IJEOMA NNAMDI Piracy Has Disrupted Publishing in Nigeria

Women ENTERPRENEURS

Ijeoma Esther Nnamdi is a multiple award-winning CEO of Mummy and I Media, publishers of Africa’s leading health/motherhood magazine, Mummy & I magazine, which features A- List personalities, celebrities and result-oriented women entrepreneurs. Mummy & I magazine showcases the uniqueness, strength and multifacetedness of Nigerian women in contemporary society. Essentially, it celebrates the contributions and impact of these great Nigerian women in the country and the Diaspora. In this Interview with Oyinlola Sale, Nnamdi speaks on her publishing business, the magazine and the impact it has made in the lives of women

Tell us about your journey into creating Mummy and I Magazine?

Mummy and I magazine is a genuine, informative and educating publication geared towards ensuring women arm their arsenal of weaponry in preparation for the journey of motherhood. There is a type of close affinity, which no other person, but a mother can share with her children. However, from time to time, we are saddened by the news of women whose lives were taken in the process of giving birth to another life.

This leaves a heavy burden of questions in my heart. My undying quest for answers to these questions formed my unceasingly intense drive and motivation to embark on this journey of entrepreneurship (running this media publication). The first question I had to ask myself is, “Why do so many women still die in pregnancy or childbirth?

World Health Organisation clearly announced, “Maternal mortality is unacceptably high.” About 830 women die from pregnancy- or childbirth related complications around the world every day. Almost all of these deaths occurred in low-resource settings, and most could have been prevented if these women were exposed to the right information. A lot of women die as a result of complexities and complications during and following pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these complications develop during pregnancy and most are preventable or treatable.

Another great concern that ignited my unquenchable passion for Mummy & I magazine is one of the biggest challenges facing African women which is patriarchy. This is glaring in the realm of politics. Irrespective of a woman’s experience, education or special abilities, the patriarchal nature of the African society fosters the perception that women are less competent than men. What patriarchy has done is convince people that a strong and intelligent woman represents a problem; a total disruption to the social order rather than an integral part of it.

Other challenges include the potent combination of racism, sexism, and economic inequality—which affects women on the domestic and global front. The role of women as caregivers is underrated and mostly, underestimated. Women need to be encouraged and ultimately empowered. So, Mummy & I Magazine is not just a magazine, but a Solution. A health and lifestyle magazine armed to the teeth, not just to help mothers appreciate their biological experience but as a matter of necessity, help them remain conscious of their prenatal and postnatal health and that of their baby.

The “Mummy” is the woman. The ‘I’ is everything that surrounds and affects her existence; her children, husband, the entire family, environment, career, her struggle for balance and everything that directly or indirectly affect her. We recognise these exceptional women who chose joy over pain, victory over defeat and share their trend of successes to inspire other women.

What has changed in publishing since you started this business?

The publishing industry has been greatly influenced by the developments in the entertainment and information industry, respectively. Also, undisputable economic reasons is not entirely left out of the equation as their collaborative effort has caused a drastic shift from printed to digital copies. Some years ago, to publish something meant to print under the covering of a publishing company, however, with the possibilities offered by the internet and the mobile ecosystem, anyone can self-publish basically everything, on a variety of mediums. Presently, we have a lot of self-publishers, eBooks and audio books.

As a U.S trained and certified relationship/marriage master coach, how do you use your magazine to empower women?

As a U.S certified relationship/marriage master coach, I’ve counselled over 6,000 women through my various media platforms both online and offline. Mummy & I magazine have impacted over 50,000 women from 14 different countries through our free digital copies and other programmes held and sponsored by the organisation to transform, inspire, and ignite entrepreneurship spirit in women especially Mothers, also, helping mothers understand their unique roles in the home and how to use ‘Intentional Parenting Strategies’ to raise wholesome children who turn out to be wholesome adults. In 2018, Mummy and I magazine partnered GMYT Fashion Academy, one of the best fashion academies in Lagos to host Mentorship Impact Summit at Lekki Phase 1, Lagos – where we taught women how to make the right investment choices as entrepreneurs. In addition, Mummy and I magazine runs a Women Community ‘LADIES LET’S TALK INT’L’ (a platform for counseling, empowering and close mentoring with over 4,000 women as members), we run programmes on the monthly to educate and empower our members. We’ve hosted the Special Adviser to the Governor of Abia State on teenage matters, the Ambassador of United Nations and many other reputable women.

