A Year of Building Taxi.
Taxi began with conversations. David Johnson understood what I wanted to build before most people did. He is an editor on the team now but back then he was someone willing to listen to half-formed ideas about what this publication could be. Jolade came next. I sent her an email on a Thursday afternoon in August and when we launched in December, she became our Fashion Editor. Her work has been irreplaceable.
In the first conversation I had with Tobi, we spoke about our love for the Irish (Sally Rooney & Paul Mescal). He joins team meetings early and we talk before everyone else logs on. It has become one of the small things I look forward to. Zara responded to my pitch ("Think of The Atlantic but fun and sexy") with "I'm always down for anything fun and sexy." They keep us honest about our ethos. Mela handles our social media and tolerates my 5am voice notes during what I call my ideating hours. Kamsi's first piece for Taxi was titled "Nintendo Music" and addressed the criticism of Alté music. We are a team that eats, sleeps and drinks alté so the piece immediately confirmed Kamsi’s place at Taxi. Milola designed the Taxi logo and every time I look at it I am reminded of what we set out to do.
These seven people are Taxi. Without them there would be no publication to speak of.
What We Did This Year.
Edited and published 20 essays.
Conducted 7 interviews with DJs, writers and artists.
Hosted events in Abuja (with N's Korner) and Lagos (with Chiamaka Okike).
Secured sponsorships from Dang Lifestyle, Aké Collective, Aunty Tanty and Tamed Lux.
Got featured on Culture Custodian and Zikoko.
Built communities in Abuja and Lagos.
Hosted online events and X spaces.
Worked with 6 brands.
Our Audience.
A brand owner asked me about our audience profile a few weeks ago. I had prepared: 18-35, writers and artists, Abuja and Lagos. That's accurate but incomplete. Our actual audience includes anyone who has shown up to an event or read a piece or told a team member they follow our work. The common thread is belief. People trust what we publish. They want to see what we do next. They read the essays and pass them along to friends. They come to events and stay after to talk. They send messages about pieces that resonated. The website stats confirm what I already know: we have built something people care about. They gave us their attention and that is not something to take lightly.
What's Next?
Submission windows are opening. We have spent a year building Taxi's voice and now we want to hear from writers who are familiar with our work. The events worked. People showed up in Abuja and Lagos and the turnout proved that this community wants to gather. We are doing more of that. We are also hunting down creatives whose work excites us. The interviews we have done so far have given us some of our best content and there are more conversations we need to have. Taxi's foundation is solid. Now we are expanding what we can hold.
Special Thanks.
Chiamaka Okike made our Lagos event happen. Mimi of N's Korner did the same for Abuja. Layla of Spiral Lens moderated the panel at that first event and Fawziyya & Barney were there taking pictures and stepping in where we needed help. Paula, Elizabeth, Maryam and Seember sat on the panel and shared the inspiration behind their work with a room full of strangers. Oluchukwu hosted a space with us. Bobola Ojo-Ami of Recital Finance helped us navigate the sponsorship search. Aunty Tanty ran a tea blending session at the Lagos event that people are still talking about. My friends showed up when I needed them to. None of this happens without people willing to say yes.
I am especially grateful to my brother who has been listening to me talk about starting a publication for years. Long before Taxi had a name or a team or a single published piece he was there hearing me out. When it came time to actually get things off the ground, he stepped in and made himself useful in so many ways. I would not have done this without him.
Taxi made it through year one. That is worth celebrating. Year two starts now and there is more work to do. We are ready for it.
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