The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Newspaper

  • President pledges ease of doing newspaper business

    President pledges ease of doing newspaper business

    • NPAN leaders at Aso Villa           

    Newspaper owners got a commitment yesterday from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for ease of doing their business.

    The President promised to review all policies militating against the media industry.

    Also to be review are existing regulations hindering local access to newsprint — the major raw material in newspaper production.

    He gave the assurance while responding to requests by the leaders of the Newspapers Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), who visited him at the State House, Abuja.

    The President also spoke on a plan by the Federal Government to grant waivers to operators in the air, road and rail transportation systems to bring down soaring transportation cost.

    Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale quoted the President as saying: “I care about what is going on in the country. I thank you for your support and opinions, even the criticism of our government. Without the support of some of you, I will not be standing here as president.

    “You have held our feet to the fire, and we will continue to respect your opinions whether we agree or not. One thing I must say is that I read every newspaper, various opinions, and columnists.”

    Tinubu told his guests that his administration will remain steadfast in “reinvigorating, retooling and re-engineering the economy,” citing bold decisions by his administration to end the petrol subsidy regime and initiate the ongoing unification of foreign exchange rates.

    He added: “I promise you a very transparent government. We will try our best to draw water from a dry well and create a good economic environment that will serve the people.

    “The future of our country is clear with committed investments in health, infrastructure, transportation, and education, among others.

    “We have to take care of the poor. If we invest in our own children and leave the children of the poor, the children of the neglect will attack your investments.”

    Tinubu assured the NPAN leadership that his administration will always uphold media freedom and respect opinions, whether they are adversarial or complimentary to his government.

    He said his administration will carefully consider association’s request for a review of policies affecting the paper industry, acknowledging concerns about existing regulations hindering local access to newsprint.

    Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris, who established BluePrint Newspaper, which he ran before his appointment, reiterated the government’s commitment to fostering a vibrant and responsible media landscape in the country.

    He said: “Our democracy thrives on the principles of transparency, accountability, and the free flow of information. The role of the media, particularly the newspapers, is paramount in upholding these principles.”

    Commending NPAN for providing a platform for national discourse and for diverse voices, the minister implored the association to collaborate with the Tinubu administration through effective dialogue, advancing shared values, and addressing challenges confronting the nation.

    He added that he is the luckiest information minister in history, adding that his mission was to change the face of government communication.

    Idris said: “Trust in the communication coming out of government will be encouraged. I will not tell lies; I will say it the way it is. You people should also report it the way it is.”

    The minister said that the government would also take steps to restore the integrity of public broadcasting by equipping and empowering government-owned broadcast houses.

    NPAN President Kabiru Yusuf, who is Chairman of Media Trust, publisher  of Daily Trust, congratulated Tinubu on his election victory and Supreme Court affirmation.

    Read Also: Shettima hails youths as ‘pillars of today’ at awards gala

    He raised pressing concerns facing the newspaper industry, saying: “Our particular concern in the newspaper industry, which employs thousands of Nigerians: journalists, marketers, distributors, administrators, accountants. Newspapers are also part of the building blocks of democracy and reliable sources of information in a world that is overwhelmed by fake news.” 

    Three members of the association appointed into the Tinubu administration, joined the delegation.

    They are: Minister of Finance & Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake; Minister of Culture & Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa.

    Edun assured the association that Tinubu’s economic reforms would be beneficial to all individuals and groups within the country.

    The minister was Treasurer of NPAN and former Chairman of Vintage Press Limited, publisher of The Nation between 2006 and May this year.

    He urged members of NPAN to support the government by being factual and objective in their reporting.

    Alake, who identified himself as an NPAN ambassador in government, urged journalists to be analytical and to always resist the temptation to peddle falsehood.

    Members of the delegation include Publisher Vanguard, Sam Amuka-Pemu, former NPAN President and ex-Ogun State Governor Chief Olusegun Osoba. Osoba was Managing Director/ Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Times. Chairman/Editor-in-Chief THISDAY, Prince Nduka Obaigbena; Punch Chairman Mrs. Angela Emuwa, who is also General Secretary of NPAN;   Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief The Nation, Mr. Victor Ifijeh; CEO The Guardian Mr. Toke Ibru; Publisher Abuja Inquirer Mr. Dan Akpovwa; Editor-in-Chief Leadership Mr. Azubuike Ishiekwene; and Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief New Telegraph Mr. Ayodele Aminu.

