Nigerian Tribune, the longest surviving private newspaper in the country recently celebrated its 70th anniversary.
In whatever clime, reaching 70 years is really a momentous achievement. In the media sector, especially in the African or Nigeria context, it is in no means a landmark going by the hostile situation in which the press operates.
The Nigerian Tribune is now a septuagenarian weathering the murky waters of Nigeria’s political and business environment. In fact, the media organization, established in Ibadan in 1949 by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, is the oldest surviving private newspaper in the country.
In the colonial era, the newspaper served as the mouthpiece for Awolowo’s populist welfare programmes. It also played an important role in defending the interests of the Yoruba people in a period when different ethnic groups were struggling for power.
From independence in 1960 until the 1990s, most publications were government-owned, but private papers such as the Nigerian Tribune, the Punch, Vanguard and the Guardian continued to hold government accountable to the people despite attempts at suppression. Former Military President General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd) once said that of all the Nigerian newspapers he would only read and take seriously was Nigerian Tribune’s editorial column.
Being a newspaper established by an opposition leader at that time, history had it that there were times when vendors needed to hide copies of Nigerian Tribune under their clothes because police and thugs could attack anyone found with it.
A former Deputy Editor of the newspaper, Victor Oluwadamilare told Daily Trust on Sunday that the principles and policies of late Chief Awolowo on Nigerian Tribune made the paper stronger, even after his demise.
According to him, when Chief Awolowo was alive, whenever he had advertisements, he usually attached the cheque of the advert along with the advertisement to show that he cared for the sustainability of the paper, rather than his selfish interest.
He said; “Chief Awolowo was a great administrator. He positioned Nigerian Tribune to survive attacks even after his demise. He usually attached his cheques along with his adverts during his lifetime.”
An associate editor of the paper, Mr. Femi Olukunle described the newspaper as ancient and modern. He said when Chief Awolowo and his wife, Hannah, were going into active politics, they decided to establish the medium because they needed a platform through which they could communicate with the outside world.
He said they discovered that politics that was being practiced in Nigeria was not in favour of the downtrodden, therefore they needed a voice and they discovered that there was no way they could champion the course of the masses without a platform that would amplify people’s thoughts.
Olukunle said history indicated that when Awolowo wanted to found the paper, he was discouraged because other papers that were established earlier didn’t survive.
He said “Probably the people nursing that fear were right because the gestation of newspapers take a long time. But with the pedigree of Chief Awolowo and being a good manager of human and material resources was a major reason for the survival of newspaper. After the demise of Chief Awolowo, his wife who was also a good manager of human resources took over and managed the affairs of the paper effectively. The combination of the two leaders helped the company to survive the hurdles.”
He, however, said the company has passed through many political challenges in the past. On how the paper was able to survive, Olukunle said “Politics at that time was so terrible. There were times when vendors needed to hide tribune under their attires because police and thugs could attack anyone with tribune because it was funded by the then opposition leader. Even at that, it survived.”
That is what gave it the sobriquet, “Apamaku” which literally means despite several attempts to kill it, it survived.
Perhaps, it was able to survive because of the quality of the manpower. Also, many see the company as their own not as for Awolowo. The Yoruba nation see Tribune as their own too. Therefore, the Tribune does not belong to Awolowo’s family alone but the entire Yoruba nation.
It is also believed that the paper has the richest library in Nigeria. The likes of West Africa Pilot and other newspapers of the First republic are in the library till today.
As part of activities for the 70 anniversary, the management held a rebranding ceremony in Lagos unveiling new features of the publication.
The chairperson, African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, publishers of the Tribune titles, Dr (Mrs) Tokunbo Awolowo Dosunmu, described the management’s decision to rebrand the newspaper as part of its strategy to ensure its continued relevance in the nation’s media and the world around it.
Dr Awolowo Dosunmu also disclosed that the publication had set up an online television unit in order to further boost its online patronage and endear it to the nation’s teeming youths.
She attributed the newspaper’s ability to weather the storm in the past seven decades to constant innovations.
“Today, we are here to unveil the new-look of Tribune titles. By so doing, we acknowledge the fact that ideas, even ones as great as those behind the vision for this company, need constant renewal. And we go further because we also use the opportunity to renew our commitment to the world around us,” the chairperson said.
She explained that the publication was reverting to symbols of its illustrious past as a way of using the past to renew the present.
On November 16, 2018, in a bid for a significant presence in Lagos the organization laid the foundation of its Lagos office.
Having survived all these years, no doubt Tribune has contributed not only to Nigeria’s media, but the socio-political development of the country.
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