Save for BellaNaija, Nigeria doesn’t really have a portal for women – at least one that truly is part and parcel of the culture, and of daily life.

There is Woman but it is taking a while to rev up its engine, even though it does important work.

In case you have been trying to fill the gap in that market, be aware that a global brand already looked at its numbers in this space, and decided the number of readers coming in from the Nigerian audience is enough to warrant a dedicated vertical.

Cosmopolitan is the 130-year-old international women’s fashion magazine published by Hearts with at least 64 international editions, and Nigeria is now in.

Cosmo Nigeria – digital only – has been reporting on lifestyle, beauty, relationships with its firm gaze on women for months now – up to date on everything from Kemi Adetiba’s new film to Lisa Folawiyo’s timeless style. The coverage is also determinedly national – with stories about women and lifestyles from Warri to Ibadan, with Nigerianisms deeply steeped into its character.

Not much a surprise, since it parades a cast of writers who understand the culture in Nigeria – including the successful blogger, Sisi Yemmie and Kunmi Omisore, who was written for BellaNaija, TheNakedConvos, SideView and NEXT’s elan (the only real competition Thisday Style has ever had).

It smartly interweaves between local and global content, but leading, as much as 90 with local. Which is obviously very smart.

There isn’t a comment section so you can’t really speak to engagement. And to be honest, even though it has here for at least for a few months, it’s not driving the conversation in any meaningful way yet as a brand.

That’s something of a let down for a brand that has been around since March 2015. It’s also a let down that it has only 1,354 followers so far.

Why though? The content is solid, the global brand is strong and the competition is very light.

We should be having a conversation with them soon about what the long-term strategy for the region really is.

YWriter