  • VACANCY FOR SECURITY GUARDS

    VACANCY FOR SECURITY GUARDS

    A leading National Newspaper requires the services of Security Men at its Lagos Office.

    1.  Applicants must have at least OND in any discipline and a minimum of two (2) years relevant experience as a Security. 

    2.    Applicants should be between 25 – 40 years.

    3. Applicants must reside in Lagos.

    METHOD OF APPLICATION

    Interested candidates should send in their applications and credentials to: hope.recruitement2019@gmail.com

    Application closes by September 5, 2023

  • VACANCY

    VACANCY

    A leading National Newspaper requires the services of an ADMIN/HUMAN RESOURCE OFFICER.

    1.  Applicants must have at least B.Sc in relevant field with 1-3 years working experience as an Admin Officer. A legal background will be an additional advantage.

    2.    Applicants should be between 25 – 40 years.

    3. Applicants must reside in Lagos.

    METHOD OF APPLICATION

    Interested candidates should send in their applications and credentials to: hope.recruitement2019@gmail.com

    Application closes by September 8, 2023

  • Protesting vendors delay newspaper distribution

    Newspaper distribution in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, was delayed  yesterday.

    The state Newspaper Distributors’ Association of Nigeria (NDAN) refused to accept papers for distribution.

    NDAN protested alleged harrassment, consfication of papers and indiscrimnate arrest by the police at junctions where vendors have their stands.

    They alleged that the men from Oyigbo Division raided them between Sunday and Tuesday.

    Association  Secretary Mr.  Imo Micah told The Nation that vendors were arrested and newspapers confiscated.

    He said they were detained for three days, with the Police insisting that they should pay N60,000 for bail.

    Accusing the police of constant intimidation of members, he said those released were made to sign undertaken not to sell at the junction again.

    They said they would not distribute  newspapers until these issues were addressed and the police return the money victims paid for bail.

    However, they adjourned the strike, warning that if nothing is done, the protest will continue.

    The vendors urged the government,  stakeholders, civil society groups, and public to intervene.

    Police spokesman Nnamdi Omani,  said the differences would be resolved.

    He said the raid followed a security report that members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), take advantage of stands at the junction to hold meetings.

    The development led to late arrival of papers. By 9 am, some newspapers stands within the metropolis were yet to receive supply.

  • Ex-education ministers dies at 83

    Ex-minister of state for education, Alhaji Saka Saadu is dead. He was aged 83.
    Late Saadu, who served at different times as permanent secretary and secretary to Kwara state government  died on Monday in Ilorin, the state capital
    He was an alumnus of the University of Ibadan.

    Spokesman of the Saadu family of Aseleke compound, Okekere, Ilorin , Alhaji Bolaji Saadu announced the death of the former minister.
    Janaza prayer for the deceased took place on Monday at the his family residence.
    In a condolence message, the Kwara state governor, Alh Abdulfatah Ahmed  described the death of former minister as a shock and great loss to the state.
    Ahmed in a statement signed by his chief press secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba said the late educationist would long be remembered for his outstanding contributions to the development of education in Nigeria.
    According to him, as a public officer, the late  Saadu was “an administrator per excellence and the state would no doubt miss his wealth of experience in repositioning the state’s civil service”.
    He described the deceased as a community leader and devoted Muslim, who lived an exemplary life in the service of Allah and his community.
    The governor prayed Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest and give the family the fortitude to bear the loss.

  • Newspaper distributors back Ambode

    Newspaper distributors back Ambode

    The Newspapers Distributors/Vendors Association of Nigeria (NDAN) has declared its support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, in next month’s election.

    The group made its stand known after a stakeholders’ meeting with management of Vintage Press Limited, publishers of The Nation titles.

    NDAN National Publicity Secretary and Lagos State Coordinator Deacon Banji Kujenya said APC has made positive impact on their business, hence their decision to go for the party.

    “This is not the first time we would be doing this. We did it for Asiwaju (Bola Ahmed Tinubu) and Governor Babatunde Fashola. The promises they made have been met. If you look at the infrastructural development in Lagos, it has affected our vendors positively and though, there are still some areas to be improved upon, we are satisfied and we want them to continue in Lagos,” he said.

    The decision to vote for Ambode and Gen Muhammadu Buhari in the presidential election, Kujenya said, was taken by all.

