The narrative of how an idea birthed 10 years ago has become a must-read newspaper for so many Nigerians of various ideological convictions cannot be fully captured in this piece. Today, The Nation newspaper daily serves people of various socio-political divides.
I confess that this is just a personal perspective about how raw grit, persistence and focused leadership pushed the then struggling The Nation newspaper to the peak of journalistic excellence as aptly captured in the words of no other person than Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili.
Not known to be generous with kind words when there is need to truthfully – and decisively hit the nail on the head, Oby (as she is fondly called), has merely put a stamp of authority on the testimonial of a publication that has, since its entrance into the market on July 31, 2006, lived by its creed: Truth in Defence of Freedom. Of course, operating with that manual has come with its challenges. For The Nation, it was a long walk to a freedom that was basically propelled by a belief that failure is not an option on this tedious journey.
Personally, the decision to join this newspaper was not only difficult but also emotional. It came at a time when what I needed most was financial stability and quite a number of established publications were ready to provide that. Yet, I needed to take what many considered a gamble that would shape my future.
So, when news filtered round that I had decided to take the plunge and accept an offer to work as Head of the Abuja Office following a short spell at ThisDAY newspaper as an Assistant Editor, I got calls from concerned editors in the land, warning against such move.
The general projection then was that this newspaper would last some few months or a couple of years after which it would a die natural death like many others before it. I was told that its greatest undoing would be the overriding influence of proprietary interest. I was told it was not a platform for the free-thinking and incisive pieces I was known for in my days at The PUNCH. Perhaps, thinking that the decision was taken out of the presumed frustration of my sudden exit from a newspaper I had worked with for close to a decade, one of the concerned editors offered and indeed got me a job with a leading firm in Lagos as a Public Affairs Manager. I declined the offer not because the pay was not good but because I knew it would be defeatist to dump journalism for a quick fix. At least, not with the controversy that trailed my un-ceremonial exit from a place where the seed of ‘Inside Aso Rock’ and ‘Knuckles’ columns were firmly rooted.
Looking back, I believe fate brought me here. When I stood before Mr. Victor Ifijeh, the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of Vintage Press Limited that fateful morning in February 2007 to collect my letter of employment as Abuja Bureau Chief, I was encouraged by his words of assurance.
Where others saw failure, he must have seen a worthy prospect. Though it was the first time I would be meeting him, it was apparent that the man had asked questions about me. He had also followed my writings. A thought kept flashing in my mind. If Mr. Ifijeh could leave a ‘comfort zone’ to build this publication from the scratch, then there was no reason why I should nurse any fear. Of course, the first thing that would be sacrificed was the relatively huge pay. With four employment letters in my kitty, I knew no newspaper would pay me what I was earning in my former place.
With circulation figures of less than 1000 copies and a huge unsold figure in Abuja, it was obvious that we needed a strong team if we must have a firm grip of the market. All these were achieved in record time.
That job was made easy by a management that worked round the clock, gauged the pulse of the market and attended to the demands. In spite of the lean resources at its disposal, the Abuja Office secured a corporate office in the heart of the city in addition to completing a press hall that serves the Northern region fresh, timely and informed newspapers.
There are memories that cannot be forgotten so easily. I remember the times when one had to combine the jobs of an editorial staff with roles of circulation manager, press officer and newspapers vendor. I remember when we monitored sales and distributed papers to satellite towns and villages. I remember the battle with vendors and distributors over glaring attempts to sabotage sales. I remember the sleepless nights at the press, the persistent calls by Mr. Ifijeh in the dead of the night on the urgent need to get newsprint at all cost.
There was that anxiety when a competitor would deliberately decline to accede to your request for newsprint. There were moments when everything that could go wrong conspired against you and you were left to gnash your teeth in frustration. Such moments tested the resolve of the management to trudge on and emerge victorious.
Do we talk about periods when we traversed the whole of the North, damning the clear and present danger of Boko Haram attacks, soliciting for adverts? How about the personality interviews that must be conducted in far flung cities across the northern states spanning days before the chief executive would mercifully grant you audience? And how do you begin to relay the endless calls about deadlines and threats of sack over missed or about-to-be-missed stories?
Working here in the last 10 years has not been a tea party. If it were to be a stroll in the park, the narrative would have been different. That this newspaper came out stronger when some of its best staffers were poached by another new publication underscores the belief that impossibility is nothing when one is focused.
That it remains a force among the nation’s leading newspapers at a time when many others that came before and after it went under is a testimonial to the ideal it sets for itself. In ten years, this paper has conquered many doubts.
They said it would not be self-sustaining. It crossed that bridge a long time back. They said it would not set a niche for itself in a market with established publications, that fear has been crushed. It has won practically all the prizes available for grabs and it is still winning more. They thought it would not be on the newsstands by now, but it is soaring higher. They said the market was saturated but it has a cult following. This papers stands up for the people and it spares no punches.
When ‘Knuckles’ was rested and ‘Knucklehead’ started on the pages of The Nation, I never knew it would last this long. With daily sales figure hovering between 300 and 500 in Abuja in 2006, we have really come far today, breaking the barriers of sales while readership has grown in leaps and bounds.
When I remember the words of an editor who said he was trying to save me from a life of eternal mystery by getting me a job as an Assistant Director in one of the federal ministries in 2007 and what The Nation has accomplished today, I can only give kudos to the management for its clear-headedness in sticking to its belief. Of course, there were moments when one had wanted to give it all up.
There were other periods when mutual suspicion – real and imagined – had dampened the spirit. Yet, these pale into insignificance when one remembers how this young baby called The Nation has been nurtured into maturity, looking into the future with great expectations.
One is humbled to be a part of this developing story in which optimism gradually ebbs out a raging pall of doubts. I’m so glad to be here!