What are some of the important details to pay attention to, in other to excel in this business?

It is necessary for magazine publishers to have a full grasp of the industry and understand what it takes to stand strong and ward off the pressure of competition. There are many magazines out there ranging from national, monthly down to less-known yearly publications; successfully running a magazine means you must know your target demographic and being ready to tackle the ebbs and flows of the publishing industry.

Publishers should ensure they have a niche in mind; target a particular group with a specific purpose. Of course, you need to understand who you are serving. Also, develop your contents according to a specific idea; make sure you understand your magazine’s purpose and who your readers are.

I love being innovative and original. So, I’ll advise anyone to make sure not to copy other similar magazines. Find a new, fresh angle that you can offer your subscribers. When you notice certain magazines doing a certain thing, find a way to offer something entirely different. You could write and present content in a new way, or approach your topic from a different angle.

Employ the skills and services of well-educated and passionate writers, editors and advertising executives. Allow the vision or mission of your magazine to absorb into their marrows as this will help them work effortlessly to promote the magazine as best as possible.

As a woman with so many responsibilities, how do you start your day?

I start my day by waking as early as 4.am in the morning to think and plan. It’s a sort of mental preparation for me, then I proceed to pray with my family and then, carry-on with my retinue of activities slated for that day.

How did you manage to finance this business in its early days?

I already had the capital which I used to kick-start the business. It is duly registered with Corporate Affairs Commission. Also, we won the admiration of many companies who advised with us because of the exceptional value we offer.

What were some of your biggest fears, when you started this business?

I didn’t have any fear because I know my team is offering value. When you offer value, there’s absolutely nothing to worry about because with time, you’ll get to the climax. I was also open-minded to know that times and seasons changes the way of doing business and I had to be flexible, more innovative and creative to meet up with the changes that would spring forth as time progresses.

What are some of the challenges you face when running this business?

The major challenge is monetisation. The cost of publishing a quality magazine like ours is quite expensive and the company needs to recover every penny spent. Many people don’t understand what it takes to run a monthly publication and that’s the biggest challenge, but we worked with reputable brands who understands our value and paid for our services. Quality work understands no sentiment.

Now, what makes Mummy and I magazine to stand out in the midst of the crowd?

Our brand name is unarguably outstanding. Everyone that has come across the name wants to identify with us. Almost all the women we’ve featured always ask us how we got our brand name ‘Mummy and I’. Also, our content is exceptional and specific, which is one of the things thousands of our readers love about us.

Mummy & I magazine is committed to showcasing the uniqueness, strength and multifacetedness of what it truly means to be a Nigerian woman in our contemporary society because Nigerian women, especially mothers all over the globe – in politics, business, social enterprise, public policy, the corporate space, the creative sector are present and redefining what leadership, doggedness, determination and excellence mean.

With over 50,000 online readers from 14 countries of the world, Mummy & I magazine celebrates and recognizes the contributions as well as the impact of these great Nigerian women in Nigeria and the Diaspora.

In addition, the quality of Mummy & I magazine is sheer luxury which makes our print expensive but our online copy is totally free because it’s our own way to ensure every woman benefits from the content.

Tell us about a highly difficult period where you probably thought of giving up and how you overcame it?

Just like every other growing businesses, there must be challenges. You can’t escape them. I believe in the vision and mission of this business so, irrespective of the challenges my business have been through, giving up has never been an option. I believe tough time fades with time when you’re determined in your pursuit. I see tough times as an opportunity to provide a legacy beyond imagination. I always look forward to them because what I conquered becomes my success story.

What are the major challenges facing book publishing in Nigeria?

Book publishing in Nigeria is facing some challenges, one of which is piracy. There are many pirates, who disrupt the art of publishing, reduce both the profit realised by the author and that realised by the publisher. Many pirates thrive in the country using different methods and techniques. The activities of pirates have disrupted publishing of educational books and this has discouraged a lot of Nigerian authors from publishing more educational books for various institutions across the country. Others include poor power supply, reviving the paper mills, high tariffs on printing consumables among others.

What is your growth projection for this business in the next five years?

There’s so much to do with the brand “Mummy & I.” The possibilities are inexhaustible and we look forward to building more subsidiaries that would meet the needs of women and extend to the entire family in the nearest future. It can even be less than five years.