    “It has been concluded among our members. We are going out to give all our votes to APC in Lagos State and national; we need a change in Nigeria. So many people are unemployed and graduates are joining us due to unemployment. That is one of the reasons we want APC to win the elections so that they can create more jobs and re-empower our people.”

    With over 25,000 members in the state, Kujenya expressed hope that 80 per cent  would vote for APC.

    He said the association has done a lot to enlighten its members to collect their Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC).

    “We are not unaware of its usefulness during election, we have been organising sensitisation visits to various local governments on the importance of the PVC and our members are responding well,” he said.

    To NDAN National Coordinator Chief Nicholas Okereke, the 16 years of Peoples Democratic Power (PDP) in power has not improved human and economic activities.

    “APC is a good alternative to PDP’s misrule. I want them to consolidate on what they have done in Lagos at federal level. The party (APC) is caring and has a future. They can improve the economy of this country more than the PDP is doing because we have been rule for 16 years by the government of PDP and there has been no change. APC would do things that would turn the economy round.

    “We want a change from the presidency down to the governors and legislators. We want matures people that can make things happen. That is why we are mobilising our members for support.  All the vendors and agents would come out en masse to vote for APC; we want change and with over 25,000 members in Lagos and we are coming out to give our votes to APC,” he said.

  • ‘My kids shouldn’t take to newspaper distributorship’

    ‘My kids shouldn’t take to newspaper distributorship’

    An ex-insurance worker and widow, Mrs Ezinne Olovoeze, reveals how she ended up a newspaper distributor. In this interview with SUNNY NWANKWO, she admits, though, that she will not encourage any of her six children to take to the business in which she has invested her resources and 30 years of her life. Excerpts:

    How did your newspaper business start?

    It was my in-law who started it and I used to assist him when I was still going to school. While schooling, I worked under him. So he taught me the business, and I’ve spent 30 years in it. After my schooling, I joined an insurance company (Amicable Assurance Company), where I worked for 24 years before retiring and joined the newspaper business fully. Though I was working with the insurance company then, I was still coming around to help my in-law, so I didn’t leave the business entirely even when I was still with the insurance company.

    Do you subscribe to the notion that newspaper distributorship is for the uneducated?

    No, I don’t subscribe to that. My reason is that, it is just like every other business that one might wish to do to put food on his or her family’. The literate ones are in the business and the illiterate ones are also in the business. So, it is just like every other business.

    How have you coped with your colleagues who seem to dominate the business?

    We have no problem. The business is meant for everybody regardless of one’s sex. You know I am a distributor. So, the challenges I do encounter is that when I give supply to some of the vendors, they don’t pay and when they want to pay, they will be paying in such a way that the money would not even be useful to the person. Some will even run away with your money and change to other businesses and hardly will you see them to recover your debt, meaning that the money has gone into thin air.

    Compare your business now to what it used to be

    In fact, the business is almost dead now because in those days, you would sell and make out something from it, but it is not so now. Like I have about six children, it is from here that I made money to train them up to the university level. But these days, we are no longer selling anything; people don’t buy again. In the past, we had branches in all the big towns in the federation: Jos, Kano, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Aba and Umuahia. But now, we can only boast of two (Aba and Umuahia). We closed other branches because vendors owed us huge debts.

    What is the relationship between distributors and newspaper publishers?

    The relationship has been very cordial but we are complaining is that there are no incentives from them to motivate some of us that are trying to sell their papers year in year out under rain and in the sun. From their records, they should be able to know those that are performing very and just like other companies do, these persons should be motivated so that they can do more.

    Some say that they even read the paper on the internet before the paper comes out on the newspaper stand and therefore they don’t have any need to buy the hard copy again since they have read it online. You can see, it has drastically affected the level of patronage and also affects the number of unsold that some of the agents return to the company.

    So, it is affecting us negatively and the company negatively as well. I am sure that the level of unsold copies today and in the past is not the same. It is higher today than in the past.

    Given its apparent low profit margin, will you still stay on in the business?

    Since I don’t have anything doing now, I will still continue to do it until my God says that it is okay.

    Would you encourage any of your children to succeed you in this business?

    As it is now, I won’t encourage any of my children to take up this newspaper business because there is nothing in it again; they won’t make money in it as it was in the past.

    Do you think that the business will grow in future?

    I can’t predict and I don’t pray that it will crash. I pray that it will grow better than what it is now.

