Dear weekender readers,
A year ago, in June 2020, the idea of a digital Saturday paper was conceived when we realized that our audience didn’t have anything to read on Saturdays. If you are familiar with BusinessDay, you will know that before August 1st of 2020 we had our Monday to Friday daily as well as our BD Sunday on weekends. The Saturday content gap allowed us to draw on a blank canvas and come up with something that we hoped would provide value for our audience. After many consultations, we came up with the concept of the BusinessDay weekender, a digital publication that would focus on business, lifestyle, and living showcasing Africa’s brightest millennial entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, corporates, and creatives. On August 1st, 2020 we launched our first edition and this week, we are very proud to celebrate our first anniversary. For me as editor, it’s been a very interesting and humbling ride filled with many learning opportunities.
I am humbled that my appointment as the editor has inspired many young women in our newsroom to work hard towards achieving their dreams. The stats of women editors in West Africa demonstrates a big gap as the majority of top editors are men and we encourage publishers around the continent and the globe to follow in the footsteps of our publisher Frank Aigbogun who has two female editors out of four, for a more enriching, inclusive, balanced voice and approach on issues.
When the Weekender was born, the world was in the midst of an unprecedent (first wave) pandemic with lockdowns and curfews.
Read also: Africa needs diaspora connectivity to drive digital transformation Hughes
For our first anniversary, this week, the world is still battling a third or sometimes fourth wave with cases rising rapidly due to the more aggressive COVID Delta variant.
After many adjustments to our working conditions, I have learned that to continue to strive in a changing world, I needed to be flexible, wear many hats with discipline, rigor and consistency to deliver The Weekender every Saturday!
There’s nothing that pushes me more to get into a routine and stay disciplined than having to deliver a national newspaper every Saturday. There are definitely days where setbacks made me feel overwhelmed but the drive and responsibility that comes with such a role make me sacrifice and persevere for the greater good to achieve the expected results through delegation and consultation, even if it means quite a few sleepless nights.
The Weekender will push forward and continue to give a voice to passionate storytellers who want to reveal their truths or share their knowledge. Shared stories have the power to change the world, they say. The Weekender has inspired hundreds of millennials to share their stories and we look forward to sharing many more stories in the future. From pieces on business, weekly news and sports roundups, to uncovering Nigerian history with pieces such as ‘who invented the Chapman?’ to discussing the #endsars movement and social justice, gender equality, education, crimes against women, to recipes, entertainment, restaurant reviews, music, poetry, art, wealth creation and investment tips, emotional intelligence, mental health, and more.
As usual, we have many inspiring articles for you this week and before you flip the pages of this anniversary edition, allow me to use this opportunity to commend our columnists and the entire team at BusisnessDay without whom there would be no celebration today. Every day they make a commitment to serve selflessly to help achieve numerous milestones. Thank you! We appreciate all you do! I also send thanks and warm thoughts to our readers, critics, and supporters for their unfailing and caring support during challenging times. Stay safe!
Till next weekend!
Enjoy this anniversary edition!
