Newspapers published in Nigeria have a strong tradition of the principle of "publish and be damned" that dates back to the colonial era when founding fathers of the Nigerian press such as Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ernest Ikoli, Obafemi Awolowo and Lateef Jakande used their papers to fight for independence.[1]
Until the 1990s, most publications were government-owned, but private papers such as the Daily Trust, Nigerian Tribune, The Punch, Vanguard and the Guardian continued to expose public and private scandals despite government attempts at suppression.
Laws related to the media, including newspapers, are scattered across various pieces of legislation. There are few good sources of discussion and analysis of these laws.
Some Newspapers depend heavily on advertisements that may be placed by companies owned by powerful people. In some cases, this makes the papers cautious in reporting details of crimes or suspected crimes, and sometimes they carry articles that paint clearly corrupt individuals in a favourable light. An analysis of newspapers shows a strong bias towards coverage of males, reflecting prevalent cultural biases. Few articles discuss women and there are few photographs of women outside the fashion sections.Although earnings have declined since the late 1980s the number of publications has steadily grown.[2]
As of 2008 there were over 100 national, regional or local newspapers.
Online newspapers have become popular since the rise of internet accessibility in Nigeria; more than ten percent of the top fifty websites in the country are devoted to online newspapers. Due to improved mobile penetration and the growth of smartphones, Nigerians have begun to rely on the internet for news. Online newspapers have also been able to bypass government restrictions because content can be shared without the need for any physical infrastructure. The result has been a disruption of the traditional sources of news which have dominated the media industry. Recent online newspapers include Sahara Reporters, Ripples Nigeria, and Premium Times.[3]
This is a list of newspapers in Nigeria. The list includes print and online newspapers currently published in Nigeria that have national circulation or that are major local newspapers.[4]
| Newspaper | Location | First issues | Publisher | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naija News | 2016 | Polance Media Limited | ||
| NewsOnline | 2020 | Winner's Media Concept | ||
| TheNiche | 2014 | Acclaim Communications Limited | ||
| Newswatch | Lagos | 1985 | Global Media Mirror Limited | |
| P.M. News | 1994 | Independent Communications Network Limited | ||
| ThisDay | 1995 | Leaders and Company | ||
| The Herald | 1973 | Leaders and Company | ||
| Complete Sports | 1995 | Sunny Obazu-Ojeagbase | ||
| Daily Trust | Abuja | 1998 | Media Trust Ltd | |
| The Sun | 2001 | The Sun Publishing Ltd | ||
| Independent Nigeria | 2001 | Independent Newspaper Limited | ||
| National Network | Port Harcourt | 2004 | Network Printing and Publishing Company | |
| Next | 2004 | Timbuktu Media group | ||
| Leadership | Abuja | 2004 | Leadership Group Ltd | |
| Business Day | 2005 | Frank Aigbogun | ||
| National Mirror | 2006 | Global Media Mirror Limited | ||
| The Nation | 2006 | Vintage Press Limited | ||
| Uhuru Times | Ogun | 2007 | Journal Communication Limited | |
| Peoples Daily | Abuja | 2008 | Peoples Media Ltd | |
| Newsdiary online | Abuja | 2009 | NewsDiary Communication Limited | |
| Netng | Lagos | 2009 | Adekunle Ayeni | |
| TheCable | 2011 | Cable Newspaper Ltd. | ||
| Premium Times | Abuja | 2011 | Premium Times Services Limited | |
| Blueprint | Abuja | 2011 | Mohammed Idris | |
| Daylight | 2014 | Azuh Amatus | ||
| New Telegraph | 2014 | The Telegraph Publishing Company | ||
| The Authority | Abuja | 2015 | The Authority Media & Publications Limited | |
| Ripples Nigeria | 2015 | Richmond Hill Media Limited | ||
| Stears Business | 2015 | Stears News Limited | ||
| Politics Nigeria | 2016 | Dumebi Emmanuel | ||
| Daily Nigerian | Abuja | 2016 | Penlight Media Limited | |
| Sahara Reporters | New York City | 2006 | Omoyele Sowore | |
| Daily Champion | 2011 | Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu | ||
| Daily Post | 2011 | Daily Post Media Limited | ||
| Nigeria CommunicationsWeek | 2007 | Ken Nwogbo | ||
| Nigerian Compass | Ogun State | 2008 | Gbenga Daniel | |
| Urhobo Vanguard | Delta State | 2012 | Urhobo Vanguard Publishing Ltd | |
| Thinkers Newspaper | Abuja | 2015 | Thinkers Communications Limited | |
| Vanguard | Lagos | 1983 | Vanguard Media Limited | |
| The Punch | Lagos | 1971 | Wale Aboderin | |
| The Guardian | Lagos | 1983 | Guardian Newspapers Limited | |
| Nigerian Tribune | Ibadan | 1949 | African Newspapers of Nigeria Ltd | |
| Peoples Gazette | Abuja | 2020 | Peoples Gazette Limited | |
| The Will | 2009 | Austyn Ogannah | ||
| Triumph | Kano | 1980 | Triumph Publishing Company Limited | |
| Nigerian Observer | Benin City | 1968 | Bendel Newspapers Company Limited | |
| The Tide | Port Harcourt | 1971 | Rivers State Newspaper Corporation | |
| Nigeria Standard | Jos | 1972 | Benue-Plateau Printing Publication Cooperation | |
| Legit.ng | Lagos | 2012 | Naij.com Media Limited | |
| Obaland | Edo | 2009 | Obaland Magazine and Multichoice Media House | |
| Osun Defender | Osogbo | 2006 | Moremi Publishing House Limited | |
| Lagos Daily News | 1925 | Herbert Macaulay | ||
| Federal Character | Maryland | 2019 | Etcetera Ejikeme | |
| Daily Times | 1925 | Folio Communications | ||
| Alaroye | 1985 | World Information Agents | ||
| Nigerian Daily Sketch | Ibadan | 1964 | Spark Communications Limited | |
| The Informant247 | Ilorin | 2017 | The Informant247 Limited | |
| Nairametrics | Lagos | 2015 | Obi-Chukwu Ugodre | |
| Prime 9ja Online | Edo | 2016 | Prime 9ja Online Media |
Sources