  • Dispute over Newswatch: Judge protests supply of unsolicited copies of newspaper

    THERE was a twist to the hearing of the case challenging businessman Jimoh Ibrahim’s acquisition of majority shareholding in Newswatch Communications Limited (NCL) yesterday.

    Justice Ibrahim Buba protested the supply of “unsolicited copies” of the company’s publications to his office.

    Minority shareholders and former directors of NCL, Nuhu Wada Aruwa and Prof Jibril Aminu had sued Ibrahim and three others, challenging the propriety of the process through which he (Ibrahim), used his company, Global Media Mirror Limited (GMML) to acquire majority shareholding in NCL.

    They also accused the Ibrahim-led management of systematically working to kill the company’s main product – Newswatch weekly magazine – and replace it with a daily newspaper – Daily Newswatch – published by a newly incorporated company – Newswatch Newspapers Limited (NNL) – an organisation in which GMML owns 90 per cent shareholding.

    Justice Buba expressed displeasure that copies of the Daily Newswatch newspapers, which formed the subject of the case on which he is presiding, were being supplied to his office “unsolicited.”

    Shortly after the case was called, the judge turned to the lawyer representing Ibrahim and his company, NNL (the company publishing the newspaper), Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN) and asked if he (Ayorinde) wants him (the judge) to continue to preside over the case.

    “Do you want me to conclude this case? I asked the question because after the last sitting, I found an unsolicited gift on my table. And when I opened it, I found two complimentary copies of Daily Newswatch of February 10 and 11, 2013.

    “My secretary told me she can identify the person that brought it. The issue here is, sending copies of the subject matter of a suit before me to me is not ordinary. It is not ordinary because a judge is also on trial over the case he is handling.

    “If any of the party is not comfortable with me, such person should let me know and I will return the case file to the Chief Judge for re-assignment to another judge. I must however call on parties to refrain from doing things that will undermine the integrity of the court,” Justice Buba held in a brief ruling.

    The judge, had in an earlier ruling refused the plaintiffs’ application for interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants – NCL, GMML, Ibrahim and NNL- from publishing and selling to the public, the Daily Newswatch newspapers pending the determination of substantive suit.

    This was in spite of the plaintiffs’ argument that the new daily newspapers were being published solely by Ibrahim, through NNL, an organisation he allegedly established without the knowledge of other NCL’s shareholders and in which he purportedly allocated 90 per cent stake to himself, leaving 10 per cent for the parent company, NCL.

     

  • Newspaper brand management:

    Newspaper brand management:

    NOT unexpected, though, so many of our readers reacted to our first part of this piece, making known their take on the news around the news magazine and the talk about its likely close-down. Againexpectedly, over 75% of the reactions we got were of directconcern for the NEWSWATCH magazine, wishing that the founding owners were more careful and determined to save it from the present “embarrassment”. Emotions were widely expressed by some of those who reacted, leading to somewhat unprintable comments too damaging for me to reproduce on this page. It turns out that NEWSWATCHmagazine mean so much to so many people; they will rather that it is saved from dying.

    For us at MC&A Digest, out interpretation of the present situation concerning the news magazine and our concern resonates at two fronts – instruction and education. In the first part of this two-part write-up, we did point out the need for a professional engagement in the management of mass communication service brands, much as brands and product outside the mass communication market do. As a reminder, we did point out the illusion leading on to the prevalent situation of DIY (Do-It-Yourself), because brand management can only be safely done by the experts. Even practitioners do not have the opportunity of a DIY when it comes to managing their own brands – it requires an independent and unbiased analysis.

    Notwithstanding the emotional interests, we shall look at the NEWSWATCH magazine as a brand.

    Brands are definite, responsible, structural and responsive to stimuli instructions; they are definitive in character and instructive in cause and outcome analysis. Because of their character and the scientific nature of managing them, they are open to manipulation. In other words, the concept of GIGO (garbage-in-garbage-out) is more apt in the case of brand management. So, the primary challenge for brand managers is charting the course for their brand’s journey along the product life cycle.

    Profiling NEWSWATCH magazine will be from two fronts: as a product and as a brand. As a product, it is describable as an A4-sized glossy news magazine product focused in news reporting. On the other hand, as a brand, NEWSWATCH magazine positioned as a player in the market of news reporting with special focus on investigative journalism. From its value-offer (before the death of Dele Giwa), its marketing objective SHOULD be to meet the need of news readers with the specific desire for in-depth news reporting and analysis, based on reported proofs and support evidence(s) not common with the run-on-the-mills news papers – for a profit!

