History and Evolution of Nigerian Newspapers
History of Nigerian Newspapers
The history of Nigerian Press dates back to the advent of early missionaries in 1840s. This was when a Reverend with Church Missionary Society (CMS), Reverend Henry Townsend came to Nigeria and based in Abeokuta. Townsend eventually published the first Nigerian Newspaper, Iwe Irohin in 1859. The newspaper opened the gates for other early newspapers to start drizzling into existence in Nigeria media landscape.
Like Townsend, other missionaries who came into the country at that time contributed immensely to the development of press in Nigeria. These missionaries came into the country with their printing press/machines which were initially used for publishing materials that would facilitate the publicity and propagation of the Christian faith which was their primary mission in Nigeria. These publications were mainly religious pamphlets, religious newspapers that carried issues on religion, marriage, anti-slavery and post office news. These newspapers however delved into stories on buying and selling and gradually widened the horizon of religious newspapers in existence at that time. Due to the interest these missionaries had in the area of educating their congregation, they also went into publication of some educative materials.
One of the early missionaries whose activities also contributed immensely in activating the growth of the Nigerian Press is Reverend Hope Waddel. He led missionaries from the Church of Scotland into Nigeria in 1840s. In 1888, Reverend Waddel who settled with his own team in Calabar began the publication of Calabar Observer and two other vernacular newspapers, Nwanga Eftk and Obupong Efik, though some other newspapers had been published by non-missionaries before then.
Early religious/missionary newspapers
The Nigerian press, no doubt, owes its genesis to the advent and activities of missionaries in the country. These newspapers as was earlier pointed out, began as propaganda materials for the Christian missionaries but gradually broadened into coverage of other stories that were of interest to the congregation of the missionaries.
Though Reverend Townsend’s Iwe Irohin, the publication which he began in 1859, was not strictly religious, it however set the pace for other religious newspapers of a more national and non-religious perspective. Some of the newspapers include In Leisure Hour which was first published in 1917 by Christian Missionary Society (CMS); this newspaper also had a Yoruba Edition called Nigbati Owo ba D’ile. Next was African Church Gleaner published at about 1917 by Reverend G. Oke of the African Church. Reverend Oke also added two more newspapers to his stable – African Hope (1919) and African Church Chronicle (1934). Then came The Nigerian Methodist in 1925 published by the Methodist church. This was closely followed by Truth, Islamic newspaper first published in 1930 by an Islamic group known as Ahmaddiya sect as a propaganda tool for their Jihad.
The Roman Catholic stormed the news stands in the 1940s with the Catholic Herald, Catholic Life and later The Independent was added to the stable. Also in the same decade, the Cathedral Church of Christ Lagos came out with The Lagoon. Most of the Christian newspapers were based in the Southern part of the country and this inspired the publication of West African Christian and Labaran Akklesia by some churches based in the North.
Today, almost every Christian denomination and even individual churches have one publication or the other in circulation. Some of these modern publications are strictly religious while some others are an admixture of religious and non-religious stories. Som restrict their circulation to their church congregation while others strive to compete wit national non-religious newspapers on the news stands. Popular among religious newspapers today are Flame (published by Catholic Church), Christian Women Mirror (published by Deeper Life Bible Church), the Leader (published by Catholic Church) The Anglican, among others. Today’s religious publications are largely in-house and receive patronage from basically congregation members of churches publishing them.
Evolution and growth of Nigerian newspapers
The evolution of the Nigerian press began with emergence of early newspapers in the second half of the 19th century. The first newspaper in Nigeria was Iwe Irohin which was published in 1859 in Abeokuta by Reverend Henry Townsend of the CMS. It was a fortnightly publication which started with a vernacular edition but later included an English edition in 1980. Marriage announcements, church and post office news, local advertisements (for clerks and houseboys), trade reports, and some other general news were the basic contents of the publication. Iwe Irohin helped abolish slave trade in Yoruba land. The paper was rested after 8 years of circulation in the wake of Egba crisis of 1867.
The Anglo African was the next newspaper to come into scene. It was first published in 1863 by Robert Campbell, a printer who doubled as publisher and editor of the newspaper. It was a weekly newspaper which had both local and overseas news content with its first page devoted to advertisements, notices and announcements. The newspaper ceased publication in 1883.
The Lagos Observer was next to appear on news-stands. It was first published in 1881 by an African Businessman, Black Benjamin with its major focus dwelling on how to improve the social life of the people and self government advocacy. It was a fortnightly that was eventually rested in 1890.
