Again, the timeless myth about the all powerful and undying first love comes alive in the life of Abike Dabiri-Erewa. It resonates deafeningly in the life of the former lawmaker and journalist thus amplifying the scope of her passion for her first love. It is indeed, difficult to break the tie between Abike and her first love, no matter how hard anyone may try. Abike is now a publisher of a magazine aims to celebrate Nigerians in Diaspora that are doing great in their various countries of sojourn.
In many ways, Abike epitomizes the nature of positive revolt: always at odds with the present, forever evolving. With her quiet will and calm stare, the woman to whom success subsists in doing things the way they have never been done before is set to revolutionize the celebrity journalism. Journalism is no stranger to rebellious androgyny but in the case of Abike it will always be more than a defiant outlook. It’s set to be part of a much bigger creative identity. She certainly has power.
But most important, she has purpose — an abiding commitment to the principles of creativity and excellence that transcends any one individual. The magazine, Diaspora Quarterly is geared to tear down the seemingly impermeable conservatism of magazine journalism even as the media industry groans under the harsh realities and burdens of failed magazine enterprise. The publisher, Abike, does not care how many such magazines have disappeared into the editorial waste mills of society journalism, she simply seeks to carve her niche and secure it within the crowded jungle of magazine publishing business.
She intends to stand shoulder-to- shoulder with the old, tried and tested titles and to do so, she has to do some excellent work, her idealism has to be pragmatic, her pocket has to be extremely deep, her knowledge has to be profound and her contacts has to be extensive. During the last election, she was at the fore-front of Buhari’s campaign and many had thought she would be rewarded with a ministerial appointment, but when the list of ministers were made public, she was omitted to thesurprise of many. But Abike Dabiri has moved on, and returned to the career by which she gained acclaim.
