US multinational company, Facebook has announced the launch of its Marketplace initiative in Nigeria.

In a statement on Wednesday, the social media giants said the platform is a convenient destination where people can discover, buy and sell items from others in their local communities.

It added that the development makes Nigeria the latest African country where the initiative would be launched, having earlier introduced it in South Africa, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Adaora Ikenze, the company’s head of public policy for anglophone West Africa, said the initiative would help promote commerce in Nigeria at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has affected people and their businesses.

“The launch of Marketplace in Nigeria further highlights our ongoing efforts in helping to boost buying and selling in Nigeria and connecting communities,” Ikenze said.

“This comes at a crucial time as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact people and businesses, and with many people buying and selling on Facebook, this will provide people with a convenient destination where they can discover new products, shop for things they want or find buyers for the things they are ready to part with.”

Speaking on how the initiative works, the company said when a seller lists an item on Marketplace, they create a public listing that can be seen by anyone on Facebook.

This, it explained, includes people on Marketplace, News Feed, Facebook search, Facebook Groups or search engines.

It added that sellers can simply take a photo of an item, enter a product name, description and price, confirm their location, select a category, and post.

You can visit here to get more tips on how you can buy and sell responsibly on Facebook Marketplace.