Youths’ Digest… A new voice for young Nigerians

Gidado Yushau Shuaib is a final year Mass Communication student of Baze Univeristy, Abuja after he transferred from Bayero University Kano due to incessant strike by lecturers and workers. The son of the communications and PR expert, Mallam Abdulhamid Yushau Shuaib, Gidado attended Stella Maries Nursery and Primary School and also Command Secondary School Abuja where he obtained his junior secondary education after which he proceeded to Alhaji Akilu Comprehensive Islamic Secondary School, Madobi Kano and finally obtained his WAEC and JAMB Results while at Nigeria Ghana International College, Abuja. In this online chat, Gidado, as the new publisher in town, spoke on the latest addition to the newsstand and the mission of the specialized magazine. Excerpts

Youths’ Digest as a specialised magazine, what led to its conceptualisation? Is there any vacuum being filled as it appears the youth market is saturated publication-wise?

Looking at the Nigerian media, most publications are more on politics, economy, sports among others without significant attentions paid to youths or issues affecting them. The Youths’ Digest is a magazine geared toward entertaining, educating and informing the youths on various issues of interest that are of paramount importance to them and their wellbeing. It will also serve as a platform for contributing to debates on topical issues and the Voice for the youths. We welcome contributions, in the form of articles, news and entertainment from our readers. Our doors are also open for feedback and constructive criticism.

Youth market is large, wide and profitable, what are the specific targets of Youths’ Digest? What is in it for the youths?

Yes. The youth market is broad. Like I said most media focus on other aspects of issues of interest to the youths like sports and entertaining. The magazine will capture those interests and other important issues that could be useful to their day-to-day activities and future aspirations. It is therefore our desire to provide the target readers with regular updates on campus life, youth development, entertainment, entrepreneurship, and rich articles on the economy and politics from our team of contributors who are also youths.

With its maiden edition already on the newsstand, how do you feel seeing your dream becoming a reality?

It will interest you to note that in the maiden edition, we provide interesting and exciting features which include: Who Is the Youth; Five Outstanding Young Entrepreneurs; 10 Attributes of a Great Person; Think You Are Ready for Marriage? 8 Tips to Passing Examinations and Cottage Industry as Recipe for Youth Empowerment among others features. We receive tremendous response from the readers which are quite encouraging. Though we realise that the purchasing power of buying print edition can be discouraging to the average youths, we nevertheless ensure that all the contents in the print edition and follow-ups are also available online and free to the web visitors.
What is the frequency of release: bi-monthly? Monthly or periodically?
For the online edition, we provide regular updates almost on daily basis, especially news bits, how-to-do-tips, job vacancies, campus gist, features among others. The updates are indeed regular while for now the print edition will remain quarterly but with in-depth reports and analyses. We are therefore publish on both platforms – offline and online.

How rough or smooth is the path to get the concept going?

To be sincere with you it is not that easy. I think one of my major advantage is the supports I receive from my parents and media practitioners, especially where I had my internship, Daily Trust newspaper and Premium Times. Their editors, correspondents and reporters have been of immense supports to my aspiration. In the area of patronage, I must appreciate the encouragement from Chinedu Moghalu of NEXIM and Abu Jimoh of Youths Against Disaster Initiative. In fact, their supports made the print edition possible.

What are the marketing strategies?

We try as much as possible to reach out to the youths in their various platforms, especially on Social Media, Campuses and event-arena. We appreciate the fact that print media are now becoming exclusive because of challenges of distribution and advancement in information technology. Part of our strategies is to reach out to relevant institutions that have youths as their major stakeholders for patronage through supplements, adverts and discount for the distributions. We will surely ensure that the online edition is up-to-date and vibrant. With the popularity of Information Technology, we will remain active through our social media platforms i.e. www.YouthsDigest.com, www.Facebook.com/YouthsDigest and www.Twitter.com/YouthsDigest among others.
As a young publisher and Mass Communication undergraduate, what is your take on the media coverage (election campaign aspect) of the just concluded General Elections? What are the abnormalities noticed and how do you think they can be corrected in future elections?

The media coverage of last elections can be seen as fair not necessarily positive or negative. Because of the hate campaigns and unofficial release of results as well as effective use of all forms of media in advocacies and other worthwhile campaigns. As regards the abnormalies one can observe the use of thugs, under-age, money politics and violent campaigns among others. I believe to address these, in future campaigns should be issue-based while political parties should educate their followers on their manifestoes. The electoral umpires should ensure it monitors electoral compliance to guard against money-politics and thuggery. Security agencies and media practitioners should also be non-partisan and professionals in their statutory duties.