If you’re reading this, I know you probably don’t know me—and if you do, you likely don’t know me very well. But by the end of this little narrative, you’ll have a delightful glimpse into my life, my projects, and my journey as a tech and journalism entrepreneur.
Who Am I, You Ask?
Well, my name is Nasiru Abdulrasheed, and I’m the proud founder of Forsige.com, launched in the illustrious years of 2019/2020.
The mission?
To tackle the glaring productivity gaps in African media. You see, I wanted more developmental information to seep into the culture of African journalism.
I was inspired by media titans like Forbes, TIME, Fortune Magazine, The Economist, and the New York Times—all those shiny publications that made me think, “Why not me?”
From Broke Student to Slightly Less Broke Entrepreneur
Before Forsige was even a twinkle in my eye, I was just a broke, somewhat bedridden undergraduate studying political science at Bayero University, Kano, in Nigeria.
Picture this: no laptop, no decent mobile phone—just a head full of dreams and a stomach full of ramen noodles. My parents, bless them, were rather sceptical about my tech passions due to the notorious rise of “Yahoo Yahoo” in Nigeria.
But I can’t really blame them.
They’re the old-school type who believe in the tried-and-true formula of “go to school, get a job, retire, rinse, and repeat.”
Meanwhile, I had been dabbling in tech and entrepreneurship since my early primary school days. Imagine a 13-year-old me, fiddling with programming languages, 2go hacking, website development, and even IMEI tweaking—essentially, I was a tech wizard with an old Nokia phone.
Of course, my parents thought I’d inevitably join the shady side of the internet if they supported me further.
Forsige: The Hungry Beginnings
With my parents holding their wallets firmly shut, I had to get creative.
Forsige was born from my monthly feeding allowance. Yes, you read that correctly! I decided to starve myself a tad and save up for hosting and a domain name. Who needs three square meals when you have dreams, right? Months later, during a holiday, I worked with friends, borrowed some cash from my sister Sidikat Nasiru, and managed to snag a laptop for developing the website.
I still vividly remember raising the funds for my laptop just before school resumed, only for my dad to insist I use the money to pay my school fees instead.
A classic parental plot twist, eh?
That marked another significant chapter in my life—working harder to pay for my school fees myself. But that’s a story for another day!
The All-Nighter of Forsige’s Launch
With no money to hire a designer, I embarked on the Forsige journey solo.
The date was the 28th of December 2019, and it took me a few caffeine-fueled days to get it up and running. Sleep was a luxury I couldn’t afford, and as New Year’s Eve rolled around, I was tapping away at my keyboard, only pausing to peer through the window at the knockouts (fireworks), knowing my real celebration was in the code.
On the 1st of January 2020, Forsige.com was live, and I began populating it with news and articles I had penned with my best friend Muhamad Haruna in school, before the holiday. The first 10 days were spent furiously rewriting those articles from paper to my newly minted computer. And thus, Forsige was born!
Finding Friends in Unexpected Places
Forsige quickly attracted a group of lovely and kind individuals.
One of the most appreciated was my early friend from Nepal, Santosh Aryal, MPH, whom I met through Facebook. It was the height of COVID-19, and he stepped in after three of my schoolmates declined to work with me on the project. Together, we churned out Covid-19-related articles like there was no tomorrow, and at one point, we were clocking in over 20,000 visitors a day!
But alas, none of those visits were monetised. So, all that traffic went down the proverbial drain.
Having spent nearly all my money to get Forsige.com ready, things became a bit tight financially. With Santosh eventually moving on, I found myself soldiering on alone.
In mid-2021, however, another friend joined the fray—Yosam Mukundane from Uganda, who I also met on Facebook.
Yosam embraced the Forsige vision with gusto, and we began working together almost immediately. Soon after, Umar Farouq, a schoolmate, joined us, followed by Abduljeril Yekini, who pushed the Forsige vision even further until 2022. I vividly recall our marathon phone calls till 4 AM, discussing various ways to balance work and school.
A New Chapter and the Lessons Learned
Our journey together continued until September 2022, when I got hired as a journalist at the now-defunct BNN (Breaking News Network), now TrimFeed. This new opportunity required a fresh approach and marked a significant transition for Forsige. It was tough, but I needed the experience and exposure that BNN offered.
I take full responsibility for not meeting all of Forsige’s goals, but working at BNN with Gurbaksh Chahal was a challenge I relished. It prepared me for what lies ahead, including future Forsige endeavours.
I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge and achieved things I never imagined possible. Forsige has grown and impacted many, even without me at the helm. Months after graduating, it became a major source of livelihood for many amidst Nigeria’s unemployment woes. It’s a testament to what can be achieved from a school dormitory, during my second year, with nary a penny or support.
I’m incredibly proud to have created something from my school bedroom while I was ill, with no money and no support, that has thrived to this day. Forsige became a platform for many to earn a living, share their voices, and express their ideas to our small community. It’s proof that I can achieve more, and so can you or anyone with the tenacity to chase their dreams.
Rebuilding the Forsige Dream
It’s time to pick up the pieces and reconstruct our dream. A special thanks to everyone who has helped me along the way.
As it stands, we are entering a new phase of Forsige’s existence—a do-or-die phase, if you will. And I’m not alone. Our approach to this next chapter is simple: “Make it work.”
The fun fact is, we’re about to kickstart this phase with nearly zero capital.
Sound fun, right?
I’ve lost almost everything I had! But we haven’t lost our minds, have we?
We’ve learned a lot, made new friends, realised our mistakes, redefined our goals, and are ready to relaunch our dream.