WhatsApp came up with one very critical innovation – the WhatsApp group
The WhatsApp group pulls together groupings of minds to basically share knowledge, network and entertain themselves and also for the dissemination of information
I belong to about 35 of such groups, and this really enriches me as I am part of growing conversations, I learn, contribute, network and most importantly, sell
Let me say at this juncture that 70% of my total revenues come from these WhatsApp groups via the networks and circles they open me up to
The very brilliant ones are a huge pull of resources, a vast tavern of information and an intricate web of opportunities
The best ones have a strict admin who monitors goings on, ensures strict compliance, pulls in new members and guides the vision of the group
This bond ensures cohesion, robust and respectable engagement, all leading to pleasant engagement
However, challenges lurk around that could slowly kill the WhatsApp group
One of which is bullying, the other spamming and yet again, a weak supervisory structure
These three, especially bullying, lead to apathy
Apathy in this case is when members see all the madness going on and decide to no longer engage for fear of being disrespected and bullied
This immediately kills engagement, and the group gradually turns into a virtual notice board where the only activity you see is people posting notices of events, etc
The Duke Summit was a WhatsApp group that I had set up to discuss politics, economy and leadership in a respectable manner
At its peak, we had our maximum of 250 members and were contemplating opening a second one
Judges, Ministers, Governors, top CEOs, and top Media people exchanged ideas with ‘commoners’ in the most respectable manner, and everyone was richer for it
Gradually, especially during the last elections, debates started getting heated and toxic, and the elder statesmen gradually started going silent
Bullying, abuse, and foul language became the order of the day, especially with the ethnic tone of that election
It got to a point where a former and well-respected Bank MD who had played a critical role in the government felt sufficiently concerned to call me privately to have a word
Subsequently, he grew silent and became much more active on his Bank Alumni group than on the Dukes Summit
Why wouldn’t he, a 70-year-old, who had reached the peak of his career when some of these people were not born would be happy to be asked to ‘shut up’ cos he was in a group with a 30-year-old who was still hawking his CV when he was being hosted to a sumptuous retirement party
Thankfully, this noisy minority took themselves out and went to form their own group, and sanity is gradually coming back to the group
Another thing that kills a WhatsApp group is a weak admin
An admin who first doesn’t understand the issues and then adds favouritism, taking sides, and plain incompetence is just poison
I am a member of a WhatsApp group where I have been abused to no end, and the admin just keeps silent
When I fight back in defence, he either remains silent or jumps in – Edgar, mind your language
Fucker was tone deaf when I was called a slave and a con man, but suddenly finds his voice when I retaliate and call the vagabond a bastard
Today, his group is recording a 90% apathy rate, the highest I have seen.
Even the Duke Summit at its lowest didn’t record that level
This is especially sad cos the real owner, a well-respected former Commissioner, is not on the admin, as in trying to build a structure, handed it over to weaklings to manage
Now the legends in the group are silent, leaving only me and a few others to turn the place into a virtual billboard
The best WhatsApp groups I belong to and highly recommend for their discipline are Seun Olekutuyis Naija, Afolabi Andu’s EG, The BGL alumni, the Rooftop GYM and of course, the Duke’s summit
The Rooftop Gym pulls in oil executives, top-flight businessmen, policy makers and normal people brought together by a common interest in body fitness
In my years there, I’ve never witnessed an altercation, as engagements are delivered in well-respected tones, all interspersed with pictures of hefty men with big bulging biceps
The Chairman, an Oil industry top executive, is well respected, and he speaks very sparingly, allowing the group to breathe
Afolabi’s EG is another. He holds a tight leash on the group as discipline is high and u even have to pay an annual registration fee, which entitles you to some sterling benefits.
At a particular time, daily, he shuts down the group for only Admins to post, and everyone respects all the rules, and he suffers no fools
This makes his WhatsApp group a rich one and one from which you gain tremendous benefits
Today, WhatsApp app group, is a veritable resource, and if you own or belong to any, pls do everything within your power to keep it engaging where members’ dignity and freedoms are well respected.
Thanks
Come and beat me
Duke of Shomolu
Last modified: July 20, 2026
