CNN's Passion to Portfolio Features Chude Jideonwo, Founder of Red Media

This week’s edition of CNN International’s ‘Passion to Portfolio’, which focuses on individuals working with some of the most famous people in the world of business and entertainment, reports from Lagos, Nigeria.

CEO of one of West Africa’s most influential communication firms, Chude Jideonwo is co-founder of Red Media Africa, and was named one of Forbes Africa’s 30 best entrepreneurs in 2013.

‘Passion to Portfolio’ reveals that Red Media Africa are a multifaceted media marketing company which includes television and digital content alongside a consulting arm.

Formerly a lawyer, TV presenter and award-winning journalist, Jideonwo is now aiming to use the 
media to inspire Nigeria’s growing youth population.

Jideonwo explains to ‘Passion to Portfolio’: “What sets us apart as Red is simple: we're in this to aspire people to take action. and so it's a convergence between journalism and development, so to speak… And that means sometimes we're unafraid to have agendas because we think that some things are too important for the story to stay on the background.”

Jideonwo also reveals how the company’s metrics have increased over the past five years, telling ‘Passion to Portfolio’: “For our online product we have over 250,000 people daily visiting our sites online. In terms of our TV product, all six TV products are going to be reaching over an average of a minimum of 25 million people a month ultimately - and that's huge in this market.”

As someone born and raised in Lagos, Jideonwo understands the Nigerian market well, especially the potential of focusing the company’s attention on the nation’s growing youth population.

Jideonwo explains the company’s strategy to ‘Passion to Portfolio’: “We just had an instinctive feeling that everything was happening with Africans' youth audience… Consumers and multinationals want to reach those young people and we are able to apply our expertise to reach them.”

Jideonwo counts Facebook and Uber among his clients, with the communications side of his business generating 60 per cent of Red’s revenue.

By creating content specifically for West Africa, Jideonwo believes the company has found an intersection between media, youth engagement and Africa’s development.

Jideonwo tells ‘Passion to Portfolio’: “My confidence is in this market; we've gone through difficulties… I have faith that this generation will be the turning point generation for the continent.”