Isio Wanogho catching up with BellaNaija for the platform’s 20th anniversary milestone.
Were you even a BellaNaija core reader if you didn’t read Isio Knows Better?
Back in the 2010s, checking BellaNaija for a new Isio Knows Better column was almost a weekly ritual. You’d spot the headline, settle in for a read, laugh at something that felt a little too familiar, nod along to a piece of advice you probably needed, and before long, you were sending the link to a friend because they simply had to read it too.
Written by former supermodel and interior architect Isio Wanogho, Isio Knows Better had a way of making everyday experiences feel worth talking about. Relationships, family, work, friendship and all the little situations that could leave you wondering, “Is it just me?” Isio brought her own mix of wit, honesty and maternal wisdom to each piece, and somehow made the BellaNaija comment section feel like part of the experience.
That comment section deserves its own mention. Readers came with their opinions, personal experiences, jokes and plenty of banter, turning each new column into a conversation that continued long after the article was published. For many BNers, Isio Knows Better was as much about finding familiar faces in the comments as it was about reading Isio’s latest thoughts.
Now, as BellaNaija celebrates 20 years of connecting with readers through digital storytelling, we’re looking back at some of the people and columns that became part of the platform’s identity.
For #BN20, we caught up with Isio to revisit her four years as a BellaNaija columnist, from her unexpected transition from painter to writer to the connection she built with readers who kept coming back week after week.
A throwback to Isio Wanogho during her iconic Isio Knows Better era on BellaNaija.
Hey Isio! How would you describe that era of your life?
It was an exciting time and, above all, a period of creative expression. I had no idea that so many people would connect with my writing to the extent that they did.
I was simply writing about whatever interested or moved me. Sometimes it was societal issues or perspectives I would share with friends. Sometimes it was lessons and wisdom I had learned from my mother or family. And sometimes it was simply me being playful, jesting and writing as I naturally would.
I was working at the time and also running my own business, so I had plenty going on. But writing was something I always looked forward to. Instead of simply thinking about these things or being part of conversations, I could channel them into creative expression.
I look back on those four years, if I remember the period correctly, very fondly, not only because I enjoyed writing, but because of how positively the audience engaged with what I shared. It was a very special time for me.
Former BellaNaija columnist Isio Wanogho posing outdoors in a brown jacket and white trousers.
What did the BN community mean to you back then?
They were more than just ‘readers’ to me, and I don’t say that lightly.
My readers were phenomenal. Every week, I would read the comments, and it never failed to amaze me how much our experiences had in common. People would share their own stories, perspectives and experiences, often in response to something I had written.
What I remember most is how respectful, engaged and present everyone was. There was something special about communicating with people who understood you, especially when you were talking about things that weren’t always openly discussed.
They were people I could share with, connect with and most importantly, have a good laugh with. It made me incredibly happy to know that something I had written could give someone their own moment of joy.
My readers were the highlight of my week during those years. Their support and engagement meant (and, honestly, still mean) more to me than I can sufficiently articulate.
Isio Wanogho reflecting on her journey from BellaNaija columnist to multi-hyphenate creative for #BN20.
Did those early digital days shape who you are today?
Absolutely. I don’t think we can experience something so deeply and not be shaped by it.
I can’t look back at the last decade or the trajectory of my life without remembering that period, who I was, what #IsioKnowsBetter became and the moments I shared with people.
What I find particularly interesting is that I never considered myself a writer in a strict sense of the word. I had been writing since childhood, but I always saw it as something I did for fun. I saw myself more as an artist; a painter. But I had an instinct to write and express myself with words. I would write stories and share them with friends. It wasn’t until a conversation with Onos Ovueraye (who was a part of the BN team at the time), that we decided to share my writing with a much wider audience. Afterwards I saw people connect with it and then I realised it was actually something.
So yes, it shaped me, and in a very good way.
When you think back on those years, what stands out most to you?
How easy it was for all of us to have a really good laugh.
I always say how special my readers were, and I genuinely mean it. I still think of them as very special.
I never imagined, in my wildest dreams, that the column would grow the way it did or that people would connect with it so deeply. I was simply having fun, being honest and writing about things I had witnessed, experienced or come to understand in my own way.
But those years also taught me something bigger: we are often much more alike than we realise.
Things we think are strange, unusual or uniquely ours may actually be shared by thousands (or even tens of thousands) of other people. You write about something you thought was just your own strange little thought, and suddenly people are laughing with you, empathising with you, sharing their own experiences or even seeing something from a completely different perspective.
That, more than anything, is what stands out to me: how easily we found one another through a story, a thought or simply a really good laugh.
Former Isio Knows Better columnist Isio Wanogho in a professional shoot.
The post “My Readers Were the Highlight of My Week”: Isio Wanogho Remembers Her ‘Isio Knows Better’ Era appeared first on BellaNaija – Showcasing Africa to the world. Read today!.
As BellaNaija marks 20 years, former columnist Isio Wanogho reflects on four years of “Isio Knows Better”, finding her voice, and how shared laughter brought the online community together.
The post “My Readers Were the Highlight of My Week”: Isio Wanogho Remembers Her ‘Isio Knows Better’ Era appeared first on BellaNaija – Showcasing Africa to the world. Read today!. Read More
