Welcome to my blog the Sahel Post, this is the very first article that would enter my blog, so I thought it would be fitting to make a short introduction of myself and my plans for the blog going forward.
About Myself
My name is Etietop Akpabio. I am a Nigerian, originally from Akwa Ibom State, however I was born in Lagos. I, however, did not grow up in Nigeria. Due to my father’s work, my family ended up travelling and living in different African Countries. Given that I’ve spent the vast majority of my life in the Diaspora, despite being Nigerian, I often find it challenging to connect with that aspect of my identity.
Now, from around the 9th grade, I had taken quite an interest in journalism and the media industry. It started out with my interest in celebrity culture, I remember I used to delight in keeping up with all the latest news from Hollywood. Subsequently, I started to become more interested in politics. It was around the time that Donald Trump had run for president for the first time. Despite me not even being an American, seeing the drama that ensued during the Republican primaries and the battle between him and Hillary Clinton further piqued my interest in American politics, especially.
It was also during that time that I had become a member of my high school newspaper, I also became a volunteer radio host at a radio station nearby my school together with some of my classmates. These experiences further reinforced my interest in Journalism, so I made the decision that I would study Media Studies in University.
Thoughts on African Media
As I began to indulge more in my studies and consuming media content, I came to a certain realisation. The vast majority of content I ever watched was almost always centred around Western Countries. Their politics and their histories make up the vast majority of the content on the internet in general. Now that is the result of a few factors like, English being my first language and the dominance of American media.
Now, if consuming mainly American and Western Media is your only interest, then that may not be a problem. The issue that arises is when you begin to try to learn about anything else, really. I came to the realisation that I know far more about the current political dynamics of countries like the United States and the United Kingdom or even the European Union, than I did my own country or even of Namibia, the country where I was living.
So I made the attempt to shift my media consumption. I was going to make a concerted effort to consume more African media, specifically. Accordingly, I had come to the realisation of why I hadn’t been consuming mostly African media up until that point. In general, I found most times that much of the content centred around African politics, history, etc, to not be very engaging, at least in comparison to western media.
That is not to say that there is no good content, there is plenty of excellent content out there. In fact, when it comes to media centred around music and entertainment Africans are thriving, however I often found most media centred around politics and history to not be as ubiquitous or as easily digestible as western counterparts. For a political junkie, such as myself, that is not necessarily a problem in itself, however if the aim is to get more and more younger Africans more politically engaged I think that it is a major problem.
Why the Sahel Post?
I began to think, since journalism and politics are my interests and I feel there is a gap within the African media market, maybe I can attempt to make a contribution towards the industry. So I made the decision to embark on the journey of creating an African-centric blog, with the primary aim of fostering meaningful conversations surrounding political matters, delving into the depths of African media landscapes, as well as fostering discourse into various other aspects that shape the African narrative.
Ultimately, it’s undeniable that the African continent confronts numerous challenges, with Millennials and Generation Z Africans often at the forefront of these struggles. Enhanced social and political involvement will be vital if we are to instigate any meaningful reforms. Consequently, I firmly believe that African media and journalists have the potential to serve as catalysts for change. This blog is born out of this conviction, and I invite you to join me on this journey of exploration.
Together, let’s endeavour to contribute to a brighter future for Africa.