    NEWSWATCH magazine hit the newsstands on January 28, 1985, and immediately positioned as the pre-eminent newsmagazine in Nigeria, with Dele Giwa as its founding Editor-in-Chief. Beyond the glamour of styling and the controversy stirred by Dele Giwa and his team then, by reason of sensationalism and controversy built around their pattern of news reporting and analysis then, the magazine grew as a brand, and was a market leader because it delivered on uncommon value touch-points that resonated even among illiterates and the barely literate at that time. So, the first lesson here is that a brand will always succeed if it delivers on its market’s critical value touch-point, no matter the market.

    It is that aspect of NEWSWATCH as a brand that the readers and indeed its owners lost sight of then and now (immediately before the living owners handed it over to Jimoh Ibrahim). Between January 28, 1985 and October 1986 when Dele Giwa, the founding Editor-In-Chief was murdered in very controversial circumstances, Brand NEWSWATCH ruled as the market leader without a near-second place follower in news reporting in Nigeria. To Nigeria and the international market, NEWSWATCH was a new phenomenon. Practitioners and journalism students were made proud and the more confident at their aspiration to excel, by reason of the brand’s success. Dele Giwa and his team became instant celebrities. Their times in prisons wadded color to their stardom. Even this writer was greatly encouraged by the Dele Giwa style, then, to pursue a career in journalism. The fun was an all-consuming bug.

    However, the unfortunate thing was that stake-holders were all sucked-in in the groove, and forgot to see NEWSWATCH magazine as a brand.

    Brands are not given to sensationalism. Brands are definite on set-objectives and subject to periodic review on their delivery on carefully identified parameters. Brands are born for the ultimate objective of profitability – that is the leveler for all brands, not minding whether they call themselves non-profit organizations or not! The game is about profit making.

    Globally, the major check-points for brands are (1) introduction/birth/market entry (2) growth (3) maturity (4) decline and (5) death. The excitement in marketing and brands management is all that happens in-between these stop points. The bottom-line is brand sustenance and returns on investors’ funds (ROI). At MC&A Digest, we believe – the greatest assurance towards satisfying the two major interests in any brand is its EQUITY. We have written two articles on the value, power and importance of brand EQUITY in the recent past. The reason we did that was to encourage ailing brands’ managers in these troubling economic times. When “recession” manifests, the first symbol is panic. In the face of negative in the balance sheet, managers are wont to manage cost. If the situation persists it steps on the panic mode and triggers off all sorts – including looking for new INVESTORS for fresh funds.

    However, management science has indicated that a brand’s equity is a store of value that can be called up in times of crises. We must state here that it is the equity of NEWSWATCH brand that its original owners put on the table in their negotiation with Jimoh Ibrahim. The problem is that they wrongly invested their asset – the brand’s equity. NEWSWATCH magazine with such a strong pedigree had no business giving away its majority share holding to a prospect with uncertain interest in its business and concern for its market peculiarity. My worry since the trouble between Ray Ekpu & Co on the one hand and the Jimoh Ibrahim team started has been trying to figure out what the Ekpu-led team was thinking during their negotiation with the ‘new’ investor.

    I know I will earn so much money from the term plate I have designed for situations like this, so I will not lay it out on this page; I will reserve that for my Clients. However, I will like to leave my readers and managers of news papers/magazine managers – the new market environment for print requires creativity and strategic involvement that will see newspaper/magazine brands operate in markets marginally beyond “newspapering” for dependable level of profitability. Take this away with you: there are two major marketing objectives for brands in the print market segment (1) build your brand’s equity (2) engage in value-offering that is immediately outside your primary market – to enable you build a sustainable revenue base for your brand.

    As we always say on this page, we are open for consultation and human capacity development (for brand managers) – and advert placement. We wish the NEWSWATCH team all the best in their quest to save the brand. But they should always have at the back of their minds, NEWSWATCH magazine is a brand, beyond anything else.

    MC&A DIGEST QUESTION FOR THE WEEK: What should NEWSWATCH owners have done to avoid the present situation the brand finds itself?

    Please send your answers/comments to mcandadigestweekly@gmail.com

    All answers/contributions will be published on this page next week. Thank you.