‘Publishing in Nigeria needs to be more vibrant and diversified’

THERE’S A BUSINESS SIDE TO LIFESTYLE AND THERE’S A LIFESTYLE TINT TO BUSINESS. THAT’S A MORE INTERESTING ANGLE IN MY PERSPECTIVE

Mariam Mohammed is the publisher of Maktoub Magazine, a lifestyle and business magazine based in Abuja. She is one busy lady who gets so immersed in and passionate with her work that you can hardly get hold of her until the project is a hundred per cent done. She has earned her stripes as one of Nigeria’s youngest and most dynamic publishers and public relations (PR) executives. She has interviewed many high profile personalities in Nigeria. She worked with some big public and private organisations.

This Kano-born tireless entrepreneur says vision is a continuous journey and there’s always a higher level to climb, no matter how high one gets.

Getting to interview this enigmatic lady was near impossible. So, when one of my bosses sent me her contact and for some other project, my inner person punched the air and shouted “Eureka”!

I started by asking Mariam about her publishing experience and what the newest advances in this digital media era meant for offline publishing.

You are one of the most easily recognisable female faces in the publishing industry. How would you describe your journey into publishing and had you any challenge?

It’s been an eventful journey, and like every pursuit of a great vision, it has had its ups and downs. I began Maktoub because I wanted to give people news and information on business and lifestyle from a fresher and more interesting perspective; not through the conventional humdrum style that was the norm.

It was essentially about finding a good balance between business and lifestyle, and if you like, between ‘serious’ and ‘casual’, because I believe there’s always an intersection. There’s a business side to lifestyle and there’s a lifestyle tint to business. That’s a more interesting angle in my perspective and that was the kind of change I thought was missing and wanted to bring into magazine publishing in Nigeria when I came on board. And that’s what I’m still doing.

But on another level, I also wanted to be able to change the conversation, particularly with regards to certain unhealthy stereotypes and misconceptions about the northern part of the country. The media back then, and to some extent even now; were mostly based in Lagos, and they largely focused on news and personalities in the southern part of the country. I felt the imbalance was so evident and affected perceptions about the average person from the North.

The media often set national discourse and play a big role in shaping people’s views and attitude. Daily Trust has been doing a wonderful job in changing that discourse, but I thought there was also need for a magazine to compliment such efforts at shedding more light on the beautiful place, great personalities, culture and voices from the North.

Would you say you have achieved your goal?

To an extent, yes, but like every purposeful goal, it’s a continuous process. So, there’s always a higher mission after the completion of a previous one; all ultimately geared towards the same goal at a broader level.

What’s your view about the industry?

I think we have a variety of magazines with little differences in their focus or styles. There’s need for more specialised magazines to give people options and make the industry more buoyant and productive. I expect to see magazines on technology, fashion, motoring, food, and on specific sports like golf, tennis; and not just on football.

There’s need to generally improve the quality of writing and style. The standards are good, but they can be improved.

There’s a view that the print media is less relevant today and would naturally phase out soon with the advancement in digital media technology. What’s your view on this?

I cannot deny the fact that unprecedented advancement in digital technology has significantly affected the media landscape. But to say it has rendered the print media outdated would be distorting the true picture. The largest and oldest print publications in the world like Forbes, Times, Vogue and Maktoub are still in the business and doing well. What I think is that every print publication should also have an active digital edition to compliment offline edition. That is, have a vibrant hard copy edition, as well as a digital edition.

FOR RELAXATION, I JUST TAKE A WALK HOME, LOUNGE ON MY COUCH AND WATCH CARTOONS: OH YES, I LOVE CARTOONS

From a business and branding perspective, it opens up more readership and advertising opportunities for the publication.

Tell us more about the project you recently launched called TMM which is currently being promoted with a hashtag.

TMM is a public service project which my team and I are currently working on which will be out in about a month. The hashtag was meant to create the needed buzz before its unveiling. But I’ll like to keep the details to my chest. So for the moment, I’ll just say stay tuned.

What do you do besides publishing?

I run a PR and management project outfit and I have my hands in real estate and interior décor too.

Tell us about your growing up, family and education.

Growing up was full of fun and wonderful with lasting memories. My dad is from Kano, but my mum is Yoruba from Abeokuta. Growing up with them was filled with love, emotion and care that you could say I was close to getting spoilt.

I was especially close to my maternal grandfather. He was for me the definition of everything good. He loved me so much and I loved him too, a lot; and I have to admit, for as long as he lived, he was my greatest weakness (laughs).

I studied Media and Communication Studies at Middlesex University. I also have qualifications in Social Media Strategy for Communication, Practical Event Management and Press Release Writing from the International School of Communication (ISOC), London, which is one of the foremost communication training institutions in the world. In addition, I have a Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) certification from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

How do you unwind?

My work and leisure routines are basically simple and organised. For relaxation, I just take a walk home, lounge on my sofa and watch cartoons: oh yes, I love cartoons. I also love to have a drink, read an interesting book or dance.

What’s your idea of a dream vacation?

An escape to an exotic island of crystal beaches with white sands and lots of water sports to enjoy. Of course, that should be complete with luxury hotels, bars and restaurants. When it comes to vacation, you can call me ‘enjoyment minister.’

How would you describe your style and what can you not do without on a special occasion and also on a casual outing?

I always love to keep it simple and elegant. My definition of style is ‘less is more.’ But that’s not to say heads would not turn when I step into the room or an occasion (smiles).

Who is your biggest inspiration and why?

I love a lot of great people that I draw inspiration from. I can’t name them all and I don’t consider it fair to mention only a few.

What’s the biggest life lesson you’ve learnt and are always willing to share with others?

If there’s one life lesson that’s so much imprinted on my heart and I’m always willing to share with anyone, it is to never stop appreciating and showing love to your special ones because you never know how long they’ll be around. Personally, the past 18 months have been very difficult as I’m struggling to learn to live without two people that were very dear to me: especially my grandfather whom I lost in February. I was completely broken, but you just have to learn to pick yourself and move on. It was like the hardest part of life.

What does the future hold for you? What would you say id your biggest yet-to-be-fulfilled dream?

No one knows the future; you can only work towards your dream and hope that with hard work and providence, everything else will fall into place. I like to see myself as a welfarist and one of my biggest dreams is to be able to build various magnificent old people’s home complete with all the facilities and personnel to make the residents have all the love and care they need. So, rather than sit idle all day and feeling abandoned by their grown up children who now have and are focused on their own kids, these senior citizens will have some healthy activities and feel alive and happy once again.

I know you recently undertook payment for a child that was suffering from hydrocephalus (brain fluid). What was your motivation?

I think it’s simply love for humanity. I always cherish an opportunity to save a life and make someone and their family smile again anytime I can. There’s a kind of joy I derive when I see people happy, and especially when I know I played a part in that happiness.