The Eagle and Lagos Critic came on board in 1883 with Owen Macaulay as its editor and proprietor. Like the Lagos Observer, The Eagle and Lagos Critic which was a monthly newspaper, actively advocated for African representation in the colonial government with far-reaching achievements. It went out of circulation in 1888.
The Mirror was the seventh Nigerian newspaper. It was first published in 1887 by Adolphus P. Mark who doubled as editor of the newspaper. It was rested in 1888. Also in the same year, a missionary from the Church of Scotland Reverend Hope Waddel began the publication of Calabar Observer and later increased the stable with two other vernacular newspapers, Nwanga Efik and Obupong Efik.
The appearance of The Lagos Weekly Record in the Nigerian press landscape in 1891 marked a turning point in the industry. The newspaper which was noted for championing political struggles against the colonial government was published by a Liberian immigrant John Payne Jackson who also doubled as the editor of the newspaper. He was later joined by his son Thomas Haratio Jackson who later became the editor of the newspaper after the death of his father (John Payne Jackson). The newspaper was noted for stiff opposition against the colonial administration and serious pursuit people-oriented policies.
John Payne Jackson had earlier struggled to publish a newspaper called The Lagos Weekly Times in 1890 which died shortly after. He staged a comeback into the industry with Lagos Weekly Record which was remarkable for opposing almost every activity of the colonial government while also advocating for social justice. His son’s era as editor of the newspaper even witnessed stiffer opposition against colonial government, gaining more popularity for the newspaper which was rested in 1930.
The Lagos Standard came into circulation in 1893 with G. A William doubling as its editor and proprietor. It was closely followed by The Nigerian Chronicle first published in 1908 by two brothers, Christopher Johnson and Emmanuel Johnson. It became the first newspaper published with a masthead bearing Nigerian Chronicle. It ceased publication in 1915.
The Nigerian Times followed next in 1910 and was published by James Bright Davies in partnership with Sapara Williams. The newspaper made history as the first Nigerian newspaper to have its editor (James Davies) jailed for sedition. The newspaper ceased circulation after five years of existence.
Next came the Nigerian Pioneer in 1914 which was the first known pro-colonial government newspaper. Its publisher Akintoye Ajasa, was a reputable lawyer trained in England where he imbibed the lifestyle, orientation and beliefs of the British, making him an ardent supporter of the colonial government. He eventually became part of the colonial administration having accepted appointments from the colonial administrators at that time. The paper was rested in 1937.
Then came the African Messenger, first published in 1921 by Ernest Sesei Ikoli, a school teacher who was editor of the newspaper. The paper which was published as a weekly was later transformed into the Daily Times in 1926 after the new organization (Daily Times) had bought over its printing press. Ernest Ikoli was appointed the first editor of Daily Times.
More newspapers which had stringent nationalist perspectives began to emerge with the basic aim of arousing the consciousness of people on the need for independence. Some of these newspapers were either organs of existing political parties or used by pressure groups to push for independence. The newspapers include the Lagos Daily News published in 1925 by Herbert Macaulay basically as an organ of his party National Democratic Party, The Nigerian Daily Times jointly founded by Adeyemo Alakija, Ernest Ikoli and Richard Barrow in 1926, the Daily Service first published in 1933 as an organ of a pressure group, the Nigerian Youth Movement. Some others are The Daily Express (1960), The Comet (1933) and The Dawn (1951).
Zik and the Nigerian press history
The emergence of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe in the Nigeria press landscape marked a turning point in the industry especially with regards to professionalism and ownership of newspapers. He operated a chain of newspapers which were nationalist newspapers that dwelt on creation of awareness for independence, and this was eventually achieved largely as a result of the consciousness created by these newspapers.
First in the stable of Associated Newspapers of Nigeria owned by Zik limited was the West African Pilot which he founded in 1937. Next was the Eastern Nigeria Guardian first published in Port Harcourt in 1940. The Nigerian Spokesman came next in 1943 published at Onitsha; the Southern Nigerian Defender was also published in the same year, 1943 in Warri but later moved to Ibadan. Zik then acquired The Comet an independent nationalist weekly, in 1949 and made it a daily newspaper in the stable of Associated Newspapers of Nigeria Limited. The Comet however became the first daily newspaper published in Northern Nigeria after its head office was shifted to Kano.
Zik published some other newspapers which saw him dominating the industry at that period when nationalist newspapers were thriving in the country. His contribution to the growth of the Nigerian Press was very immense.
Post independent press
After independence, newspapers continued to spring up and the early post-independence newspapers helped service the political consciousness of the masses to face the challenges ahead. Some of these newspapers include the Morning Sketch and Sunday Sketch which came into circulation in 1964, published by Western Region Government.
