Fides Media Living the Faith
By Mercy Hill
We had thought that the year 2020 was challenging due to COVID-19 and its accompanying hardship. But little did we know that 2021 was going to be much tougher as the world grappled with the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic.
Fides Media, like many other outfits, had struggled to stay afloat all through the year, eventually making it into the year 2021. But any hope that things would get better were dashed as the new year came without any respite.
When other companies were laying off their staff, Fides Management still held firm. In fact, rather than layoff its workforce, the Management even increased the salaries of some of them.
It is surprising that while many young Nigerians complain about lack of job opportunities in the country, only a few are willing to pick up skilled jobs. Vacancies at my office were open for a number of times that I have lost count but over eighty percent of those who applied weren’t fit for the job. Some were building castles in the air while some others were even impatient to learn on the job.
Fides, happens to be a family where workplace unity and collaboration form our major theme for work. We never relented. We were bent on maintaining our standards which is to give the very best!
Looking at what we were faced with, we all decided to keep the company afloat with consistency, persistence, and resilience.
Our dogged Director, Rev Fr Dr Martin Anusi, ably assisted by his great team of deputies: Rev Fr Coach Obinna Dike; Rev Pio-Anthony Okafor; and Rev Fr Fidelis Odunukwe, who worked round the clock to keep the wheel of Fides running.
My Director however sought for alternative means to see the company continue its operations. Even with the storm, Fides young and enthusiastic staff members came up with several ideas to see that we kept moving. Note that one of the gifts my company is blessed with is the abundance of selfless young, proactive, and creative staff members.
One of such ideas was the expansion of the Fides Media Studio. Our studio used to produce audio-visuals, duplication of DVDs, etc. When the idea for expansion came, things were difficult and expansion was not feasible, looking at the budget in hand.
Now, see why we call him the Innovative Digital Director. Fr Anusi embraced the idea and in not less than a week, renovation for expansion began. Immediately, four of our staff members were enrolled for training in studio operations and other skills required. This was also paid for.
May I bring to your notice that Fides builds and manages human capital. These staff members were trained on the job with Fides sponsoring all expenses. The four of them took up the challenge and now we are celebrating Fides Media Studio.
In Fides Media Studio, we undertake professional studio photos, photo enlargement and studio portraits; while we also make up, edit, and produce photobooks, videography; even as we just added drone services to our fleet. Fides Media Studio has now become a hub for everything good and beautiful. It is now an attraction for clients who patronize us from within and outside the country.
Our social media presence grew beyond bounds. We were able to grow our Facebook page (@fidesmedia) organically to over 20 thousand followers, not to mention post likes and comments, reaching its hundreds of thousands. Our Instagram page, @fidesnigeria keeps blossoming and then our business site on Google keeps attracting clients.
Fides android and IOS Mobile App has grown beyond leaps and bounds and its users in and out of the country won’t stop testifying of the satisfaction they get when they access Fides products and services using the App.
The production arm of the organization has also grown as our staff members continue to put in their best to make sure that all jobs are delivered according to the agreed deadline.
We were trying to cope, or should I say weather the storm, when there was a wrong connection with the Fides Media powerhouse, and we almost lost all our facilities, but thank God, we were able to recover.
The compulsory Monday sit-at -home in the Southeast of Nigeria did not deter us, even though a day or two were lost in the week. We tried to make it up with unity of mind and purpose.
We will not fail to thank you, our readers and customers, who never left our hands but held on to us by bombarding us with your patronage.
We at Fides Media love you, and we will love to see more of you in 2022.