the Google App team.

“The Ejagham Heritage App is a unique digital platform dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of the Ejagham people of Cross River State in Nigeria, Eyumojock Sub-division in South West Cameroon and beyond. This app serves as a living archive and interactive space for the Ejagham community and cultural enthusiasts worldwide.”

Hopefully, the EjT Mobile App will provide easy access to EjT website, extend EjT’s digital presence, enhance user engagement with EjT website and ease the type of frustration Ms. Abigail experienced. As you know, EjT website is a platform dedicated to showcasing Ejagham traditional practices and cultural expressions to our members and global audience. Do the minimum, download the EjT App on your device and experience Ejagham. Exercise your membership responsibility by helping disseminate Ejagham traditional practices and cultural expressions by sharing the EjT App with Ejagham sons and daughters, friends of Ejagham and heritage enthusiast in your network.

We use this opportunity to reiterate that it is ok to have a good house (EjT Website) but it is the content of the house determines if the house become a worthy home. Help provide Ejagham heritage contents so that we can, together, turn this house a worthy home.

Many thanks to all those who contributed in one form or another to the successful delivery of the EjT App. Ekup na nkad.