“Not Now”: Why I’m Choosing Power Literacy Over Platform Ownership -By Mal. Ibrahim M. Nura
Potiskum LGA Eyes@muhammadnuraibrahim848393
2 days ago
In a media era shaped by speed, visibility, and personal branding, delaying the launch of a self-owned platform can easily be mistaken for hesitation. Friends and colleagues within the journalism profession often urge me to establish my own new media outlet, convinced that my experience, reach, and creative capacity could quickly translate into influence, public education, entertainment, and stronger financial returns than my current political engagement allows. Their logic is compelling. Yet my answer remains firm and intentional: not now.
This decision is not rooted in uncertainty. It is strategic.
Rather than building a platform centered on my personal brand, I have chosen to invest in strengthening platforms that already serve the public interest. Across Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital media landscape, I have contributed to the growth of multiple outlets, supporting the production and dissemination of credible, balanced, and factual journalism across diverse regions. My focus has consistently been impact over imprint, substance over spotlight.
While many of my peers now occupy desks in major national and international newsrooms, I operate as a freelance journalist, supplying stories to both local and foreign media houses. This path has offered me financial sustainability, editorial independence, and the flexibility to navigate professional responsibilities beyond the newsroom.
Some colleagues I trained with at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development believe journalism should maintain a clear distance from politics. Their position is principled and widely respected. I acknowledge it—but I disagree.
For me, politics is not a contamination of journalism; it is a live laboratory. Proximity to power provides rare, practical insight into governance, leadership, decision-making, and statecraft—lessons that no classroom or newsroom alone can fully teach. From an early age, my ambition has been to understand leadership from within, to learn under the shadow of authority, and to deepen my political and leadership literacy before expanding into other frontiers.
Will I own a personal media platform someday? Possibly. But timing matters. For now, I am choosing depth over display, learning over loudness, and long-term relevance over quick visibility.
In a world that rewards immediacy, not now can be the most strategic answer of all.
Mal. Ibrahim M. Nura
Special Assistant on Information and Communication
Office of the Executive Chairman, Potiskum Local Government Area.
