We might not have many things to thank God for because of the situation of things right now in the country, but we can at least be grateful for our very many brilliant journalists/writers that are behind the scores of highly informative and very educating daily newspapers spread across every nook and cranny of this nation. In this article, we are going to explore a list of top 10 Nigerian newspapers and their history.
1. The Vanguard Newspaper
Popular and respected. It was established in 1983 by veteran journalist, Sam Amuka-Pemu alongside three other friends. This newspaper company is considered one of the very few that discharges its duties with no form of political control. History tells us the newspaper was suspended by Col. Raji Rasaki, Military Governor of Lagos State, in 1990. The very first work Vanguard put out was introduced to the newsstands as a weekly on the 3rd of June 1984. They are proud to flaunt their unending commitment to good governance, upholding of the rule of law e.t.c Vanguard’s biggest market has to be Lagos state, where it distributes over 20,000 copies of its newspapers on a daily basis. They also have an online presence, a website where news can be read electronically.
2. The Nation Newspaper
One of the popular Nigerian newspapers out there. Their head office is at Abuja. They offer credible information with no political interest and are always first to say their loyalty is solely to the nation.
The public don’t lack the knowledge they need to live in complete freedom in the country of their birth, neither do they lack information about what good governance should feel like, as long as The Nation Newspaper is around. Standing for Freedom, Justice and the Market Economy, at least that is what their website says, their target audience are the business and political elite. They operate in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. They focus on business and economy, sports, arts and culture e.t.c.
3. The Nigerian Tribune
This company was established in 1949. Chief Obafemi Awolowo started it all with the interest of the common man in mind. This newspaper pride itself to be the mouth-piece of the people. It is still the oldest surviving private Nigerian newspaper right now. They also played a vital role in defending Yorubas when ethnic differences was a thing in Nigeria.
4. This Day Newspaper
It is a national newspaper. It was first published in 1995. Leaders & Company Ltd own it. 13 years ago, it distributed 100,000 copies with a yearly turnover of $35 million (US).
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Its headquarters is in Apapa but it has two printing plants in Abuja and Lagos State. The had the edge years ago with their massive investment in colour printing that made it stand out with readers.
5. National Mirror Newspaper
Although it was founded by Prince Emeka Obasi in 2006, Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim bought this company 10 years ago. It is one of the very few in Nigeria with a decentralized printing system. In 2010, publishers of this newspaper took over Newswatch Communications Limited, publishers of Newswatch weekly news magazine.
6. Sun News Online
It began operations in 2003 as a weekly tabloid. It is owned by Sun Publishing Limited. Soccer star, a sports newspaper in Nigeria, joined the Sun News in 2005. It has more than 42 branches across Nigeria. It is one of the most widely-read newspaper in Nigeria.
7. champion-news-paper
One of the most unique newspapers out there. This was born out of a gathering of social advocates and international reporters who decided to prioritize bringing news report to the general public from a Nigerian African perspective. It is respected for its fearless style of reporting.
8. The Daily Champion Newspaper
This company is privately owned. Publishing is also done in Lagos state. Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, a wealthy Igbo man, is their executive chairman.
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It covers news, sports, business and community events and many more. One thing that stands them out is their citing two or more sources in almost all their articles, which is higher than the average Nigerian newspaper.
9. The Guardian
This is an independent daily newspaper published in Lagos, Nigeria, by Guardian Newspapers Limited. Established in 1983 by Late Alex Eburu, an entrepreneur, and Stanley Macebuh, who works as a journalist with the Daily Times Newspaper. The Guardian specializes in high-quality journalism and well-detailed editorial content. It was first published on 22 February 1983, as a weekly. It began operations as a daily publication on July 4 of the same year.
10. Punch
This newspaper company was founded years ago by 2 friends. One is an accountant, James Aboderin and the other, a columnist and editor at the Daily Times, Sam Amuka. They specialize in delving into broad issues that interest majority of Nigerians. Right now, it is the second largest in Nigeria in terms of copies produced on a daily basis. 80,000 copies are distributed in the country every single day for our reading pleasure. They also had their fair share of challenges politically. During military rule, Punch was shut down for a long time with their editor-in-chief in police custody for 54 days. Punch is one of the most popular, vibrant and respected publishing company in Nigeria.
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There you have it guys, a comprehensive list of top Nigerian newspapers and history. Please if you have other contributions, feel free to drop them in the comment box below.