Jack Oswald as his pen name is the author of the thrillers – The Man Who Knew Too Much, and The Wrath Of The Madame. He also writes tech, military, international conspiracy, financial and political thrillers set across contemporary Africa – its boardrooms, ungoverned spaces, colourful culture, and any global western cities where the stories may weave through. Jack Oswald is a brand and innovation enthusiast, and a big fan of African creative renaissance. In this interview with Nosike Moses, he discussed the need for organisations to train their staff for data protection, and others.

Excerpts:

What aroused your passion for writing?

I have always been a storyteller from a young age – whether in my drawings and paintings as an artist, or my essays in high school, or just gisting geopolitics with friends. I love a good story, and I have been lucky to have been processed through my professional career in broadcasting, advertising, e-commerce, financial services and international business. In all these years, I have seen stories unfold, even to episodical levels in our dear country. So, there is no shortage of material, and no dearth of passion.

What informed the title and the inspiration for one of your books, “The Wrath Of The Madame”?

I had a strong need to discuss the powerful narrative of single motherhood. It’s all around us, elevated or derided in today’s parlance as baby mama status. However, I needed another strong trending topic – data privacy. I layered my favourite staples – politics, statecraft, international conspiracy, and stirred. The aroma was nice, so I threw in a theme I was fascinated with – elections, and the dish was set. I served it with a topping of firefights, women/girl power and the deep dark web of organized electronic crime stretching from Pakistan, to the Potomac River, from Afikpo Prisons to Paris, and from North Korea through India to a fictitious country called South Oceania.

What is the wisdom behind this book that you feel can influence your readers positively?

I was in a Data Privacy class when it occurred to me that a chain reaction of events could be triggered by improper handling of data. We cannot over emphasize the need for data protection, and the rights of individuals to their privacy. Organisations must train their staff on the dangers of unauthorized sharing of data and compliance with global, regional and local data protection laws. This is necessary to prevent loss from identity theft and financial fraud.

Considering the economic situation, how is patronage for the book?

Books are expensive, and reading is an expensive habit. The purchasing power of the citizenry is directly proportional to their reading culture. If sales figures were the single motivation for writing, then our stories wouldn’t go beyond a paragraph. But we write because the stories in our heads and hearts need to be birthed. Maybe, in the next few years, ownership and consumption of books will increase, mostly through new channels like audio books etc.

How can you describe our reading culture here?

Nigerians read. I dare say there’s been a renaissance in the Nigerian creative sector which includes the literary space. Our movies are consumed as well as our books. Traditional publishing houses have also increased to cater to a growing army of writers, complementing independent publishing efforts. All of these feed the appetite of voracious Nigerian readers. However, social media strives for the attention of the reading public with its bottomless pool of short hilarious, outrageous, or educative videos. But, there’s room for improvement as people see the fun in reading. Recall the book influencer, Ezioma Kalu, who had read over 140 books in one year, getting recognized by Madam Oby Ezekwesili herself on X, and featured on some news channels. That’s evidence that Nigerians are reading.