I first came in contact with Alhaji Mohammed Idris in April, 2011. Our meeting point was at the premises of the Blueprint Newspaper Ltd that was at its conception stage. Malam Ibrahim Sheme was charged with the onerous task of midwifing the new tabloid. He was the one that took me to Alhaji Mohammed in his office.
From the picture Sheme painted, I was looking forward to meeting a Godzilla of a publisher. But to my utter amazement, sitting behind the desk in a tastefully furnished office was a fair-complexioned, mediumly built and good-looking man in his 40s. We exchanged pleasantries even before Malam Sheme formally introduced me to him.
When Malam Sheme hinted me about the (imminent) birth of Blueprint while we were both at the LEADERSHIP Newspapers Ltd where I had been sucked in by its Publisher, the late Sam Nda-Isaiah, to sit on the Editorial Board as an external member, I told him I would want my wife, also working on the sub-desk of the paper, to join the pioneering team as a Chief Sub-Editor. But after my encounter with Alhaji Idris, I changed my mind.
Alhaji Idris was so passionate about his vision for the newspaper and I saw the need to deploy my pioneering experience into the new medium for a smooth takeoff. I came along with 16 years of cognate experience as a pioneer staff of The Nigeria Standard Newspapers of Jos and about seven years of experience as a pioneer Editor-in Chief/CEO of KICK-OFF weekly sports newspaper that later morphed to the SUN weekly Newspaper, which set after bringing sunshine to hundreds of thousands of its readers across the states of the federation.
After some deliberations over my status, Malam Sheme, the pioneer editor, and the Executive Director (Operations), Malam Salisu Umar, agreed that I should be made the Editor-at-Large and charged with the responsibility of overseeing the sports desk. History just repeated itself: when The Nigeria Standard Newspaper was founded in 1972, I was poached from the New Nigerian Newspapers Ltd, Kaduna, where I had established myself as a sports meister.
Alhaji Mohammed gave Malam Sheme all the necessary backing to recruit some of the best hands in the profession. And so, with the former on the driver’s seat, the Blueprint hit the ground running, first as a weekly before turning daily after three months of testing the terrain. Perhaps, the smooth take-off of Blueprint could be traced to the existence of its forerunner, a business outfit known as the MARKET Magazine. It was first published in Kaduna before it was relocated to Abuja.
The Blueprint became the envy of the existing media outfits especially those based in Abuja. In fact, the envy stretched beyond Abuja when the paper began to break stories of Boko Haram atrocities. A typical instance was the report on the bombing of the Police Headquarters in Abuja. More scoops soon followed like a torrent, and envious competitors labelled the paper as a “Boko Haram” newspaper! Such is the Midas touch that is peculiar to Alhaji Mohammed.
First impression, it is said, is last impression. Alhaji Mohammed’s good nature and kind disposition to his staff paid off some three years later when the paper was at its nadir. Most of the staff of the paper, rather than jumping ship, decided to weather the storm for “our chairman’s sake”. Their perseverance paid off because the paper is not only up and running but also has two titles on its stable – the Blueprint Weekend and the Manhaja, the Hausa version. The chairman’s commitment and tenacity to his vision led to his acquisition of a radio station, the WE FM in 2018 and a television outfit focusing on Hausa speakers expected to debut soon.
Having conquered the media space, Alhaji Mohammed veered into politics in the build-up to the 2023 governorship election in Niger state on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He took the political space by storm, garnering unprecedented followership from across the state. All the political gladiators in the state saw Alhaji Mohammed’s foray into the Niger politics as a tsunami. He gave a good account of himself and placed second at the primary.
Although he narrowly missed the guber ticket, he has established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the state. A loyal party man, he took his defeat in Niger in his stride and resisted overtures from other political parties to jump ship. He turned down their overtures.
When Bola Ahmed Tinubu clinched the presidential ticket for the 2023 race and constituted a Campaign Council, Alhaji Mohammed was sucked in as Director, Strategic Communication in recognition of his acumen in the field. He worked assiduously with the Council and at the end of the day, his party won the race.
With the victory of the party assured, the next stage was a high-wire lobby for political appointments. For close to three months after the inauguration of Bola Tinubu as the President, party members and stakeholders were left on tenterhooks. Speculations about who would get what suffocated the political space even as lists of ministerial appointees flew all over the place. In all the lists we were fed with before the authentic list emerged from the Presidency, none had the name of Alhaji Mohammed on it, prompting angst amongst some of us, especially in the Blueprint. For us as a newspaper, to produce a minister would be the apogee of our achievements in our media odyssey.
And so, when the name of Alhaji Mohammed appeared on the list of the (authentic) first batch of 28 ministerial nominees, it elicited rapturous reactions in his circle of friends and associates. The next debate was which portfolio would be best suited for him, given his versatility, exposure and experience. A colleague in the office even speculated that he might be sent to the Ministry of Environment (because he is clean and a good dresser). Following his stellar performance at the screening on the floor of the Senate, some of us thought he might be assigned the Communication and Digital Economy portfolio.
Mr. Dele Alake, a communication expert who had been appointed as the Special Adviser on Communication and Special Duties was seen as heading for the Ministry of Information when his name appeared on the ministerial list. But it was Alhaji Mohammed the President has saddled with the Information portfolio with National Orientation to boot. Alake’s destination is the Ministry of Solid Mineral Development. What that tells us is that a journalist can be a Jack of all trades, master of all!
The choice of Alhaji Mohammed as Minister of Information and National Orientation is strategic, given his wide contacts in the media space. He is also a public relations guru and Secretary General of the influential Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN). His posting to the Information Ministry is a throwback to the era of President Ibrahim Babangida who had the late Chief Alex Akinyele as his Information Minister. The flamboyant Akinyele, who was also a good dresser, came from PR background and he handled his responsibilities with aplomb and high sense of professionalism.
One quality I admire in Alhaji Mohammed is his commitment to excellence. His calm mien belies his dogged approach to issues that are dear to his heart, regardless of whose ox is gored. Articulate and suave, he also comes across as a man of immense wisdom and knowledge. Thanks to his intellectual background.
The staff of the Ministry of Information and National Orientation cannot wish for a better helmsman. His philosophy has always been “What is worth doing is worth doing well.” They have to key into that.
The Kakaakin Nupe now has a bigger trumpet to blow. Mr. President should pump his lungs with enough wind to enable him carry out the onerous task that comes with his office especially at this time that the populace is distraught. I wish him well.